Friday, March 14, 2008

How Plumbers Replace Bathroom and Kitchen Sink Faucets

If you are considering upgrading your bathroom and kitchen sink faucets, you have come to the right place. The following explanation will make your task much easier and will save your time as well.

However, before we start, make sure that you have following materials ready with you.

- New faucet assembly
- Basin wrench
- Adjustable wrenches
- Slip-joint pliers
- Scouring pad

Now follow these simple steps. (Assuming that you are replacing the old two-handled faucet with the more modern single-handled type)

Replacing Kitchen Sink Faucets 1. Before you start, go at the shut-off valves under the sink, and turn off the water.

2. Open the faucet so that it could drain any excess water.

3. The next step is to disconnect the hot and cold water supply lines from the shutoff valves. You can use a small adjustable-wrench to do this.

4. Reach up behind the faucet. You will find the coupling nuts that connect the supply tubes to the faucet. Unscrew the same using a basin wrench.

5. Behind the faucet, you will also find mounting nuts that hold the faucet in place. Remove these nuts using the same basin wrench.

6. Now that you have disconnected the mounting nuts, you can lift out the old faucet. Lifting it out, disconnect the sprayer hose from the assembly using an adjustable wrench.

7. Lift out the sprayer hose, and remove the faucet.

8. Once you have removed the faucet, clean the surface of the sink thoroughly with a scouring pad.

9. Remove the escutcheon cap and replace the same with the one that is included with your new faucet.

10. Now you are ready to make the new connection. Bring your new sprayer hose, and slip it down through the sprayer hole.

11. Feed the sprayer hose up through the center faucet hole, and connect the hose through the sprayer nipple using an adjustable wrench.

12. If the hot and cold supply tubes of the new faucet have a different length, attach flexible connectors to the fittings on the supply tubes. Hold the faucet fitting stationary with one wrench and tighten each connection with another wrench.

13. Insert and feed the supply lines and the connectors into the center hole, and then seat the faucet.

14. Now crawl up under the sink and in order to hold the faucet in place, install a washer and nut to the end bolts.

15. First, tighten the nuts by hand, and then with a basin wrench.

16. Connect the supply lines to the shutoff valves, and turn the water on.

17. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks.

Replacing Bathroom Sink Faucets 1. Go underneath the sink. Turn off the water. Loosen the collar nuts on the drainpipe.

2. Drain any excessive water, and then remove the drainpipe.

3. Loosen the nuts that hold the pop-up assembly in place under the sink using slip-joint pliers.

4. Unscrew the pop-up flange in order to free the assembly underneath the sink.

5. Remove the fittings that join the supply lines of the old faucet to the shutoff valves, using a wrench.

6. Repeat the steps 4-15 as explained above for replacing kitchen faucet.

7. Now, you have to install the pop-up assembly.

8. Push the pop-up rod down through the body of the faucet.

9. Attach the flat bar.

10. At the bottom of the new flange, use a little plumber's putty to hold the tailpiece so that the whole assembly protrudes up through the drain hole in the sink.

11. Spin the ring to position the same with the tailpiece under the sink.

12. In order to secure pop-up housing in place, tighten the nut on top of the tailpiece.

13. Hook up the pop-up lever onto the flat bar in order to secure it to the pop-up housing.

14. Drop the stopper into the drain hole.

15. Replace the drainpipe.

16. Tighten the collar nuts.

17. Turn on the faucet and check for leaks.

Hence, replacing a kitchen and a bathroom faucet is almost similar except for the work related to the pop-up assembly that is included with the bathroom sink.

Owen Walcher writes for the Best Plumber Resource which provides plumbing tips to consumer and helps people find quality plumbers in Georgia. plumbers.besthomeresource.com

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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Tips On How Buy A Bathroom Faucet

If you want to change the look of your bathroom but you don’t have a lot of money, you can do so relatively inexpensively by replacing your sink and faucet. You’ll have lots of choices on the market, many of which are “retro” and look like the faucets in your grandmother’s bathroom. You can also choose from modern-looking chrome faucets or fancy brass fixtures. You can also still buy the old-fashioned crystal-headed faucets with the snub nosed spout. If you’re so inclined, you can buy the old-fashioned key-shaped faucet handles and can choose from porcelain, brass or brushed chrome finish.

It might surprise and please you to know as well that many of today’s faucets are actually multifunctional units that can convert to showerheads or split into separate streams. You can choose from many functions and can even have multiple functions, if you so choose.

Like just about anything else, bathroom faucets run the gamut in terms of price. You can choose from simple and relatively inexpensive to fancy and quite a lot more expensive. Some things to consider before you buy a bathroom faucet include:

What type of handle do you want on your faucets? Single handled faucets rotate to handle all water temperatures from one spigot. You can also buy faucets and handles separately and make your own unique combination. However, if you do this, you have to make sure that the faucet and faucet handles will fit each other.

Next, what style of bathroom faucet will look best in your bathroom? There are hundreds of styles available, anything from antique to modern, and if you so choose, you can even buy 1970s-style faucets. Believe it or not, you can also buy stone faucets that “spit” water out of the wall or those that look like statues from Rome. However, remember that the more complicated your style is, the harder the bathroom faucet will be to install. It will also probably be a lot more expensive than a simpler one.

Next, do you want your bathtub and shower faucets to match those in your sink? Some people don’t consider this important, but it might make your bathroom appear to have a more uniform design if that’s what you’re going for.

Finally, what do you want the bathroom faucet to be made of? They are available in porcelain, chrome, brass, nickel, plastic or even stone. Some creative designers have even made bathroom faucet spouts out of seashells.

Whatever you decide, there are plenty of choices out there available for you to pick something that exactly fits your lifestyle, budget and needs.

Rob Buenaventura has worked in the home improvement industry for several years. Learn more about bathroom vanities, bathroom sinks and other home remodeling ideas at HomeImprovementTouch.com

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