Installing a faucet in the kitchen: choosing the best way

No room in the house is used as mercilessly as the kitchen. Daily cooking and other routine activities require maximum durability from all room equipment. The same requirement applies to the mixer. Comfort and reliability of operation depend on its correct installation. Don’t forget about water leaks and the possibility of flooding - this is simply a real disaster for both owners and neighbors.

Kitchen faucets are complex devices in their design. They differ from each other not only in appearance, but in structure. This often determines how the device is installed, as well as the nuances of its daily use.

How to choose a kitchen faucet

It is difficult to imagine that the faucet should be installed separately from the sink, so when choosing a faucet you simply need to take into account its different parameters:

• bowl dimensions
• distance from wall to mounting hole
• specific features of the drain and its location

A long faucet is more practical; the center of the faucet spout should coincide with the center of the sink. The optimal spout length is determined as follows: the width of the bowl must be divided in half. This will be the right point.

A mixer that is too high will cause a lot of splashing.

The angle of rotation of the crane is also important. If the sink is located near a wall, an angle of 90 degrees is sufficient. If the sink consists of two bowls, it is better to choose a product with a large angle - from 180 to 360 degrees.

How to work with different types of artificial stone

There is no clear definition of artificial stone, and it includes several types of material:

• porcelain stoneware;
• acrylic stone;
• agglomerates (conglomerates).

Porcelain tile is the most durable of all, not afraid of high and low temperatures, as well as minor mechanical damage. An ordinary drill “will not take it”: only a crown (Forstner cutter) or a drill with a diamond tip (or another carbide) can cope with its density.

During operation, it is necessary to periodically “cool” the surface with water, and the drill should operate at low speeds - 250-350 rpm.

Acrylic is the easiest material to work with, since its density is minimal compared to others. You can use regular drills for metal or wood with it, for example, a feather type or the same Forstner cutter. A standard 35 mm hole for the mixer must be drilled at low-medium speed (the material is indeed very pliable, and can even be cut with a jigsaw, but it is difficult for them to achieve an accurate result). A large amount of “plastic” shavings and a characteristic smell are consequences of the high plastic content.

Agglomerate is a material with medium density. It is not as difficult to work as porcelain stoneware, but requires more care than acrylic. In order to drill holes in it, it is best to take the same cutters as in the case of porcelain stoneware.

Price for kitchen faucets

Installing it yourself allows you to save a lot, since a reliable, high-quality device is quite expensive. The cost is directly affected by the following indicators:

• the material from which it is made
• quality of components
• company manufacturer
• design characteristics
• design decoration
• mechanism of action

Useful little things

Finally, here are a number of tips that may be useful while shopping and at different stages of work.

• A sink with two bowls is convenient.

Kitchen sink with two bowls.

• The presence of overflow is welcome. Many communal tragedies began with a rag blocking the outlet.
• For the kitchen, a single-lever mixer is more practical. It can be opened without getting dirty, even with dirty hands - wrist or elbow.
• If you have to attach flexible hoses to a steel pipe with uneven, rust-eaten edges, extend them with a pair of barrel couplings or half-inch extensions. Unlike the rusty edge of the pipe, they will perfectly press the gaskets under the union nuts of flexible hoses.

Chrome plated thread extension.

• It is better to equip the connections to the kitchen sink with a pair of separate valves. If the faucet breaks down, you will be able to use water in the bathroom.
• Do not bend the hoses or place them under tension. The less bending and stress, the longer they will last.

4. Tools for installing a faucet in the kitchen

When starting self-installation, you need to make sure you have all the necessary spare parts and tools. The work uses:

• fluoroplastic sealing tape (FUM) – ensures tightness of connections. It is better to avoid linen threads; they swell with moisture and make eyeliner removal more difficult.
• wrenches: open-end 11 or 10 and tubular, it is useful for tightening the nut that fixes the device in the working position
• installation kit. Most often it is sold together with a mixer; you can buy it yourself by choosing a more reliable design with a thick O-ring. The universal kit consists of one horseshoe-shaped metal half-washer, 1 or 2 studs and a nut
• a pair of plumbing connections. They are also included in the installation kit. Manufacturers, in order to save money, complete the product with budget, unreliable fittings. Sometimes the factory eyeliner is too short. The length plays an important role - it is simply impossible to install the eyeliner tension, and sagging is also undesirable. The universal size is 86 cm. But it’s better to try everything on. Flexible connections are easier to connect than rigid ones, but they are less reliable. It is better to install them in combination with bends with a tap (the kit should also include 2 gaskets).
• screwdrivers, a small wrench and pliers – it’s not a fact that they will be useful, but it is better to keep them ready.
• basin, rag, sandpaper and flashlight.

