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Hello again and a very warm welcome. Today we will learn that How To Install a Two Handle Kitchen Faucet in easy steps?. If you are doing it yourself type of guy then you are at the right place. You may think this is an easy project. Let me tell you frankly that this project is not as easy as it sounds. You may start this project very energetically. But in the end, it may happen that you call a plumber for help.
Let us assist you. We will provide you a solid base to build your project. You need to perform some tasks first so that you can successfully replace your kitchen faucet. Lucky for you that we made the list of these tasks. Divide them into small actionable steps. These easy to follow steps are explained here in detail. So that you can complete this task without creating any mess. We will try our best that you do not need to call a plumber to complete this project.
Prerequisites to Install a Two Handle Kitchen Faucet in easy steps
Let’s begin the journey to install a Two Handle Kitchen Faucet in easy steps
Cut the water supply
This is a simple task to do. Most of the kitchens have a water supply valve. Find it and close it. Most of the time this will work for you like that. But some of the times the valve may be stuck. The reason for this is the rust that stuck in the valve.
Sometimes it happens with the passage of time as the valve gets old. The solution is very simple: use a hairdryer to heat it. Then try to twist it again. After some time you will do it easily. Do remember that applying a lot of pressure may break the valve. If you break the valve the water flow will not be possible to control.
If you are not able to find the kitchen valve to cut off the water supply. Then look for the main supply water valve to cut off the supply.
Remove the Old Faucet
This is the time to remove the old faucet. This is necessary to do. Without this step, you will not be able to create space for the new one. This is really easy to do. Locate the nuts and bolts with which the faucet is attached to the sink.
Before this, separate the faucet water pipe from the main supply line. Then open all the screws that have attached the old faucet with the sink. Do remember to put these screws at a secured place. You may need it while fixing the new faucet.
Protect Yourself
Your own protection is very necessary during this process. You may get hurt. You may need to work at some narrow places. This occurs when your sink is placed inside a cabinet. The things will become more difficult if the floor of the cabinet is a bit higher than the floor of the kitchen
You may need to lay down on the floor and then open the joint of the water supply with the faucet pipe. In this process, you have to lay down on the floor and sometimes even inside the cabinet.
No matter what the situation is at that time. Simply put a sheet on the floor. Lay on that particular sheet and protect yourself from injury. The kitchen cabinet will be higher than the floor. The sheet should be strong enough to provide you the sport. This sport should be firm enough to keep your back straight while laying down on the floor.
Do not overestimate yourself.
This is good to be confident but not always. Sometimes you may need to pay the price of your overconfidence. This may happen with you when you are trying to change the old faucet of your kitchen. The things are so tightly packed that you have to open lots of screws to reach your desired destination.
Like you may need to remove many pipes and even the sink to reach the faucet. This may turn the whole process into a nightmare. It may look like in the beginning that you will finish the work in a couple of hours. Once started you will find out that this will not be finished even consuming your whole weekend.
Things become worse if your plumbing skills are of only the initial level. If at any stage of the project you feel that this is something beyond your skills. Then this will be a wise decision to call a professional plumber to do the job.
How to find the best suitable faucet
Different faucet types have different installation requirements. Like the number of screws and the placement of the holes. If you will buy the wrong faucet. You will not be able to fix it properly without the modification of your sink. This will be an additional hectic and painful activity.
Try to avoid it as much as possible. The best way to avoid it simply takes the old faucet with you. And purchase the faucet of the same settings from the market. This will not only save time but will save you from the additional burden.
Suppose if you like a faucet to buy whose setting is different from your faucet. Sometimes adjustable plates are available that are long and can cover the unused holes on your sink. Please remember that these are not available for all settings. Only a minor adjustment can be made with the help of these plates. This is the reason for the advice to open the old faucet and take it with you.
The wall-mounting faucet
These days a new type of faucet is in the trend. This faucet can be directly mounted on the wall. And the faucet is not placed on the sink. If you want to replace your old faucet with this type of faucet then the process will be complicated. The skills required for this procedure is for more than the capabilities of a DIY type of a guy. The successful completion of this job requires that you hire a plumber. So that the job should be accomplished successfully.
