How to Replace a Kitchen Faucet With a Single Handle _ The Home Depot

Begin by clearing out all of the products and supplies under the sink .

You should also have a shallow pan and a couple of old towels standing by to catch any water .

And since much of the job will be done on your back , a pillow will make the work easier to bear .

If you have an electrical outlet beneath your sink , turn off power to it before you remove the old faucet and restore power .

Only after you've tested the new faucet for leaks .

Since you have to work upside down under the sink , be sure to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from falling debris .

You may need to use a flashlight for better visibility inside a deep cabinet , reach in and shut off the hot and cold water supply valves by turning them clockwise , depending upon the type of valve .

This may take anywhere from a quarter turn to several turns until the water is completely off .

If you don't have stop valves already installed in your bathroom , you'll need to turn off the water to the entire house .

You might consider installing them under the sink so you can turn off the water easily in the future valves that haven't been used in a while may be hard to turn .

If you have difficulty , try using a rag or a pair of pliers to improve your grip with the water turned off .

Open up the faucet handles to relieve any pressure in the lines .

To remove the old faucet , you'll first need to go under the sink and disconnect the supply lines that run from the faucet down to the hot and cold valves .

Each supply line is connected to the corresponding valve by a threaded nut .

Use an adjustable wrench to remove each nut by turning it counter clockwise .

As you do make sure you stabilize the water pipe while you loosen the supply lines .

Otherwise you could compromise any connections behind the cabinet .

It's a good idea to have the pan ready to collect the small amount of water that will drain out from the disconnected lines .

Once you've disconnected the water supply line on one side , repeat the process for the other side .

If the valve drips , even though the handle is turned completely off , it means you have a faulty valve , you'll need to turn off the water to the entire house .

In order to replace it , you'll need to take out the old supply line connections to your faucet before you can remove it .

On this two handle center set faucet , the two water supply lines are connected directly to the hot and cold valves because the mounting nuts securing the faucet are installed first , you'll need to unscrew the supply line connections before you can remove them .

If you're removing a single handle , faucet , all of your water connections will be part of the spout assembly since there are no hot and cold handles on faucets like this where the supply lines are built into the faucet .

Any mounting hardware is made to slide directly over the lines .

Finally , your old kitchen faucet may have a diverter on these faucets .

There's a separate supply line that connects between the spout and a side sprayer .

You'll need to disengage this connection before you can remove the faucet and sprayer .

One of the difficulties in taking out the old faucet is reaching up into this tight space and gaining enough leverage to remove the connections .

There are a couple of important tools that will make this job easier .

A basin wrench contains a ratcheting head with teeth designed to grip hard to reach , retaining nuts behind the sink , the handle pivots 90 degrees allowing you to turn it from below .

This faucet and sink installer is a multi purpose tool designed for several under the sink applications .

After unscrewing the nuts , connecting the supply lines to the hot and cold valves , use the basin wrench to take off the nut , connecting the diverter to the sprayer hose .

If you're positive , you won't be using the old faucet again , you can cut the line with a pipe or tubing cutter .

Once you've disconnected all of the water lines under the sink , you're ready to remove the mounting hardware .

The old faucet will be connected to the underside of the cabinet by some type of mounting hardware .

A single handle faucet will typically have the mounting hardware connected to a single shank that contains the hot and cold supply lines .

For a two handle center set faucet .

The mounts will usually be found on the hot and cold valve bodies .

You'll need to remove all of the mounting hardware in order to remove the faucet .

If any nuts or mounting hardware is rusted or difficult to remove , apply a penetrating oil like PB blaster to loosen it , give it time to soak in and you may need more than one application before you can get it off with the mounting hardware removed , the faucet should lift out .

You may need to apply pressure to break any cock seal when you're finished , clean the area thoroughly around the sink with an approved cleaner .

Before installing your new faucet , the number and placement of the holes in your countertop or drop in sync will determine the type of faucet you can put in .

You may have anywhere from 1 to 4 holes .

The fourth hole is typically used for a sprayer or soap dispenser .

The distance between the holes is called the spread and you can determine your spread by measuring between the centers of the three main holes , an eight inch spread on center is the most common and is necessary to fit most center set faucets .

A center set faucet is any one where the handles and spout are all part of one single unit .

A two handle center set has separate hot and cold handles that are connected to the base .

These fit cleanly into the outside holes .

A single handle , center set faucet has the handle connected directly to the spout .

