How to Install a Bathroom Faucet

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Moen, Incorporated for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m so excited to show you our brand new bathroom faucet today, mainly because I know you will be appalled by the gnarly “before” photo. But also, because I love our new Moen Boardwalk Centerset bathroom faucet in Chrome! It’s so pretty. I’m going to walk you through the process of how we installed it – you don’t need to hire a plumber for this job! If we can do it, so can you! We knocked this project out in about an hour, maybe less.

I enlisted my hubby for his help with this since it does help to have an extra pair of hands for some parts of this job. (Keeping the faucet straight, and then later straightening the lift rod, while you tighten from below the sink.)

What you’ll need for this project:

• Adjustable Wrench
• Bowl (to catch dripping water)
• Plumber’s Putty
• New Faucet (I highly recommend the Moen Boardwalk!)

First, make sure the water supply is shut off. Stick a bowl under the sink to catch any dripping water. Remove the old faucet by disconnecting the water hoses and then loosening and removing the mounting nuts below the sink.

Ok, ready for a disturbing photo?

Seriously, that’s what we’ve been dealing with. I have no idea what happened to our old faucet, but since we moved in two years ago it has gradually been peeling and chipping, and I’ve actually cut myself on it! It was really sharp. Thankfully I’m up to date on my tetanus shot! (Long story.) If we weren’t renting, we would have replaced it a long time ago.

Now that you get the picture and agree that we desperately needed a new faucet, let’s get back to the actual installation process. Once you’ve removed the old faucet, thoroughly clean the sink’s surface (it will probably be a little bit gross! Hmm or maybe that was just ours….).

Place your new faucet (along with the gasket) in its spot. Our old faucet didn’t have a gasket, and I really like this feature. It prevents leaks and provides a bit of protection from scratches on the sink surface.

Attach the mounting nuts from below and tighten them to keep the faucet in place. (This is where an extra pair of hands may be helpful to keep the faucet from becoming crooked as you tighten the mounting nuts.) Don’t worry if you feel lost, the instructions that come with the faucet clearly label which part is which and spell out the process, making it very easy to understand. Even for beginner DIY-ers!

Apply plumber’s putty (sealant) to the underside of the waste seat which inserts into the sink’s drain opening. I applied a ton – that’s ok, you can peel the excess away later.

Once the waste seat is in place, slide the drain gasket (tapered side up) onto the waste seat, followed by the washer and then the drain nut.

We also applied plumber’s putty to the waste seat where it meets the sink underneath just to prevent any possible drips. Don’t tighten the drain nut the way quite yet.

Next, you will place the o-ring on top of the tailpiece and thread it onto the waste seat, and then rotate it so the opening on the tailpiece points toward the wall. Tighten the drain nut. I couldn’t get photos under the sink, sorry! But as mentioned above, the instruction manual has a very helpful diagram.

Insert the plug into the drain opening, then install the lift rod into the opening on top of the faucet. This is another point where you might want an extra set of hands. The lift rod on this faucet has a pretty square shape, and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t installed crooked. I held it in place while Chris installed it from below. Once the lift rod has been installed, slide the lift rod strap onto the lift rod and tighten the bolt. (You’ll have a chance to tighten it more later, so no need to tighten it all the way yet.)

Make sure the pivot rod seat is in place (the beveled side should face out). Insert the pivot rod into the hole in the plug, then tighten the pivot rod nut. Push the pivot rod down and slide one side of the clamp onto the pivot rod, then insert the rod through the closest hole on the strap with the pivot rod down. Squeeze the clamp and slide the other side of the clamp onto the pivot rod. Tighten the bolt on the strap (after making sure the pivot rod works properly). Use your wrench to make sure the bolt is really tight. Attach the water supply lines and turn the water back on.

To get rid of nasty debris, remove the aerator by hand or using an aerator tool, then run hot and cold water for about 15 seconds.

Last but not least, admire your new beautiful faucet.

I think we can all agree that this faucet is a vast improvement from where we were before! I love it. The shiny chrome finish is so pretty, and I really like the shape too. Bonus points since it isn’t a health hazard like our old one.

I hope this post shows you that this is a manageable task that you shouldn’t be afraid of! The Moen Boardwalk can be purchased at Lowes and is a great choice if you’re looking to update an old faucet. For more information, you can Like Moen on Facebook.