Only after carefully preparing everything necessary for installing a faucet in the kitchen can you begin to work.

Making a hole in an artificial stone sink

Decorating sinks today can be very diverse. For example, there are models implemented as a single unit with a tabletop. In this case, a special acrylic stone is used. It has a low density, which makes working with it easier and simpler. If the sink is made of artificial stone, then many people wonder how to drill a hole for it. For this, traditional drills are used, specially designed for working with metal or wood.

How to install a faucet in the kitchen with your own hands

All work is carried out with the water supply system shut off. Before installing a new device, it may be necessary to dismantle the old device. Once removed, the old faucet is simply disposed of.

If the sink does not have a mounting hole, special tools will be required. When choosing hole parameters, you need to take into account the dimensions of the mounted unit. A special marking is made on the surface of the sink along the contour of the base of the mixer.

The process begins with assembling the mixer. Elastic hoses or rigid connections are immediately connected to it. Particular attention should be paid to sealing the system, for this you need tow or sealing tape that is wound around the connections. If tow is used, you can drop drying oil on it, so it will not bunch up at the base of the thread.

One of the important parts of the installation kit for the mixer is the ring gasket. It is made of metal with a rubber layer. The rubber part must fit exactly into the special grooves of the metal ring. The gasket is threaded through the connections to the base.

Fixation is then carried out using threaded pins. They are screwed into the base through a clamping spacer. To secure, nuts are attached and tightened tightly with a socket wrench. It is important to fix the mixer in the correct position. Finally check that all necessary seals are present.

Now the sink is installed in its place and the connections are connected to the water supply fittings. The pipes are cleaned with sandpaper, and a winding is also applied to them. The FUM tape must be overlapped. When using tow, the threads are lubricated with sealant and then wrapped with linen threads.

The final stage is checking the device in action. After opening the water, you need to make sure that all connections in the system are tight and conduct a visual inspection. First, the flow of hot water opens, then cold water. If the installation of the faucet on the kitchen sink is carried out correctly, grooves are absolutely excluded, and all wiring should be bent in a U-shape. If water leaks or other defects are detected, the problems will have to be corrected and the seals replaced.

Design selection

Each mixer model is characterized by the presence of certain design features. Single-lever products are distinguished by their practicality. This design allows you to regulate the flow intensity and temperature using one lever. Mixers with two valves are less practical, but fit perfectly into the classic kitchen interior.

Some models are equipped with a special motion sensor; they are classified as non-contact products. When you bring your hands to the faucet, a sensor is triggered and water starts flowing. For the kitchen, this option cannot be called suitable for solving the question of how to install a faucet in the kitchen, since very often it is necessary to draw water into various containers.

The main factor influencing the cost of mixers is the alloy used and the brand of the manufacturer. The most affordable products are made of silumin and other cheap alloys. Such faucets have an attractive appearance, but quickly become unusable. This is explained by the fact that the manufacturing material itself is prone to cracking and quickly turns into crumbs.

High quality faucets are made of brass with a layer of nickel, aluminum or chrome. This increases the attractiveness of the products and makes them more resistant to wear.

Methods for installing a kitchen faucet into a countertop

The mixer tap is installed not only on the sink, but also built into the work surface of the table. To work you will need special woodworking tools:

• jigsaw
• drill set
• drill

First of all, it is necessary to dismantle the sink; it may interfere with the formation of the mounting hole and subsequent connection.

When choosing a mounting location, you should consider:

• comfortable handling of the lever
• The working surface of the table should not get wet when you turn on the water.
• location of the spout relative to the sink

We need to start with the designation. The mounted mixer is applied to the countertop, the outline of its base is outlined with a simple pencil. Next, 4 holes are drilled in the corners of the established perimeter. Next, a jigsaw is used to cut a hole for the eyeliners and threaded pins. The cut is thoroughly cleaned of debris and pieces of wood, and the edge is sanded.

The main thing is not to overdo it with the hole diameter. Afterwards, installation can be carried out in the standard sequence.

Operating procedure

So, having an idea of ​​what material we have in our hands, and having the necessary tools, we can proceed directly to drilling a hole in the sink:

• We determine the place where the mixer will be installed.
• We apply it and trace it with a pencil, creating an outline.
• Find the center of the resulting contour and mark it with a dot.
• We apply the drill/saw/Forstner cutter to the point and make a “notch”.
• We firmly fix the drill in the drill.
• We drill at low speeds, taking our time.

If everything is done correctly, you will get a perfectly even hole in which the mixer will fit without problems. The main thing is not to rush. If you increase the speed or increase the pressure, the artificial stone sink may crack at the drilling site. Even if the bowl itself is not damaged, you will receive a cosmetic defect, the elimination of which will require additional expenses.