A new faucet gives your kitchen an instant, inexpensive upgrade. Plus, a newer faucet can make your kitchen chores easier if you choose one that has features like a pull-down sprayer for rinsing vegetables or a gooseneck that makes washing deep pots easier. Putting in a new faucet can be easy or difficult depending on the age of your plumbing and the type of faucet you buy. Hiring a plumber could be the best solution and a way to make sure nothing goes wrong to cause a water disaster under the sink. Here are some things to know about faucet installation.

Buy The Right Faucet For Your Sink

There are many shapes and finishes to choose from when you buy a new faucet, but one thing you want to do is buy one that fits in your sink. This means you should buy a faucet based on the number of holes in your sink. The plate under your faucet covers up the holes, so look underneath the sink to verify how many there are. You can buy a faucet that needs fewer holes since the extra holes will be covered by the faucet plate, but you don't want to buy a faucet that needs three holes if your sink only has one.

Loosen Plumbing Connections

One common problem with plumbing under the sink is that the connections can corrode, so they get stuck. Getting them loose may require special tools, such as a basin wrench. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to cut the faucet out. The valves under the sink may be stuck in the open position too, and those have to be unstuck to turn the water off unless the plumber turns the water off at the main. Since the plumber is working under the sink anyway, it's a good time to get the valves working and replace lines with braided hoses if necessary so the plumbing is more modern and easy to deal with in an emergency.

Install The Faucet

Installing the faucet requires that the old one be removed first. The plate needs to be pried up so the old faucet can be pulled off. Then, the new plate and faucet are installed through the existing holes in the sink. The connections are made under the sink, and the plate is sealed to hold the faucet in place and prevent water from leaking into the cabinet.

Test The Water

Before running water through your new faucet, it's a good idea to take the aerator out in case minerals were dislodged during the work. The lines and new faucet can be rinsed out by letting the water run for a while. During this time, the area under the sink should be checked for drips and leaks so connections can be tightened if needed.