How To Fix A Two Handle Kitchen Faucet

If you are thinking about repairing a faucet yourself, and you lot have a two-handle faucet, then there are a few things you lot should know before yous begin to effort this repair. Two-handle faucets tin can be found in bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens and fifty-fifty basement confined. Repairing a two-handle faucet can sometimes require an experienced plumber, but if you are willing to try, following a few simple steps can really help y'all to become the job done.

Footstep 1 - Identify Your Faucet

The ii handle faucet comes in iii types, the seat-washer faucet, the diaphragm, and the washerless faucets. The faucet known as the seat-washer is typically the virtually common and can exist discovered by turning your handle. If the handle turns all the way around, then it is a seat-washer stalk faucet. Other types will only turn around 1 quarter of the circle. Once yous accept identified what kind of faucet you lot have, you lot tin repair it post-obit these simple tips.

Step 2 - Turn off the H2o and Begin

Before you begin to mend the faucet, make sure the water is turned off. You will commonly find a shut-off valve under the sink, but if this is not visible, y'all may need to turn off the h2o at the mains, either outside or at your meter. One time the h2o is off, remove the handle. Most sink faucets are held on to the basin via a spiral through the top. This is sometimes covered past a cap, shaped like a button. You can also detect handles which have been screwed on to the sides of the sink, only wherever the screw is, begin past unscrewing it, and so pull the handle completely away from the sink.

Y'all may find that the faucet is stuck to the sink, either through years of use, or by a layer of caulking. If and so, try using a handle puller, which prevents harm to the valves and valve stalk, merely if this is non possible, gently tap on the base of the handle while twisting the faucet.

Footstep 3 - Remove the Faucet

You tin can now remove the faucet. Depending upon what type of faucet you have, you tin unscrew the locknut or stalk sleeve. If you take the washerless or diaphragm faucet, they will simply pull out of the sink. A seat-washer stem volition have to exist pulled out after the stem sleeve, using a screwdriver to unscrew whatsoever fittings. You lot may accept to roll information technology clockwise or anti clockwise, just it should be piece of cake to remove afterwards a few turns.

Step four - Fix the Faucet

The best fix is always to change all of the removable parts, such as seals, washers, gaskets and O rings. These should be removed, and new ones fitted in. They are cheap, and the stem itself will final for decades if you regularly change these parts. Even a washerless faucet has a washer, and so check all of these. If you come across whatsoever damaged parts, such as a split piping, or a broken washer that was recently replaced, you should remove these parts and use similar items in their place. If it is the stalk itself which is damaged, take it to a local exhibit, or the supplier where you purchased the stock from, and ask them for a replacement.