How to Install a Bathroom Faucet

While I appreciate my husband's incredible handy-man skills, I do enjoy learning how to be able to fix things at home. I've been able to help him finish a basement, so I've learned a few new skills. One thing I haven't been able to learn is plumbing, but I've always been interested in learning.

When Moen asked if I'd like to try one of their faucets, I jumped (metaphorically) at the chance!! Since my leg is still recovering, I sadly couldn't crawl under the bathroom sink to install the new faucet. Luckily, my husband volunteered to show me how to install it. If you are nervous about doing this in your own home, don't be! It turned out to be A LOT easier than I ever thought it would be. Plumbing sounds pretty scary, but it's possible to be able to do this all on your own instead of adding it to the dreaded, never-ending "honey-do" list!

When doing any kind of renovation, it's always fun to take a "before" shot. Prep the sink area by wiping things down and clear off any unnecessary items that might get in the way. The less clutter, the better.

We decided on the Moen Ashville bathroom faucet with a spot resist brushed nickel with Microban® finish. Before you start ripping things out, open the faucet package and make sure all the faucet pieces are there (saves you a trip to the store later) and get out all the supplies, tools, etc that you might need. Read through the instructions before you get started. That way, you know what to expect and don't come across any surprises.

**Also, I HIGHLY recommend you start this project early in the day in case you come across any unexpected trips to the store (I might be speaking from experience, so learn from my mistakes).

First, turn off your water. You can turn your main water off for the whole house (might be the easiest and most cost-effective route). Or there are two valves under the sink that you can turn off. Note that if you do turn off the valves under the sink, you may have to replace the valves since the seals can go bad (which is a common problem).

Turn on the tap to drain any water left in the pipes and to make sure you turned your water off properly. Get a large pot or bucket and place it under the valve before you unscrew the hose. Let it drain completely, then repeat with the other hose. There will be water left in the hoses, and it will most definitely leak. You probably don't want to end up with a huge puddle in your cabinet.

Some faucets require you to completely remove the hoses so you can loosen the nuts holding the faucet down. Remove the nuts (and hoses, if necessary), and work on removing the old faucet. If your faucet is stuck down, use a putty knife or something to pry the faucet up. Pull out the faucet and set it aside. You might need it later for reference, so don't throw it out just yet!

To remove the drain, use channel locks to loosen the large nut at the top of the drain pipe under the sink, and the nut of the p-trap. You may need to use a second pair of channel locks to hold the drain as you loosen the big nut underneath. Pull out the drain (be prepared, it will be disgusting!!) and set it aside with the old faucet.

Now you have a faucet and drain-proof sink! It's definitely disgustingly dirty, so get out the sink cleaner and clean it as best you can. You might need a putty knife to scrape off any stubborn gunk.

Now it's time to add your new drain! You'll need plumber's putty to seal the drain to the sink so you don't have any leaks. Roll the plumber's putty into a long snake, and wrap it around the underside of the lip of the new drain. Push the drain down into the sink hole.

Now, add the large seal and nut to the bottom of the drain, and tighten. As you tighten, it will compress the drain pieces together to get a good seal. Some of the putty will squish out, and you can just wipe any excess away with a paper towel or your fingers. Reattach the drain pipe and p-trap, and the drain part is finished!

Place the faucet into the holes in the sink faucet area. Take the nuts (included with the faucet kit) and tighten them to attach the faucet to the sink. Connect the drain stopper to the drain pipe and to the faucet pull (every faucet varies, so check your faucet instructions for specifics).

Next, attach some new braided water hoses (these are less likely to break & leak). They go from the faucet to the valves. These will replace the hoses you removed in the beginning. You do NOT want to reuse old hoses, since they may crack from being moved around. Once the hoses are attached, you are almost done!

 Check to make sure all the fittings are tight, and that you have pans and buckets close by. Slowly turn on your valves or main water. Make sure you do this SLOWLY, otherwise the pressure could blow out a fitting. Tearing out a wall should not be part of this project.

After the water is on and you don't see any leaks anywhere, take out the faucet aerator (in case there are any debris in the pipe that could clog the faucet. Slowly turn on the faucet to get the air out of the lines, and to make sure your drain doesn't leak. If it does leak, check to see if anything is loose or cracked. If you don't see any leaks, then you are done! Place the aerator back into the faucet.

The water and gunk throughout this process was pretty gross, so wipe the sink with an antibacterial soap or wipe, and clean the counter area. Speaking of cleaning, one thing I'm really impressed with is that this Moen Ashville faucet has Microban® antimicrobial protection built in to the faucet finish. This helps inhibit the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria, mold, and mildew. And, even better, the Spot Resist™ finish helps resist fingerprints and water spots to help you spend less time cleaning. You don't even need to use a cleaner on the faucet itself - just wipe with a damp cloth!!

Connect with Moen on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+

Disclosure: I received product from Moen in exchange for this review. All opinions are my 100% my own.