How to Install a Kitchen Mixer Tap | eHow

Shut off the water supply to your sink at the primary valve. To do this, open the cabinet or access point beneath your sink. You should see a knob located on the pipes or hoses leading up to the sink. Turn this knob. Turn on your old faucet's taps to drain any water in the pipes leading up to the faucet. Close the sink stopper to keep small parts from falling down the drain. Line the sink with an old towel to catch any small parts.

Disconnect the water supply pipes leading into your old faucet by loosening the locking nuts that attach the pipes to the faucet with a basin wrench or an adjustable wrench.

Pry up your old faucet's decorative caps on the tap handles with a screwdriver. Remove the screw beneath this handle that secures the handle to the valve stem. Pull the handle off of the faucet. Beneath this handle you will find a packing nut.

Remove the packing nut from each valve stem using an adjustable wrench with a counterclockwise turn. Beneath the packing nut is a stem assembly. Pull the stem assembly upward to remove it from the valve.

Remove any grout, epoxy or putty used to attach the faucet to the counter by sliding the blade of a utility knife into the seam between the faucet and the counter. Lift the old faucet away from the counter.

Measure the distance between the center of the pipe holes to find the faucet's center, which is known as the centerset. Purchase a replacement mixer tap that has a centerset identical to that of your old faucet. Purchase adapters to adapt your old hot and cold water lines to the new faucet.

Clean the counter and the hole into which the faucet will connect to the counter by scraping it with a putty knife or brushing it with a wire brush.

Apply plumbers putty to the underside of the mixer tap's decorative plate, which is known as a escutcheon. Slide the assembly of the tap through the hole in the counter and press the escutcheon to the counter over the decorative hole. Wait for the putty to dry before continuing.

Place the locking nuts and washers onto the valves beneath the mixer following the manufacturer's directions. Directions will vary among faucet makers.

Slip an adapter onto the end of each valve.

Slip a supply nut onto the hot or cold water supply pipes. Slip the end of the hot or cold water supply pipes into the adapter located at the end of the hot and cold water valves on the faucet assembly. Tighten the supply nut onto the adapter to hold the connection in place.

Turn on the water supply by turning on the knob to the primary water supply valve. Check your sink for leaks and tighten all nuts at the point where the leaks occur until the leaking stops.