How to Install a Kitchen Faucet: 6 Steps to Success

Open the cabinets underneath your sink and locate the valves to your hot and cold water supply. Turn both valves clockwise to shut off the water to your faucet. If you need to get a better grip, try using a dish rag or a pair of pliers. You may need to shut off water to the entire house if you don’t have stop valves for your current faucet.

After the water supply is off, you’ll need to disconnect the water lines connected to your hot and cold valves. You should see a nut in front of the valves and before the water line. Take your adjustable wrench and turn each nut counterclockwise, making sure the water pipe is stabilized. Once the lines are disconnected, place a towel underneath them and let them sit for about an hour to catch any drips. If they’re leaky, you’ll need to replace the water lines before installing the faucet.

If you’re replacing an existing faucet, your next move is to disconnect its supply lines with a wrench, and then remove them from the faucet itself. You’ll also need to remove the mounting nuts that connect the faucet to the sink during this step.

Lift out the faucet and apply pressure to break the seal from any leftover caulk. Once the faucet is out, scrub the area around it with a multipurpose cleaning solution before putting the new faucet in place.

Thread the new faucet into place with the mounting holes serving as your guide. If you have a friend or family member who can be another set of eyes, have them check to ensure the faucet is in the right location before securing it into place. Then, tighten it and reattach the supply lines. 

After you attach them by hand, use your wrench to secure the lines. Some plumbers recommend wrapping the threads of each valve with a strip of teflon tape, but this is more of a reinforcement and not a necessity.

Turn the hot and cold valves counterclockwise to restore water to the lines. Once the water is turned on, test out your faucet to ensure there aren’t any leaks or kinks in the lines. You may also want to flush the lines by unscrewing the aerator from the shaft of the faucet and turning the handle on at full pressure. Let it run for about 60 seconds, then turn it off and replace the aerator.