Your kitchen is probably the busiest part of your home and an essential fixture in the kitchen is a kitchen faucet that facilitates quick and easy washing and cleaning. However, with constant use and wear, over time, your kitchen faucet can start leaking, get corroded, have reduced water pressure, etc. and may need to be replaced.
And, if you love taking care of all your plumbing jobs on your own and want to remove your old faucet, then you know the importance of having the right kind of tools for the job. The best tool for removing and installing a kitchen faucet is the basin wrench.
A handy plumbing tool, the basin wrench or sink wrench has asymmetrical jaws on a shaft and on the other end, it has a transverse handle. Both jaws of the wrench are connected with a hinge pin. A basin wrench has a convenient design that enables you to reach the nuts which fix the faucet to the kitchen sink and loosen them easily.
So, if you need to remove or fix a kitchen faucet but don’t own a basin wrench, is it still possible to remove the faucet? The simple answer is, yes. So, read on to know how.
Removing a Faucet Without Using a Basin Wrench
You can remove a faucet even if you don’t have a basin wrench just with other tools that are available to you.
Get the Required Materials Together
Before you get onto removing the faucet from the kitchen sink, you must gather a few things needed for the job, such as a screwdriver, socket wrench, channel-lock pliers, grease and tape gauge.
Turn Off the Water and Remove the Pressure
First, shut the valves supplying water to the kitchen faucet to prevent any water flow. Typically, the faucet has a cold water valve and a hot water valve, which are usually located underneath the kitchen sink or in the cabinet below.
Close both the valves properly. If there are no valves or you’re unable to turn them off, then you can turn off the main switch valve, which is usually located near the water meter. Once you shut the valves, turn on the faucet to make sure that no water is flowing.
It may be a good idea to place a small bucket under the sink so that, in case of any water drips, there will not be any mess in your kitchen. Next, remove the air pressure from within the faucet by opening it and keeping it turned on for around 2-3 minutes. This will help to release any air pressure in the faucet and make it easier to remove it.
Disconnect the Water Line
This may be quite tricky and you need to do it carefully. Attach the channel-lock pliers to the water supply line tightly and pull it out carefully. Take care when handling the pliers because if you aren’t careful, you can end up damaging the water supply line and also the kitchen faucet.
Remove the Nuts/Screws
Usually, the kitchen faucet has many nuts/screws and you must remove all of them by using a socket wrench after disconnecting the water line. Sometimes removing the nuts may be difficult because the mineral in the water may cause the mounting nuts to rust or they may block them if the faucet is very old.
If the nuts/screws are fixed very tightly, then you may need to grease them to soften the joints, which will let you turn them and remove them easily. Wait for around 10-15 minutes. Then, using a socket wrench, detach the nuts/screws by turning the wrench in the counter-clockwise direction.
Detach the Hose
When all the nuts/screws fixing the faucet to the sink have been removed, the next step is to detach the hose. Once this is done, detach the faucet and pull it out. This way, you have removed the kitchen faucet successfully without using a basin wrench.
Fix or Replace and Install
Once you remove the faucet, check it carefully. If there is some defect or damage, fix it. Also, remove the dirt and debris on the faucet, clean it with some warm water and mild dishwashing soap. Use a soft scrubbing pad or brush if required.
Next, remove any mineral deposits or rust with vinegar before re-installing the faucet. However, if the kitchen faucet is completely damaged and can’t be repaired, then it is a good idea to install a new faucet.
So, as you can see, it is quite simple to remove and install a kitchen faucet even if you don’t have a basin wrench. And, by following the steps we have discussed in our article and with a bit of patience, you can remove, fix and install your kitchen faucet easily and quickly.
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