Once every so many years the time will come when you have no choice but to replace an old worn out faucet on a sink in your home. Maybe you have just grown tired of the outdated ones you have and you want to replace them with shiny brand new ones that are more modern or sophisticated. Whatever the reason may be, it is good to know that you can easily do this job yourself if you put your mind to it.

There is really no sense in calling out a plumber to a job as simple as replacing a sink faucet. Even the more complicated kitchen sink versions are not that difficult to tackle. It is likely only to take an hour or two at most even if you have never done it before. If you can follow simple instructions and have the common tools necessary, you can probably do it. The only other requirement is a little common sense and patience.

Do not remove your old faucets until you have picked out and purchased your new ones. Before you begin the procedure, make sure that there will be a plumber on call nearby just in case you were to run into a problem you can not handle like a pipe that you can not loosen without breaking or a prior repair that was not done correctly. The first thing to do is shut off the incoming water at the valve under the sink. This is easy enough. Test the water to make sure it is off. Then you can begin disconnecting the water lines to the hot and cold water faucets. Then disassemble the faucet and spigots on top of the sink. Everything should come off easily, but old sealant at the base underneath might need to be pried up.

When the old faucet and handles are removed, be sure to clean the sink area thoroughly and make sure it is dry before you start installing the new one. Sometimes we think that we do not need to read the instructions because we are naturally smart enough to figure it out, not so with plumbing. Plumbing must be installed correctly in order for it to work well and have no leaks or loose parts.

Take the time to read your installation instructions beforehand. Since some faucets set ups are slightly different, this is one reason to read instructions. Make sure you have the correct plumbers putty or tape if it calls for it and it usually does. The new faucet set up should go back in about the same as it came out, but just remember, if you have serious trouble, you can always call that plumber.