Replacing the commercial faucet on sinks in your restaurant doesn’t have to be a difficult job. Following a couple simple steps will help you replace old or worn faucets in your kitchen very easily.
For starters, there are two types of faucets:
1. Deck Mount – These faucets attach directly to the top (or deck) of your sink. The water lines come up vertically underneath the sink.
2. Wall Mount – These faucets attach to water lines that come horizontally out of the wall above the sink.
Commercial restaurant faucets vary in sizes of four or six inch centers. Although there are some wall mount faucets that have an adjustable inlet coupling, that can adjust from six to ten inch centers or two to eight inch centers.
DON’T FORGET TO SHUT OFF THE WATER!!
Deck mount faucets are more difficult to change than wall mount because you have to access the connections under the sink.
With a basin wrench (the easiest tool to use) or a crescent wrench, loosen the nuts on the hot and cold water lines on the bottom of the faucet water lines. At this point you can use your hand to remove them. Next, using the basin wrench, loosen the two nuts that hold the faucet in place. Again, use your hand to remove the nuts. Remove the old faucet and then use your hands and the wrench to tighten the nuts on the new faucet. Make sure the connections are tight. Turn the water on and check for leaks.
If there aren’t any leaks, then the job is done!
To replace a deck mount faucet that’s on a wall mounted hand sink, remove the sink from the wall. First turn off the water and disconnect the water lines at the shut off valves. Next disconnect the drain line from the bottom of the sink and lift it straight up (it hangs on a wall bracket) and remove it from the wall. Now you can access the bottom with ease. Follow the previous instructions to remove and replace the faucet. The only difference is you will not need to use the basin wrench.
Wall mount faucets are fairly simple to replace. It is best to know the faucet’s brand name for a direct replacement. If you are unable to find a brand name then measure the inlet coupling on the back of the faucet body. These are the couplings that fasten the faucet body to the sink. To replace the faucet simply unscrew the inlet couplings from the back of the faucet body and install the new faucet.
If this is a new installation, you’ll also need to order either the wall mount kit or the deck mount kit for the faucet you are installing. The kit comes with everything needed to connect the water lines to the new faucet.
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