How Long Should It Take a Plumber to Replace the Kitchen Faucet?
- By: Amer ZaghloulehUncategorizedComment: 0
Has your current kitchen faucet seen better days? Whether it has sprung a leak or is simply outdated in comparison to your kitchen, replacing a kitchen faucet is one of the most popular projects for homeowners who want to upgrade their kitchen. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. While it may end up being a simple process, since faucet configurations vary it’s likely that you’ll run into a snag or two along the way. For this reason, many homeowners choose to enlist the help of a professional.
If you need to have a kitchen faucet replaced, you may be wondering how long the installation is going to take so you can budget properly for the cost of hiring a professional plumber. The length of time required to replace a kitchen faucet will depend on the specific tasks involved. For simple replacements, it’ll usually take between 30 minutes and an hour for a plumber to replace a kitchen faucet. Whereas, a complete faucet installation averages about 7 hours, since the project involves preparing and protecting the area, disconnecting the old faucet, and hooking up the new faucet to the supply lines.
In addition to the time it takes to replace kitchen faucet, we’ve put together a list of some important considerations you should make before you move forward with a kitchen faucet replacement.
1. Removing an old kitchen faucet is usually trickier than you think.
More often than not, removing the old faucet is more complicated than it seems. The process involves loosening the nuts that hold the faucet in place from under the sink and then lifting it out through the holes. Since the space under the since where the faucet is attached is generally very narrow and dark, the removal process can be incredibly difficult. If you prefer to handle the replacement yourself, you’re going to need a strong work light, an adjustable wrench, and a lot of patience.
Not to mention, the nuts that hold the faucet in place may be rusted or stuck – making the removal even more complicated. In this case, you may have to use a penetrating oil to dissolve the corrosion, which can take between 30 minutes and overnight to work. With that said, it’s easy to see why replacing a kitchen faucet may take a long time, even for a professional plumber.
2. Choose the right replacement kitchen faucet.
Before you even think about heading to your local home improvement store to purchase a new faucet, you need to understand your sink’s hardware. Oftentimes, the best way to do this is to remove the old faucet. With your old faucet removed, you can accurately determine the number of holes in the sink as well as the distance from the center of the farthest hole on the left to the center of the farthest hole on the right – known as measuring “on center (OC).”
Depending on the replacement faucet that you choose, you may have to install a separate base plate, known as an “escutcheon plate,” to cover unused holes or drill additional holes when going from one handle to two.
3. Wall-mounted kitchen faucets are very complex.
Faucets that are attached to the wall behind the sink are the most modern, trendiest option currently available. Unfortunately, though, replacing an old faucet design with a wall-mounted model is one of the most complicated replacements you could perform in a home. Going from sink-mounted to wall-mounted for your kitchen faucet involves opening up the wall behind the sink to run new water supply lines. This is absolutely a task for a professional plumber.
4. Know your limits.
Sometimes, it’s simply impossible to wedge your body far enough under your sink to be able to reach all the components holding the old faucet in position. Or, when you need to remove additional plumbing like a garbage disposal or drain trap, a simple replacement job can quickly turn into a plumbing project that takes the whole weekend. With that said, if you have little to no plumbing experience, you’re better off calling a plumber to handle your kitchen faucet replacement.
Anytime Plumbing for Your Kitchen Faucet Replacement
While you may think you can handle your kitchen faucet replacement by yourself, the project is almost always more complicated and takes more time than you originally assume. What takes a professional plumber between 30 minutes to an hour to complete, could take the average DIYer several hours, if not days.
To learn more about why you can rely on Anytime Plumbing for all your kitchen faucet replacement needs, contact us today at (831) 431-6593. One of our representatives is standing by to answer your questions, address your concerns, and offer competitive rates on the plumbing services you require.
