How to Fit a Kitchen Tap
If you are tired looking at your old kitchen taps, why not replace them with some shiny new ones? It can give your overall kitchen a real lift!
If your tap is leaky, blemished, or even a bit rusty, you could require a vital upgrade. So before you start overhauling your entire kitchen, we thought we would show you how relatively straightforward fitting a new kitchen tap is. You will be surprised just how much of an impact a new stylish tap can have on the overall look and feel of a kitchen. Here we have a series of recommendations to get you guys started...
First of all, let's remove the old tap first!
1. Keep things nice and clear
Start by cleaning out the cupboards beneath. This will give you more space to work in, take this opportunity to have a tidy and get rid of all old or used up cleaning products.
2. Switch off the water supply
Now go and find your shut-off valve. In most homes, this is usually very simple to find. The majority of times it's located under the sink or in the airing cupboard. Switch it off by simply turning the tap clockwise as far as you can. Ensure that you turn the tap on to see if your water supply has fully stopped.
3. Disconnecting your existing tap
Thisstep does vary from tap to tap, but it should be possible without the need for an expensive plumber. In most cases, you will have to unscrew the tap from the mains by using a spanner. However do take care, if your mains pipes are flush to the wall you might struggle to get to the nuts without specialist plumbing tools. If this is the case you will have to call a plumber!
4. The Clean-up process
Now you'll be very excited to install your new taps. But first, we would recommend giving those exposed tapes a good clean. Many years of use will have likely led to a lot of built-up grime!
Now, fitting your new kitchen tap
1. Line the tap up!
Firstly take your brand new tap and line it up with your kitchen sink's tap hole. Once you have gently slotted the tap in, now get back underneath the sink. Also, if you are replacing the sink too, you may be required to drill a taped hole before this.
2. Securing the tap
Your new tap has probably come with a plastic nut and also a rubber washer. These are important and are used to secure the new tap to the sink. Firstly, make sure the tap is correctly lined up, then go under the sink and get the rubber washer on the thread of your tap and secure it with the nut by hand.
3. Alignment Check
Once the tap is secure by hand, stand up (careful not to bang your head!) and re-check the tap is still facing the correct way. Then, grab a spanner and climb back under and tightly secure it. You must secure it tightly, otherwise, your tap could become loose during use.
4. Re-connect the mains water supply
With newer kitchen taps, ensuring a watertight connection to your mains water supply is quite straightforward. Some even come equipped with some Flexi-pipes to make the installation process a little easier. In many cases, it's as simple using the included fittings to make a good connection to your water pipes. Ensure you use o-rings or rubber washers. If you want added peace of mind you could cover the connections with a layer of PTFE tape.
5. Enjoy
Finally...drumroll, please! Turn back on your water supply and enjoy our new stylish tap!
