Whether your faucet has been leaking or doesn’t go with the trend, replacing it might be the first thing that will come to your mind. We can’t blame you, as it is indeed one of the most popular DIY projects people tend to do for years. Now, just because it is popular doesn’t mean it’s an easy task to tackle. Well, this is where matters get a little complicated.
Throughout the process of replacing your rusty faucet with a shiny nickel one, you will come across many hurdles that can make or break your plan. One wrong move and you can end up messing with the faucet configuration and spend extra money on calling a plumber. Hence, by knowing what you can expect and its outcomes, you will most likely save yourself from a downfall and have an efficient replacement.
So, in this article, we will go through some key factors you should remember before starting your faucet replacement adventure.
1. Understand the Project
First and foremost, ask yourself whether you are capable enough to do this by yourself. Are you used to fixing things around the house? Do you know how to handle the nuts and screws? Are you aware of the technologies used in the faucet? It is a hard-to-swallow pill but, following a video tutorial is different from reality. As time proceeds, different types and technologies have been added to today’s faucets. The cabinet underneath the tap can be narrow, challenging to work with, and is a pain in the back. So, if you think you can’t do this job, you need to leave it for the professionals. You can always ask for help during the process but consider consulting early before facing any significant mishap.
2. Always Turn Off the Water Before You Begin
Before you’re set out to put your dedication and hard work into this project, turn off the water of the existing faucet. In most cases, you can do it in a breeze by simply twisting the Off valve with your fingers in the On-Off valve. It is located at the hot-cold section of the supply lines. But, if you had the faucet for a while, it wouldn’t be surprising to find the valves rusted or stuck. It can be tackled by applying heat using a mini heater or hairdryer, allowing the valve to loosen up to turn it off.
If that doesn’t help, use pliers to grab the valve and adjust it to the OFF position. The valves can break if you add too much pressure, so make sure to be gentle (The last thing you want is a flooded house with everything in a mess!). For extra precautions, consider turning off the primary water valve of your house, which is often located in the basement. However, if you fail to do so, use your pliers to turn off the water at the meter instead.
3. Remove the Old Faucet
Now, let’s begin our main operation, removing the faucet. We assure you this will be the trickiest part to tackle, so bear with us! Before you start, prepare your lights! Get your torches, candles (beware of the fire), any light source (if you have natural light, that’s great.) as you will do most of the work underneath the sink, which will be pitch black. Next, locate the nuts and bolts under the sink and remove them one at a time. Use wrenches to make it easy to remove. Once you accomplish that, take out the faucet gently, and start cleaning the spot thoroughly before replacing it with the new one. It is not the most straightforward task but the only arduous task in this journey.
4. Find the Perfect Faucet Replacement
Give yourself a pat on the back for finishing up the hard part! Now let’s go faucet shopping. Before you choose one, make sure to know about the hardware first. Start checking how many holes you have on the sink and the distance between the center and the left-most hole. It is an industrial measure used, known as measuring “on-center”. If you have removed the old faucet, you could take it as a sample of the measurement needed for your perfect replacement. You have to make sure the new faucet fits the same hole structure as the old one.
If you choose a simple kitchen faucet, it requires a set of three to four holes for installation. However, if you upgrade to a stylish-tech-based faucet like touch kitchen faucets that require only one to three holes, then you might need to get yourself an escutcheon plate so the faucet can reach the holes which remain unused.
5. Determine your Price
You might think that doing the replacement by yourself would save you some money, organize your budget and find out the results. Although we appreciate the optimism, it won’t always work out this way. There are few criteria you need to go over. For example, you need to check how much each part costs. Check if the task you are doing requires technical details. See if any work needs professional help, like placing a wall-mounted faucet and track how much it would cost per hour. Make a chart consisting of your prices and follow it if you want to stick to a budget.
6. Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
Sometimes even though we feel like replacing faucets can be an easy task, it isn’t actually. Don’t let its popularity as a DIY project fool you. Sometimes you should let the experts take care of it. There are many reasons why you should. You can end up spending more money on fixing the leak from your valve if you add too much pressure; parts can break apart, or installing the faucet in the wrong position. You can hurt yourself by working in a narrow space or by dealing with the faucet parts.
On top of that, the newer faucets that have technology imbued into it might require professional help. So, don’t be shy to reach out for help. Now that’s a good deal! It may get you to spend extra money, but you get the job done without any stress.
7. Last Minute Tips!
Here are some bonus tips to further help you in this process:
- If you are working on your own, use a smooth surface like plywood to support your back.
- Select the faucets that can complement your kitchen.
- Before your purchase, click a picture of the area you will fit it. You can use it to show the manufacturers who can guide you for the perfect one.
- Do you fit a Wall-Mounted faucet? Get some help! Because there are more complications as most of its work is behind the sink.
- Don’t forget to take safety measures and protect the safety essentials for your house.
- Don’t go too hard on yourself; make sure to know the limits.
Overview
Here you have it, the outlines that you can now refer to when replacing a faucet. Remember to know your limits and not to go overboard. If things get too tricky, save yourself some pain and get professional help to assist you in this journey. Please go through the instructions that come with your new faucet to avoid any confusion and set it up with style. Now take some downtime and relax as you finish tackling the replacement. Thank you for reading!