How To Quickly Replace A Leaky Faucet

Leaky faucets are not only an annoyance; they also waste water and can make a mess on the counter. The water that makes it way onto the countertop from a leak next to the base of the faucet can also cause water damage to your walls and flooring if it is not taken care promptly. Often the leak is simply fixed by replacing a worn washer in your existing faucet. Occassionally, you may have to replace the whole fixture.

Replacing a faucet is not all that difficult, and can be done easily within an hour. Before you begin, you should first purchase a new faucet. Once you have a replacement faucet, it is time to remove the old one. After you have the old one removed, the most difficult part of the job is done.

Look under the faucet that you are going to replace and you will see the water supply lines coming up to the faucet. Locate the water shut off valves on each line and turn off the water. If you skip this step you will get wet and create a great big mess that you will have to clean up before you can continue. Now turn the faucet on to release any pressure which may be built up and let it drain.

Now get back under the sink and disconnect those two water supply lines from the bottom of the faucet. You also have the chance here to replace these lines if you wish. If not, continue with the faucet replacement.

To remove the old faucet you will need to remove the nuts on the bottom of the faucet, which you can see under the sink. You can use a pair of slip joint pliers or a basin wrench to remove the nuts. If they seem to be stuck, spry them with some type of penetrating oil such as WD40 and let them soak for a few minutes before trying again.

After you have removed the nuts, you can now exit from beneath the sink and pull the faucet out from above. You may need to clean the area where the old faucet has been sitting before putting the new faucet back in. Take the time to clean it and then place in the new faucet. Don’t forget the rubber gasket which should be included in the new faucet kit.

Now it is time to get back under the sink and place the washers and the nuts on the new faucet. Tighten the mounting nuts by hand at first, as you will need to get back up to the top of the sink to make sure the new faucet is aligned straight. You do not want to tighten them completely only to find you must loosen them to make alignment adjustments.

Once you have aligned the new faucet properly, you may use your wrench to further tighten the nuts. Attach the water supply lines to your new faucet. Make certain that the handles are installed on the faucet before turning the water back on in case the faucet is open. Now turn the water back on and test for any leaks. If you have small leaks you can stop them by gently snugging your water supply connections.

You have now replaced your old leaky faucet with a new one which should last you for years to come. You also get the satisfaction of telling others that you did it yourself!