Replacing a faucet is a relatively easy home improvement project that most homeowners can do themselves. The first step in upgrading a faucet is to remove the existing one. Removing a faucet isn’t difficult, but having the right tools on hand will make the job quicker and easier.
The first step in removing a faucet is to turn off the water supply to the faucet. No tools are needed for this step; just close the valves under the sink by hand. After closing the shutoff valves, open the faucet with hot and cold water to remove excess water.
Next, you will need to disconnect the water supply lines from the faucet by removing the coupling nuts. A flashlight will be necessary if your faucet connections are inside a cabinet. The best tool to remove them will be a sink wrench or a pair of water pump pliers. Although not necessary in all circumstances, applying penetrating oil will make the process of removing faucet accessories much easier. In particular, if the coupling nuts are hard or corroded, as is often the case with older faucets, apply penetrating oil to them and wait 15 minutes before disconnecting the faucet. You may also want to apply penetrating oil to the tail mounting nuts at the same time, as you will be removing them next.
Once the penetrating oil has worked its magic, remove the tailpiece mounting nuts with the socket wrench. With the pipes removed and the coupling and tail mounting nuts removed, you are ready to remove the faucet from the sink. Remove the faucet from the top by pulling up, using a putty knife to loosen it from the sink if necessary.
In summary, the list of supplies you’ll need to remove a faucet is short:
- Flashlight
- Sink wrench or water pump pliers
- Penetrating oil (if necessary)
- Spatula (if necessary)
