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The hardworking bathroom faucet doesn't have to be ordinary, but it does have to be properly installed. Many of today's faucet manufacturers have taken the challenge of demystifying the installation process of the two-handle faucet. Some faucet designs use a rubber gasket to seal the joint between the base of the faucet and the sink. Others require a bead of plumber's putty placed around the perimeter of the faucet's base. (See Figure 1.) The new designs of these two-handle faucets make installing one of them easier than it's ever been.
Figure 1: This two-handle faucet has a separate spout and valve handles.
 | To keep the process simple, whenever possible, install the faucet before the sink is put in place so that it's easier to work on. This is especially true if the sink or countertop will sit on the vanity cabinet, where working in a dark, tight spot makes installation difficult and uncomfortable. |
To install a two-handle faucet, you need the following:
A wide selection of two-handle faucets is on the market. They all install in basically the same way, but be sure to follow the specific instructions that are included with the unit. Generally, here's what involved.
1. Unpack the faucet and check that it:
• Is the model you want
• Fits the sink holes
• Comes with all the parts that are needed for installation
2. Follow the manufacturer's directions and install the gasket or apply the plumber's putty.
Many faucet designs have a rubber gasket that goes between the base of the valves and spout assembly and the countertop. Others require a bead of plumber's putty to be applied to the underside of these units.
3. Place the faucet spout on the sink or countertop.
If the spout has riser tubes already installed, align them with the hole in the sink and lower the spout body into place.
4. Place the faucet valve assemblies (hot and cold) into the holes in the countertop.
If these valves have riser tubes already installed, thread them through the holes in the countertop.
| If the faucet isn't equipped with built-in riser tubes, thread them onto the valve tailpieces and then jump ahead to Step 8. |
5. From the underside of the sink, tighten the hold-down bolts.
Some models have large washers and nuts that screw on the valve tailpieces, and others are held in place with brackets that bolt to the underside of the valve body.
6. From under the sink, connect the flexible hoses from the hot and cold valves with the spout (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: The separate valves and spout allow this faucet to fit a variety of sinks.
7. Connect the riser tubes from the hot and cold valves to the stop valves on the wall.
8. Turn on the water and look for leaks.
9. Remove the aerator screen from the spout and run water through the faucet to flush out any debris that may be in the pipes.
10. When the water runs clear, replace the aerator.
The two styles used at sinks are a right-angle stop valve for when a water pipe enters through a wall, and a straight stop valve for when water enters through the floor. Before you buy one, you should know what valve style you're replacing and what type of water pipes you have: plastic, copper, or galvanized. For this job, you use basic plumbing tools: a basin wrench, an adjustable pipe wrench, and, of course, a bucket.
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