It is often difficult to turn on the faucet in the kitchen or bathroom. Do you face this problem? Then you know how annoying the problem is. Because most of the time, it makes some annoying noise. So, you need to solve this problem.
Moreover, if you have a single-hand kitchen faucet, you can use lubricant or grease. Because these items can help you to get out of the problem.
Do you know how to lubricate a single-handle kitchen faucet? If you don’t know, this article will help you. I will share the step-by-step process of lubricating a single handle kitchen faucet. So, let’s get started.
What You Will Need
Before starting the work, you need to gather some elements and tools. Without those things, you can’t complete your work correctly. Here, I will tell you some tools which will essentially lubricate a single-handle faucet. Let’s know the tools name:
1. Silicon-Based faucet grease
2. Scrub Brush
3. Allen Wrench
4. Cartridge Puller
5. Philip head screwdriver
6. Nose Pliers
7. Tongue and Glove Pliers
These are enough tools for lubricating a single-handle kitchen faucet. It can help you to work more smoothly.
How to Lubricate Single Handle Kitchen Faucet
Now I will discuss the process of lubricating a single-handle kitchen faucet. Some think that single-handle faucet lubricating is easy, like oiling a door hinge. But single-handle faucet lubricant is not like that. Because the process is complex.
But you can do that independently if you know the step-by-step process. Now, it’s time to discuss how to lubricate a single-handle kitchen faucet. I will give you a step-by-step guide. So, let’s start.
Step 1: Turn Off the Water
First, you have to turn off the water. However, you can turn off this using water valves. It will be located under the sink. But sometimes there you will not find any water valve under the sink.
Then you need to turn off the main water valve. You can find it in the place where your main water pipes enter your home. Now open your faucet to pass the water drain from the pipes.
Step 2: Remove the Faucet Handle
Now it’s time to remove the faucet handle. First, find and remove the decorative cap from the faucet handle. Under the decorative cap, you can find a Philip head screw or Allen screw.
Take an Allen wrench to Philip’s head screwdriver to loosen the screw. Sometimes your screw can be stuck. You have sprayed your screw using penetrating oil. Now, you can easily remove the faucet handle.
Step 3: Pull Out Retaining Clip
After removing the handle from the faucet, you will find a retaining clip or threaded cap. However, you can remove the threaded cap by using pliers.
Besides, remove them by turning them counterclockwise. Must place the pliers on the cape Kurnell to prevent scratching. But if your kitchen faucet has a retaining clip, use nose pliers to remove it.
Step 4: Remove Cartridge
Now remove the single handle faucet cartridge. However, you can do it by hand or with a pair of pliers. But sometimes, the cartridge will stick. You need to remove it by force.
While forcing, there is a high chance of damaging faucets and their parts. To avoid damage, you can use a cartridge pulling tool. Before using a cartridge puller, don’t forget to check your faucet brand. Because some faucets support specific brand cartridges.
Step 5: Clean the Faucet
Now your single-handle kitchen faucet is ready for lubricating. But don’t do this quickly. First, deeply inspect your faucet stem inside. If you find any mineral deposits, then you have to clean them.
Take a scrub brush or piece of sandpaper. Now clean your faucet stem properly. And make sure that there are no mineral deposits or dust.
Step-6: Lubricate your Faucet
Take a Silicon-Based faucet grease for lubricating. However, lubricate all the parts of your faucet. If you find any O-rings outside the stem or cartridge, then lubricate these.
While lubricating, you can replace any part if it is damaged. Lubricant properly that any parts are left out.
Step-7: Reassemble the Faucet
After lubricating, check every part. If everything is okay, you can go to reassemble the faucet. However, you can reassemble this by reversing the steps. To detect the leaks, wipe up the water around the faucets.
Turn on the water valves to taste your faucets. Before the working end, ensure that your faucets are working correctly.
So, this is the step-by-step method of lubricating your kitchen faucet. You can easily do it yourself in your leisure time.
FAQ
- Is It Necessary To Get Help From A Professional To Lubricate A Single Handle Kitchen Faucet?
No, this is not mandatory to take help from a professional. But if you are not confident and have any chance of being damaged, then don’t take any risk. Go to a professional for lubricating.
- How Much Time Does It Take To Lubricate The Faucet?
It depends on your working skill. If you’re working quality like a pro, you can complete your work in 25-30 minutes. But for beginners, at least 1 hour is the probable time.
- Silicon Based Faucet Grease Or Petroleum Based Faucet Grease, Which Is Good For You?
Silicon-based grease is better than petroleum-based grease for faucet lubricating. Because faucets can quickly adopt silicon-based oil. But with petroleum-based faucet grease, there are some problems.
Ending Thought
After using the faucet for a long time, the rust freezes. And it can give you difficulty in turning your faucet. At that moment, lubricating the faucet is the ultimate solution. But you cannot lubricate a single-handle faucet if you don’t know the process.
In this article, I shared with you the process of how to lubricate a single handle kitchen faucet. And also tell the safety process of lubricating.
It becomes dangerous because you need to assemble your faucet during working time. So, try to be careful and lubricate your kitchen faucet.