When you buy a new faucet it should come with installation instructions. However, sometimes instructions get lost and sometimes the instructions that come with your faucet are not very well written and they’re difficult to understand. If you have a new faucet but you need a little bit of help with figuring out how to install it, keep reading for our kitchen faucet installation instructions.
Remove the Old Faucet
Removing the old faucet can be one of the most difficult parts of the entire job. You may run into things like corroded pipes or you may have difficulty reaching nuts or fittings. Before you start working on removing the old faucet you should turn off the water. There will normally be a supply valve under the sink and all you need to do a shut off that valve.
After the water is shut off, place a bucket or some other container underneath the P-trap to catch any water that is still in the pipes, when you start to disconnect things. Now you can disconnect the drain lines and the P-trap if they block access to the faucet or the water supply pipes. With everything disconnected, you can remove the old faucet.
Connecting the Supply Lines and Positioning Your Faucet
Once the old faucet is removed, you can connect the supply lines to your new faucet. Use a pair of slip joint pliers or a basin wrench to tighten the coupling nuts.
Before positioning your new faucet, you should apply a quarter inch bead of silicone caulk or plumbers putty around the base of the faucet. Next, insert the faucet tail pieces, with the supply lines connected, into the holes in the sink. Now position the base of the faucet carefully before pressing down on the faucet and forming a seal with the caulk or plumbers putty.
Securing the Faucet and Reconnecting the Supply Lines to the Shut off Valves
From underneath the sink, screw on the friction washers and mounting nuts onto the tail pieces of your faucet. Tighten with a basin wrench or slip joint pliers, being careful not to over tighten them. Wipe away any excess caulk or putty around the base of the faucet.
Now you can attach the supply lines from the faucet to the shut off valves. Tighten the nuts as much as you can with your fingers and then give them an extra quarter turn with one wrench while holding the valve with another wrench.
Installing a Sprayer
At this point, the installation of your new faucet is complete but if your faucet also has a sprayer, follow these steps.
Start by applying a quarter inch bead of plumbers putty to the base of the sprayer to form a seal. Then put the tail piece of the sprayer base through the sink opening. If needed, place a friction washer over the tail piece and then screw on the mounting nut and tighten it.
Hopefully these kitchen faucet installation instructions will help you get your new faucet installed without too much trouble. If you are still struggling and you need some additional instruction, you may want to look for some videos online that can show you what you need to do step-by-step.
