Change a Kitchen Faucet

Home repair is an important aspect of home ownership. While you don't need to be a contractor and take care of everything that goes wrong around your house, there are some things that it is nice to be able to do yourself.

If you need to repair your faucet in the kitchen, this is a fairly simple repair that you should be able to do yourself without much headache. You just need a few tools and some basic knowledge for this project.

1. 1
   New Faucet

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2. 2
   Wrench (one that will reach the bolts holding the faucet to the sink)

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3. 3
   Towels

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4. 4
   Water Supply Lines (if yours look old or worn)

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1. 1
   Before you do anything else, you need to make sure you have a faucet to replace the one you're taking out

   .

   You need to get one that will match up with the configuration of your sink's holes.

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2. 2
   Clear out under the sink as much as possible

   .

   Don't leave anything under there that isn't attached. You'll want all the space you can get for this project.

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3. 3
   Make sure you have the tools you think you're going to need nearby

   .

   Also have some rags or old towels laid out under the sink before you start working, with a couple more towels on standby. Even with the water turned off, there is still likely to be some in the lines, and it's best to be prepared for a mess beforehand.

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4. 4
   Turn the water off

   .

   Sometimes there is a valve that just turns water off to the sink, but sometimes you'll have to turn off water to the house entirely while you change the faucet.

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5. 5
   Turn the faucet on to make sure that no water is coming through the system.

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6. 6
   Once you're sure the water is off, disconnect the water lines from the bottom of the faucet

   .

   This is a good time to have a towel handy in case of dribbles.

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7. 7
   Undo the bolts holding the faucet to the sink and remove it.

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8. 8
   Take a little time to clean around where the faucet was

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   If there is caulk still left from the other faucet, scrape it off. Do your best to clean off mineral deposits and anything else, and then dry everything off before you start installing the new faucet.

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9. 9
   Make sure to read the instructions on your new faucet to be sure you know how it is supposed to go on, and to find out if you need any special tools or materials for it.

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10. 10
    Put the new faucet in place

    .

    If it fits, go ahead and reconnect the water supply lines. If you bought new lines and your old ones look like they're in bad shape, go ahead and replace the lines now.

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11. 11
    Turn the water to the sink back on, and check for any drips or leaks

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    If you don't see any, turn on the faucet and make sure it seems to be working well.

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12. 12
    Give it a few minutes to just sit, and check again for leaks

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    If there are none, you've installed the faucet properly. This is one more home repair job that you can cross off your list!

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• Once you repair your faucet and the installation is done, placing a bead of silicone caulk around the base of the new faucet will seal it up against water leaking into it. This will just help your home repair to last longer.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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