When it comes to misbehaving kitchen sinks, you need to know a pivotal fact—never ignore a stiff, hard-to-turn faucet. If you wait too long to fix this risky problem, you'll likely find yourself with a broken spout and a heavy heart. But fear not, you'll save your kitchen faucet and make it swivel effortlessly by following the steps below.
1. Shut Off The Water Supply And Cover The Drains
Before performing any work on the faucet, be sure to shut off the water supply with the valve under your sink. Next, turn on the faucet to drain the water and release the pressure. Finally, cover the drains to prevent small parts from taking an unwanted journey down your pipes.
2. Remove The Handle
With the water shut off and the drains covered, you're now ready to remove the handle. Use an Allen wrench to loosen the set screw on the front of your faucet. Then simply pull up to remove the handle.
3. Remove The Retainer Nut
Next, you'll need to remove the retainer nut. Place a wrench over the grooves on the sides of the retainer nut. Carefully turn the wrench counterclockwise to remove the nut without scratching the sink.
4. Remove The Spout
With the retainer nut removed, it's time to get to the heart of the problem—the spout. Pull up on the spout until it slides off. If you have a stubborn spout that doesn't want to budge, try twisting it side to side while pulling up. This process sometimes takes a few minutes—so be patient.
5. Clean The Spout
You need to clean it inside and out with a wet scrubbing sponge. Spray all-purpose cleaner on the sponge, and then scrub the spout vigorously, being sure to remove any buildup. Then rinse and dry your (hopefully) spotless spout.
6. Grease The O-Rings
Right when your spout is at its cleanest, it's time to get greasy. Your faucet has two black O-rings, which the spout rotates around. These O-rings need to be greased for the spout to swivel freely around them.
Add plumber's grease to the O-rings, being careful to go all the way around them. After the rings are thoroughly greased, reassemble the faucet.
Your single-handle kitchen faucet should now swivel like new. However, if your faucet is still behaving badly, call a plumber like Plumbing by Belanger Plumbing & Heating to fix the problem before it causes permanent damage.
Share4 November 2015
When you get a clogged drain or a toilet that just won't flush, do you reach for the phone and call for a plumber? When you have these seemingly simple plumbing problems around your house, you have to make a decision quickly. Do you pay for someone to come out and make the repairs, or do you attempt the repair on your own? This blog is all about DIY plumbing repairs. You will learn the basics and find tips for when to cut your losses and call in for professional assistance so you don't make a small fix one that needs serious repairs.
