How to Change a Kitchen Tap - The Easy Way!

This largely depends on how confident or experienced you are in completing the task. If you have very little DIY experience, it could take a couple of hours to do it carefully and correctly, whereas those who have done this before should be able to change a tap within half an hour or so. Either way, patience is key - rushing the job could easily lead to mistakes.

Disclaimer: The following advice is for guidance purposes only; always refer to your tap’s instruction manual for specific installation details and safety information.

• Your new kitchen tap.

• Kitchen tap instruction manual.

• Adjustable basin wrench.

• Adjustable pliers.

• Open-ended spanners.

• Slotted screwdriver.

• Limescale remover. 

• Towel.

• Cleaning cloth. 

• Washing bowl.

• PTFE tape.

Firstly, let’s take a look at how to remove your existing tap:

1. Turn Off the Water Supply

Locate the small isolation valves directly beneath the tap’s hot and cold feeds. Turn each valve clockwise until fully closed. If no isolation valves are fitted, find your home’s mains stopcock (often under the sink, in a utility cupboard or airing cupboard, or where the mains water feed enters your house). Turn it to fully-off.

Top Tip: If you don’t have an isolator, this could be a wise time to add one whilst fitting your new tap. This allows you to shut off the water supply to the tap without having to drain the entire hot water system, saving water and time!

2. Clear the Area Under the Sink

Remove any stored items, such as cleaning products, from under the sink to give yourself room to work. Once empty, lay a thick towel or place a shallow bowl directly under the tap connections to catch any residual drips when you disconnect the pipes. 

Top Tip: If your cupboards have quick-release hinges, we’d recommend you remove any doors from the cupboards underneath the sink, so that you can access this area more easily.

3. Drain the System

Open the kitchen tap fully (both hot and cold) to relieve pressure and let any trapped water run out. Leave the tap open throughout the removal to prevent trapped water from spraying once the lines are loosened.

4. Disconnect the Water Supply Lines

Using an adjustable spanner or wrench, disconnect each of the flexible hoses from the fixed pipework. Start with the connectors which you can access most easily, as this will give you more room to work for any which are more stubborn. Turn the nuts anticlockwise to loosen. Support the hose with one hand to avoid putting strain on the valve or pipe.

5. Unscrew the Mounting Nuts

From beneath the sink, use a basin wrench (with its pivoting head) to reach the nut(s) that clamp the tap to the sink. Position the wrench head onto the nut, then turn anticlockwise. You may need to adjust the wrench angle to find the right grip.

6. Lift Out the Old Tap

Once all fixing nuts are removed, gently wiggle the tap body up and away from the sink, carefully pulling through any disconnected flexible hoses which might still be attached just to the tap. If it sticks, check you’ve undone every mounting nut and that any sealant is fully broken free.

7. Clean the Area

Wipe the sink surface around the tap hole with a cloth to remove old sealant, limescale, or general dirt. Avoid scratching the sink finish; a small non-scratch scraper can help remove stubborn sealant or limescale whilst reducing the risk of scratches.

Now that you’ve removed your old tap, it’s time to install the new one! Typically, the process looks like this (Again, this is a generalised guide, so we recommend you refer to your tap’s specific instruction manual):

1. Attach New Flexible Hoses

As taps normally come with replacement hoses, it is a good idea to use them rather than retaining any existing, older hoses. Therefore, start by connecting one end of each new flexible hose to the new tap inlets.

2. Position the New Tap

Feed the tap mounting post and any attached hoses down through the sink hole from above. Make sure you position the tap’s spout and handles correctly so they face the correct direction when seen from the front.

3. Secure the Tap Underneath

From beneath the sink, slide on the rubber or plastic gasket (if supplied) and then the metal mounting plate or bracket. Screw on the mounting nuts by hand, ensuring the tap remains correctly aligned on the sink surface. Use the basin wrench to tighten each nut until snug. Having someone hold the tap securely in the correct position can help prevent it from shifting as you tighten the nuts.

4. Attach Water Supply Lines

Wrap the male thread (grooves on the outside) of each tap tail with 1-2 layers of PTFE tape for a reliable seal. Connect the hot (usually marked red) and cold (blue) flexible hoses to their corresponding isolation valves or straight onto the tap tails.

Top Tip: If you’re installing new isolation valves, fit these onto the incoming pipes first, then attach the tap hoses to the valve outlets.

5. Double-Check Connections

Ensure all hose connector nuts and mounting nuts are finger-tight. Use a spanner to give each nut an extra quarter-turn. Avoid overtightening, as this can damage threads or crush washers.

6. Turn the Water Back On

Slowly reopen the isolation valves under the sink (or turn the mains stopcock back on if you turned off the main supply). Leave the tap handles in the off position. If your stop valve is a long way from your sink, you may want to ask someone else to do this whilst you stay monitoring for any leaks.

7. Check for Leaks

With the water supply turned on but the tap handles still off, check under the sink for any drips around the hose connections or mounting nuts. Then, open both hot and cold handles to run the water and inspect all joints and seals - if you spot any leaks, gently tighten the affected nut until the dripping stops.

For a smoother process, follow our best practices for changing a kitchen tap:

• Check Your Sink Beforehand: Check the sink’s hole configuration to see if it can accommodate the tap (e.g. single-hole, two-hole, or three-hole).

• Don’t Overtighten Fittings: Hand-tight plus a quarter-turn with a spanner is usually sufficient. Anything more than this can crack plastics or deform washer seals.

• Work Safely Under the Sink: Use a headlamp or torch for better visibility, and support pipes or valves with one hand to avoid stress while loosening or tightening. Be aware and mindful of anywhere you might bang your head.

• Double-Check Connectors: Ensure the connectors you’re using are of the correct type, and check the orientation of the connectors (male vs female threads, sizing, etc).

On some occasions, you may notice small problems when fitting your new tap. Some of the most common examples include:

• Wobbly Taps: If a new tap wobbles, it likely means the mounting nuts under the sink are loose. To fix this, simply tighten the nuts that secure the tap to the sink, and ensure the gasket is correctly seated to stabilise the base. If the nut feels tight, check to see if it may have been accidentally cross-threaded when first inserted; if so, undo it fully and try again, ensuring it is correctly threaded.

• Persistent Drip: If you notice a persistent drip, first tighten the cartridge retaining nut (a small internal nut that holds the tap cartridge securely in place within the tap body, ensuring proper water flow control) slightly, then replace the cartridge or O-ring seal; often, a worn seal, not the whole tap, is the culprit.

• Low Water Pressure: If your tap’s flow is weak, check that you have fully opened the main stopcock valve. If this doesn’t work, check that there are no leaks and that your flexible hoses are not twisted or kinked. If neither helps, check to see if the issue persists at other taps, such as in the bathroom. If low pressure is present at those, it could be that your local area just happens to be experiencing a temporary drop in water pressure. As long as there are no leaks, it may just be a case of monitoring it and seeing if water pressure returns in the next day or so (Water companies will often post on their website if there are any known faults). Failing that, contact your local plumber for advice.

If you don’t feel confident fitting your own taps, or if issues are lingering even after following the instructions in your manual, we recommend you contact your local plumber.