Whether you do it for saving money or you simply enjoy the rewarding feeling once you are done, DIY tasks are extremely popular these days.
As you gain experience, your toolbox will also gain more and more pieces. Having a wrench is inevitably part of the game, as chances are you will use it for a plethora of applications. But then, what if you do not have one? What if you miss a basin wrench and your faucet needs replacement or fixing?
There are more ways to learn how to remove kitchen faucets without a basin wrench, but some of them are easier than others. You do need a few other tools and chances are you already have them. So, what tools do you need and what steps do you have to follow?
Before moving on, it is worth noting that removing a faucet is all about removing the nuts holding everything together. Once you have them out, it is just about wiggling and pulling. Anyway, there are several ways to get these nuts off. Unfortunately, you cannot do it by hand – while you do not always need a basin wrench, there are other tools to give you a hand.
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Table of Contents Things You Need To Remove Faucet Without Basin WrenchBefore moving on with this DIY project, make sure you have the new faucet at hand. If your faucet only needs cleaning or fixing, get the right tools and you are ready to go. If it has to be replaced, there is no need for extra tools – having it around makes the whole job faster though. So, what do you need for this operation?
A socket wrench is mandatory. While you can learn how to remove kitchen faucets without a basin wrench, you will need another type of wrench – more popular and likely to be in your toolbox anyway. Other than that, you will also need a screwdriver – who does not have one? Take your channel lock pliers out as well.
Other items are not essential or mandatory, but they can certainly help in the process and prevent your kitchen from going too messy. In other words, you will need a clean cloth or a towel. A gauge of tape will also help in the process. Grease is just as handy – it is mostly about further maintenance once the faucet is back on or replaced. Once you have all the parts required for the job, it is time to get to work. So, what steps do you have to follow?
Step By Step GuideTurn off valves to prevent a mess
Valves stop the water flow in the kitchen at least – often, in the same household. They are usually under the sink, but different places may have them in different locations. Turn off both cold and hot water valves before you start.
If you are not sure which valves you have to turn off, simply try the tap water. If water still flows, you turned the wrong valves off. Turn them back on and find another tap, then repeat the steps – try the tap water. Open the faucet to relieve pressureOpen the faucet. Even though you stopped the water flow, the faucet still holds some pressure inside. Pressure will seem irrelevant right now, but it may give you some headache later on, so simply get rid of it at this stage.
Open the faucet and leave it open for a few minutes. The pressure will be off and your work will be much easier. At the same time, as the pressure goes away, the faucet will feel relatively light and easy to remove later on.
Disconnect water lines to clear faucet
Water lines go straight into the faucet. They represent the connection between the main valves and the actual faucet. Whether you want to fix your faucet or you need to install a new one, water lines will have to go off.
There will be two water lines that need to be disconnected – one for hot water and another one for cold water. This is when the channel lock pliers will make the difference. You may have other options to improvise, but the pliers will be your best choice.
Attack the pliers to one water line at a time. Do it lightly, without putting too much pressure. Once attached, pull each line gently. While it might feel a bit stiff, you have to do it carefully or you risk damaging parts.
Remove kitchen faucet nut Learning how to remove kitchen faucet without basin wrench involves a series of preparatory steps, as well as one major step – getting rid of the nuts. This is where most people get stuck if they do not have a basin wrench, but luckily, there are options. So what is the faucet nut removal tool? The socket wrench is one of them and every DIY enthusiast should have one.
These nuts are easy to identify because they hold the faucet. Attack the wrench to each nut and go counterclockwise to remove it. If no one has worked on this faucet in years, the nuts might feel quite stiff and literally impossible to remove.
Do not force them out, as you risk breaking them in the middle – if this happens, your DIY project will become a sophisticated operation. Instead, get some grease to make them easy. Such grease is usually available in sprays – penetrating fluids. Spray bolts, then try again five minutes later and so on.
The screwdriver comes in handy if you have screws instead of nuts. Other than that, you will not need it at all.
Disconnect the hose to complete the jobIf you do everything bu the book, the last step will make everything easy and top a great DIY project. Disconnecting the hose is the easiest job in the process. However, it is a bit messy and this is why you need to use a cloth or a towel. Sure, you can skip these things, but you will have to do some mopping later on.
If the faucet has a sink (like in most cases), you will have to disconnect the sink. Use a clean cloth to wipe the faucet off. Clean everything. Get rid of the debris and try to reach hardly accessible areas as well. Inspect it thoroughly – does it look alright? If it does, you can reuse it. Some parts might need small fixes or replacement though.
If the faucet can no longer be used, simply install a new one. Back to the beginning of the tutorial – you should have the new faucet ready to go in unless you have no clue what type of mounting mechanism you require.
Reconnect the faucetFiguring out how to remove the kitchen faucet without a basin wrench is not that difficult. Once you are done, it makes no difference if you want to clean, repair, or replace your current faucet – you will obviously have to put a faucet back.
There are no special rules to follow when reconnecting the faucet or bringing a new one in. Simply follow the exact same steps, but in the opposite order. Now that you removed the faucet, you should be able to put it back on.
When getting the bolts back on, make sure you do not exaggerate while tightening them. You risk damaging them, but you will also find it extremely difficult to remove them again at some point in the future. |
This is one of the most obvious and also the most overlooked steps. It is so basic that people simply forget about it. It is essential to turn valves off. Otherwise, once you take the faucet off, water will start running and spray everywhere around you.
FAQ on How to remove kitchen faucet without basin wrench
There will obviously be a few question marks here and there, especially if you struggle in the process.
What should I do if the nuts are too tight?
Use some grease and leave it overnight. You can find lots of sprays in commerce – get an industrial one for better results. You can try again in five minutes, but if the situation is too severe, you might have to leave it overnight.
What does a basin wrench look like?
The basin wrench has a gripping head that pivots. It is at the end of a long handle. It is mostly used to reach hardly accessible spaces, so it is widely used by plumbers when they need to reach places behind or under sinks.
Are there any alternatives to grease?
You can use soda or vinegar, then gently tap the nut with a hammer a few times. However, this option works if the nut is barely stiff. It will not work for severe situations.
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Final words
The bottom line, learning how to remove kitchen faucets without a basin wrench is not that hard. There are, indeed, a few steps in the process that can cause a bit of frustration, but keep calm and try again until you manage.
Whether you want to replace a faucet, clean it or repair it, the socket wrench and pliers will get the job done. If you like this article do check out another article on how to fix low pressure kitchen faucet.