How to install and care for kitchen faucets
Most of us never take the time to learn how to care for our equipment at home. In our minds, that is something that is left to the maid or house help to do. Put yourself in a scenario where there is no maid and something goes wrong and needs to be fixed. What are you going to do?
It would be helpful to have a little information on how to fix things yourself and not feel the need to call your neighbor or the first handyman you come across. It’s also very satisfying to be able to complete a task without help! One of those pieces of equipment that might need repair could also be your kitchen faucet.
Kitchen faucets come in many different styles and designs. The main differentiating factor based on how they work is the number of handles they have. Compression faucets have two different handles; one for hot and one for cold water, while dual taps have hot and cold water handles fused together.
Another way to differentiate kitchen faucets is by the material they are made of. The most popular would be chrome and stainless steel. This may be due to the ease with which the two shine after being polished and the elegant look they both maintain. For us traditionalists, nickel and brass can be polished to an antique finish.
The installation of a kitchen faucet depends on whether it is being replaced or installed for the first time.
weather. It is much easier to install it for the first time than when it is replaced. This is because you can first install the faucet, and then fix the sink above it. It is much more challenging to replace a faucet as you have to go under the sink and around the supply lines and get to the mounting nuts that will hold the faucet in place.
Tools like a sink wrench can make the job easier, but it would be much easier to remove the kitchen sink. Remove aerator immediately after installation and flush to ensure any clogged material is removed.
Any piece of equipment needs to be taken care of if it is expected to work for a long period of time and a kitchen faucet is no exception. As with all metals, it may need constant polishing to leave it looking sleek and shiny. Leaving it greasy with stains catalyzes the oxidation process and will leave your faucet looking old in no time.
Always fix any leaks as soon as possible, as this will not only make your faucet look cleaner, it will help conserve water that would have otherwise gone to waste.