Install a Two Handle Kitchen Faucet in easy steps
Based on my experience let me share a professional tip with you. If you are installing the faucet for the first time in a new washroom or the kitchen. Then I recommend you first fix the faucet in the sink. After the fixation of fluent in the sink. Install the sink at this place. This will make your work very easy. The under-sink installation is a difficult task to do.
Before starting the installation process make sure you have the following stuff ready with you.
- The two handle faucet (make sure that this one is of the right shape and model)
- Plumber’s putty as the sealer. Or silicon as the sealer.
- A wrench for the plumber related jobs
- An alternative light source preferably the flashlight
- Gasket
Most of the time the installation kit you get with the faucet has the gasket. If you don’t find it in the product bag then you want to buy a new one.
Suppose if you don’t want to purchase a gasket you can use the plumbers putty.
Plumber’s putty of the Silicone?
An important decision to make is what is the best sealer to be used. You have two alternatives one is the plumbers putty and the other is the silicone. Both have their own benefits, merits, and demerits. You should know these all to make the decision best for you.
If you are in a hurry then your choice will be plumbers putty. You can use the faucet immediately after fixing it if you have used the plumbers putty. If you have decided to use silicon then you have to wait till it settles properly.
The second difference is the application process. Putty can be applied easily but applying silicon is easier than the putty. The silicon can be applied through the silicon gun. The silicon gun is more appropriate to use. The narrow spaces make it difficult to use a silicone gun. We will share a trick with you but at the end of this article. For now, we will continue with the discussion.
The third is the sealing capacity. The sealing capacity of the silicon is better than the plumber’s putty; this makes it a favorite for the plumbers.
Applying the plumbers putty as the sealer
Take a small amount of the putty. Put it on your palm. Roll it on your palm. This will start to take the shape of a soft rope. This rope should be thick enough to serve the purpose. Put it on the base of the sinkhole where you want to place the faucet. You can even put it between the different valve joints.
Applying the Silicon as the sealer
In case you have decided to use the silicon as the sealer. Apply it with the silicon gun. The silicon gun is not friendly for the narrow spaces.
How to apply the silicon at the narrow spaces
Take a transparent PVC tube. Fit it at the opening end of the tube. This will provide you the flexibility to apply the silicone to the narrow spaces.easily.
The good news is that if you have the gasket you don’t need to be involved in all this. Or you buy one from the shop. Simply use the gasket. with the plumber’s putty.
Connections with the hot and cold water
This is the time to connect the faucet with the water supply. The two handle faucets need to be fixed with the hot and cold water supply separately. The right-sided pipe is for the cold water. While the hot water supply is attached through the left-sided pipe.
Under Sink Work
This is the time to do the under sink work. Fix the joints of the water supply under the sink. You need to take extra care to check that there are any water leakages. You may use the plumbers putty to stop the leakage.
Place the net and bolts to properly fix the sink. The sink should be firm enough. If the sink had shaky support it may befall down. This fall may cause damage to the property. In most extreme cases this may injure any person.
Secondly, if there is any leakage under the sink. This will wet the floor. The water on the floor will make it slippery. This makes it dangerous to use and may cause injury to someone. A famous English saying is that the stitch in time saves nine.
Make sure that the sink is fixed properly and there is no leakage under the sink.
Wrench Work
Tight the ends of the hot and cold water supply with the help of a wrench. To make it leak-proof you should wrap the ends with the help of the Teflon tape.
Clean the Surface
Now is the time to clean the surface. The sealer used may be needed to clean. If you use the silicon as the sealer then you can clean it with the hot water and the wet cloth. If the sealer used is the plumbers putty then you need to use the plumbers’ knife to clean it.
This is the time to use your sink. First, check it for any type of leakage. If there is any, fix it before using it.
Last Words
You cannot perform all the tasks by yourself. If at any place you find out that this is something beyond your capacity and skills. Don’t go for an extra adventure this may cause you a lot. Seek professional help well in time.
