Do-it-yourself kitchen faucet replacement from A to Z
Periodic replacement of the mixer in the kitchen is a very common phenomenon that almost every inhabitant of our immense one has to face. As a rule, the need for this procedure arises due to intensive use in conditions of high hardness of tap water. The service life of the cranes is also affected by the very mediocre quality of devices in the budget price segment.
In any case, if the mixer in the kitchen fails, our compatriot has two choices: contact a qualified plumber or replace it yourself. This publication will describe in detail how to change the faucet in the kitchen with your own hands without the involvement of expensive specialists.
Types of kitchen faucets
- design;
- principle of action;
- installation method;
- material of manufacture.
Choosing the "appearance" of the device, the owner should be guided by his own preferences. It will be very nice if the appearance of the mixer matches the interior of the entire kitchen.
The first thing to look for when choosing a device is the installation method. According to this parameter, all kitchen faucets are divided into two types: wall-mounted and table-top. The first ones are most often used for the embodiment of bold design ideas for elite interiors. The tabletop kitchen mixer is installed directly on the sink panel, which is very convenient for the operation and maintenance of the appliance.
There are two types of fixing the mixer to the sink:
- Compression nut. The inlet part of the mixer body is equipped with a thread that is installed in the hole provided in the sink. The mixer is fixed with a nut. The tightness of the connection is ensured by a rubber gasket.
- Fixing the mixer to the sink for 1 pin by means of a pressure plate, a pin with a nut and a gasket. This type of attachment is less reliable and is often used in budget plumbing fixtures.
Types of mixers
Today, modern industry offers three types of mixers:
- Valve. The design of this type of cranes assumes the presence of two crane-axle boxes with valves that control the temperature and flow pressure. Advantages: availability, wide model range. The disadvantage is the very short service life of the basic structural elements.
- Single-lever. Water temperature and pressure are controlled by changing the position of one lever. Advantages: modern design, ease of use, variety of choice.
- Contactless. These are the most modern, functional and expensive devices. To turn on the tap, you just need to bring your hand to the spout. The main disadvantage of contactless models is considered to be a very high cost.
A few words about the material from which modern mixers are made. In their manufacture, stainless steel, silumin, brass, bronze and ceramics can be used.
Silumin models show the lowest service life.
When choosing a kitchen faucet, you should pay attention to the design of the spout, which can be high, low and pull-out. Low, comfortable in the bathroom, but not in the kitchen.It is difficult to put a large pot or kettle under such a "spout" of the tap. High, comfortable in everyday use, but in case of strong pressure, be prepared for spray scattering throughout the kitchen space. Faucets with a pull-out spout are considered the most popular models today.
When choosing a faucet for the kitchen, you should pay attention to the models, the water jet of which will accurately fall as close as possible to the center of the sink.
Selection of mixer hoses
Before removing the faucet in the kitchen, it is necessary to dismantle the hoses that supply hot and cold water to the device. The problem is that during operation, limescale forms on their inner surface, which significantly reduces their flow area, which affects a decrease in the water pressure in the mixer.
The connection of the supply hose is made of soft non-ferrous metal. Dismantling of these elements from the crane is often accompanied by a change in the geometry of the thread, which further leads to a decrease in the tightness of the connection. That is why, experts recommend, when installing a new device, to completely replace the mixer hoses, given that they are supplied as standard in most models. However, their length most often does not exceed 30 cm, which may not be enough to connect the mixer to water supply system, and the quality of these components, as a rule, leaves much to be desired.
When purchasing new hoses, pay attention to the following parameters:
- hose length;
- diameter and type of threaded connection to the water supply system;
- fitting length.
The size of the hose must correspond to the distance between the mixer and the connection to the water supply system.
Hoses should be purchased with different fitting lengths for more convenient assembly of the device.
There are two types of threaded part: male and female.
The standard nut diameter is ½ ”. For connection to the water supply system, female hoses are most often used.
Experts recommend purchasing corrugated flexible hoses made of stainless steel. They are more reliable, durable and more expensive than rubber hoses with a metal sheath.
In some cases, hoses are not used at all to connect the mixer to the water supply system. Instead of them, stationary metal-plastic pipes are installed. To connect them to the mixer, specialized unions with fittings are used.
Self-replacement of the faucet in the kitchen: stages of work
All work on replacing a kitchen faucet can be divided into two stages:
- dismantling the old device;
- installing a new mixer and connecting it to the water supply system.
The first thing to do after purchasing a new device and accessories is to prepare the tool for work. You may need wrenches and adjustable wrenches. Which wrench is needed for the mixer depends on the model and the diameter of the nuts on the hoses. Most often these are open-end wrenches for 10x12, 22x24. For some models, a 10x12 and 12x13 deep stock socket wrench may be useful.
When using a mixer with fastening on a hairpin, an open-end wrench of 11 may be required. If you intend to fasten the mixer to the sink with a clamping nut, then the best option would be to use an adjustable wrench.
In addition, you may need pliers, a wire brush, linen tow and / or fluoroplastic tape (fum tape), sealant, rags, a bucket to drain water from the device. If the inlets of the water supply system are made of metal, it may be necessary to remove rust from the thread grooves. This operation is best done with a metal brush.
Dismantling the old mixer
How to remove the tap from the sink? Before proceeding with the direct dismantling of the old mixer, you need to complete the preparatory work:
- Turn off the water to the tap.
- Unscrew the siphon.
- Loosen the union nuts of the hoses on the side of the water supply system.
- Unscrew the screws securing the sink to the kitchen cabinet top.
Now, the sink with the mixer needs to be turned over for easier access to the mixer fixing system. Next, let's look at how to unscrew the mixer from the sink with a clamping nut.
In fact, everything is simple:
- We unscrew the hoses with an 8x10 open-end wrench.
- On the front side, we clamp the body of the old crane with an adjustable wrench.
- Unscrew the clamping nut from the inside.
The universal grease WD-40 will significantly simplify the process of unscrewing the "stuck" nuts.
Installing a new mixer
Next, let's look at how to assemble a kitchen faucet. The installation of a new plumbing fixture is carried out in the reverse order:
- We insert the valve body into the mounting hole provided in the sink.
- We put on the gasket on the thread, which is supplied with the new mixer.
- We tighten the structure with a clamping nut.
- We screw the supply hoses into the holes of the mixer. This must be done with extreme caution, tightening with a wrench no more than 2 threads.
It remains only to install the sink on the countertop and fix it with screws at the attachment points, and then connect the hoses to the water supply system, trying not to overtighten the connection in order to avoid deformation of the gasket.
To ensure tightness, experts recommend applying a sealant to the back of the sink perimeter.
Before supplying water to the mixer, adjust the position of the appliance on the sink, and then tighten the clamping nut. The last stage is to install the siphon in its regular place and check the tightness of all connections.