You can either mount it directly to the countertop for a one hole installation or using a sketching plate which will cover up the two outside holes .

Another option is a widespread faucet where the handles in the faucet are separate individual units .

These can be installed with any spread .

Finally , if you like a sprayer , but you don't have enough holes in your countertop , you might consider a pull out sprayer .

These are part of the spout and they'll pull out and retract as needed .

The remainder of this video will show you the installation of a single handle center set faucet with a , a scutch plate .

In this case , the hot and cold supply lines are built directly into the faucet .

It also has a diverter which will connect to a side sprayer .

Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the proper assembly of your new faucet for this unit .

We'll place a faucet gasket onto the spout base , then slide the spout base over the supply lines and onto the faucet body .

Make sure all the components fit together properly .

If you're doing a one hole installation , you will not use the Keion plate .

There should be separate components supplied with your faucet if you're planning to use this configuration .

But if you have a three hole installation , the cuen is needed to cover up the two outside holes .

It should also have a gasket to seal the gap between the cuen and the counter top .

Place the gasket onto the underside of the cu plate , slide it over the supply lines and onto the shank of the faucet .

Now place it onto the mounting surface .

The escutcheon should cover the 1st and 3rd holes then go below deck for the remainder of the installation for single handle faucets .

The mounting hardware usually connects to the shank below the deck .

This unit has a washer that goes against the countertop and a mounting nut with three mounting screws that tighten up against it .

Other faucets will have different mounting hardware and some manufacturers may have additional hardware for thin decks , screw the knot all the way up until it's a half inch below the surface .

Then tighten down the mounting screws evenly until the faucet assembly is tight against the underside of the cabinet before tightening everything down completely .

Have someone help you make sure the faucet is lined up properly behind the sink .

A single handle .

Faucet has hot and cold valves that are part of the spout assembly .

In many cases , it will also have flexible supply lines built in as well .

Some faucet types have state of the art supply lines called PX tubing already installed as part of the hot and cold valves of the faucet .

Another faucets , the hot and cold valves have a threaded nut and you'll need to attach your own flexible supply lines .

This is typically a one half inch mail connection coming out of the faucet .

Make sure you use Teflon tape on the threads before installing for your single handle faucet .

The built in supply lines will come labeled as hot and cold and you'll need to connect these to the corresponding water supply valves with the hot and cold water supply lines attached to your faucet .

You'll next connect the other end of the corresponding water supply valve coming out of the wall .

This is typically a 38 inch fitting in .

Most homes , take a small strip of Teflon tape and wrap it around each of the threads .

The cold water line from your faucet goes to the cold water supply valve which is typically on the right in most homes , screw on each nut by hand and tighten it down with an adjustable wrench .

Make sure you secure the pipe for the water supply valve running into the wall .

So you don't run the risk of damaging any connections .

Many faucet styles are sold with or without a side sprayer option .

If you wish to install a separate sprayer in 1/4 outside hall , you'll need to purchase a faucet that has that feature with the rubber gasket placed onto the shank .

Insert the sprayer hose guide into the fourth outside hole from below .

You'll screw the connecting nut onto the shank and up against the underside of the countertop .

You may need to have someone hold it from above as you tighten it down .

You'll next need to feed the sprayer hose down through the hose guide one end of the hose should already be attached to the sprayer head under the sink .

Connect the other end of the hose to the faucets diverter .

This is the valve on the underside of the spout assembly .

Many connections will just snap or slide into place .

This faucet has a quick connect feature that attaches the end of the hose to the diverter .

Your sprayer may attach differently .

So consult your owner's manual for complete instructions with the water supply lines connected , turn the water back on at the hot and cold valves , test out the operation of your faucet and sprayer .

Then carefully check to make sure there are no leaks .

If you detect a slight drip , use a wrench to tighten the connections until the leak stops , but do not over tighten .

If you're still having difficulty , then turn off the water unscrew the nut and add another layer of Teflon tape to the threads , reattach the supply line , tighten it down and turn the water back on .

Make sure your connections are leak free before proceeding .

Once you've installed your new faucet , it's a good idea to flush it out to remove any debris that may have accumulated in the lines unscrew the aerator from the shaft of the faucet .

There may be a tool for this that comes with your faucet or you may be able to do it by hand with the aerator removed , turn the handle on full blast and let it run for about a minute .

Then shut off the water and replace the aerator .

Regular cleaning and maintenance of your faucet will help give you worry free use for years to come .