Replacing your old bathtub faucet with a new one can instantly give your tub a refreshed and clean appearance. Importantly, it’s among the easiest plumbing jobs in any household. The process of taking out the old faucet and putting in the new one shouldn’t take more than an hour, making it a swift and uncomplicated task for you.
Tools You Need
- Water pump pliers.
- A sturdy screwdriver.
- Teflon tape.
- A set of hex wrenches.
4 Steps to Give a New Look at Your Tub.
Step 1: Remove the Old Faucet
The process of replacing your Bathtub faucet starts with removing the old faucet. Take a small screwdriver or hex wrench to loosen the screw located below the faucet. If there is no set screw, take a wooden hammer or screwdriver and place the handle of this tool to fit inside the opening of the spout. Now rotate it counterclockwise smoothly to loosen it and remove the faucet by hand. Sometimes, you may directly unscrew the faucet by hand if it is not placed too tightly.
Step 2: Purchase the New Faucet
The second step is to buy a new faucet for your bathtub. Don’t forget to take the old one with you while you go to a home improvement store. Matching with the size and type of old faucet now you can purchase the new one. Make sure you are replacing the screw-on faucet with a screw-on faucet and a slip-on faucet with a slip-on faucet. You can choose any of the new faucets from a vast amount of styles and designs. The important issue is the length of the connection pipe protruding from the wall. If the same size of faucet is not available for instance, you can buy a faucet nipple to help you to fit with the pipe and faucet.
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Step 3: Installing the Spout Nipple
The stage of installing the new faucet starts with installing the spout nipple. First, remove the old spout nipple. Use a pipe wrench or basin wrench to remove the spout nipple. You may need an internal pipe wrench if the bonnet nut is tightly recessed.
Now, wrap the Teflon tape around the end of the threaded pipe and screw the new tub spout on clockwise by hand until it is tight and pointed down.
Step 4: Installing the Faucet
Start with taping around the thread on the spout nipple and then twist the faucet onto the nipple in a clockwise motion. Use water pump pliers to tighten it. Note that the jaws of the pliers are covered with tape to prevent scratching the faucet. Be careful that you don’t over-tighten.
If it’s a set screw faucet then simply slip it into place and tighten the set screw underneath.
Finally, check once by switching on the tub and be sure the installation is done successfully.