It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it to save some money or because you actually enjoy DIY work — but more and more people are determined to fix stuff around the house themselves these days.
And naturally, as you start doing this more and more often and obtain some experience; the amount of various tools that you own will start increasing as well.
Of course, a wrench is a pretty basic tool; one that you’re likely to use for a variety of applications around the house. But what about specific basin wrenches? What if you don’t currently own one, but you need to fix or replace your kitchen faucet?
If you try to resolve your issue with plumbing on your own, you might find that it’s not easy to do by yourself. It can be quite problematic to install or remove kitchen faucets without having the proper tools by your side first.
With that in mind, you should know what basin wrenches (also referred to as sink wrenches) are. These are plumbing tools, specifically designed for the installation and removal of faucets in an efficient and quick manner.
You’ll recognize this tool by its long shaft — longer than on regular wrenches — that ends with a handle on one end and two asymmetrical jaws on the other. There’s also a pivot pin which connects the jaws.
As you might have gathered, this is a tool that you might need — but not one that every homeowner owns. Plus, it’s not very easy to use a sink wrench if you haven’t had some practice with it first.
That’s why we’ll give you some other methods for removing kitchen faucets without a basin wrench in this article.
Alternative Tools Required
The alternative tools that you will need to remove your kitchen faucet depend on what precisely you’re going to do. If you intend on fixing or cleaning the faucet, for example; you will need an assortment of cleaning tools.
However, if you’re removing the faucet with the intention of replacing it — you won’t really need any additional tools; nothing apart from the newer faucet which you will install as a replacement.
Still, if you don’t have a basin wrench in your household — it’s advisable to keep a regular socket wrench handy. Apart from that, you should take your ratchet spanner out of the toolbox, along with some pliers for water pumps and screwdrivers.
Also, make sure you’ve got a piece of clean cloth by your side. If you have a sink drain wrench, it could come in handy as well.
Step 1: Turn The Water Off
Before you proceed to remove your kitchen faucet — you need to make sure that your water supply lines are closed shut. The last thing you want is to accidentally cause a small flood in your kitchen.
So, you need to find the water lines for both hot and cold water. Usually, the valves that control these water flows are found below your kitchen sink.
Once you shut the water, the valves that you’ve turned won’t allow water to reach the kitchen faucet. That means you’re free to take out the faucet and install a new one if you want.
However, we still advise putting some sort of bucket or container under your sink; there might be some leftover water in the pipes that will begin dripping even after the valves are closed.
Step 2: Releasing Air Pressure
Even after you have shut down the water flow to the faucet, there could be a certain amount of air pressure left. That could present itself as an issue as you continue working on your faucet.
That’s why we recommend opening your spigot and leaving it to release any leftover pressure for a couple of minutes. After that, you’ll be certain that the tap is light enough to allow for easy removal.
Step 3: The Piping
As you have noticed by now, there are water lines that lead straight to your kitchen faucet. If you want to install a new faucet or just remove the old one for cleaning or fixing; this water supply will have to be cut off first.
That’s where your water pump pliers come in. You’re going to use them to remove the faucet from the water source lines. Some other tools could be used for the same task, but a pair of water pump pliers have the least chance of causing any damage.
Apply the pliers gently to your kitchen water lines; then, carefully pull them off. It’s important that you do this with maximum possible care, seeing as you don’t want to risk damaging the water lines; that would require attention from a professional plumber afterwards.
Step 4: Loosen Screws or Nuts on the Mounting
Once you have detached the water lines from the faucet, you need to do the following — remove (but first loosen) the screws and nuts found on the faucet mounting. You won’t have trouble finding these, seeing as they are the things that hold it all together.
A socket wrench should be enough to loosen these nuts; though, if they’re proving to be particularly troublesome, use some grease or kitchen oil to get them looser.
On the other hand, if your faucet was manufactured with screws — use your screwdriver and not the wrench.
Step 5: Removing The Hose
As you remove your screws and nuts from the sink, it’s incredibly important to place them in a visible place, where you definitely won’t lose them.
If you want to reinstall the faucet afterwards, you’re going to need them. And even if you want to replace it — the last thing you want is loose bolts and nuts around the kitchen.
Once you’ve done that, you can proceed to detach the hose of the faucet from your kitchen sink. When this is done, you’ve basically finished removing your kitchen faucet without a basin wrench.
All that’s left is to clean the faucet and the sink, before examining them. If there’s nothing wrong with the faucet, it might still be reusable. And if you notice cracks and corrosion, you definitely want to buy a new one.
While basin wrenches are quite useful for a variety of plumbing situations, this is one job where they’re not necessarily needed; not if you have a couple of other, more generic and basic homeowner tools laying around.
Frequently Asked Questions
There might be a couple of questions you might have regarding this process — we’ll try to answer them as best we can!
If you find that the nuts and bolts of your faucet are just too tight, and even applying grease doesn’t help immediately; try to leave the grease overnight and make another attempt tomorrow.
There are also industrial-grade grease sprays that you can get at your local hardware store for more powerful results.
If you don’t want to get your kitchen all oiled and greasy — as it is a pain to clean — there are some alternatives that are friendlier for cleaning.
For instance, a combination of vinegar and soda might help; but bear in mind that this is only usable in situations where the stiffness is mild. Harder nuts usually require the application of grease.
Conclusion
We hope that this guide was useful to you and that you’ve learned something new on how to remove kitchen faucet without basin wrench.
Just follow the steps, take it easy, and don’t force anything. Make sure you are staying safe and have a good one, guys!
