Installing a Kingston brass kitchen faucet is an easy task for most homeowners – even those who have no plumbing experience.
However, the process often requires you to be extra careful when making adjustments such as mounting and connecting the faucets. Failure to which your faucet may start leaking, leading to daily annoyance.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, when a faucet drips once per second, up to 3,000 gallons of water gets wasted annually – that’s enough water for an average of 180 showers. If you reside in an area where water bills are high, you may not want to fix your kitchen faucet wrongly.
Table of Contents
Steps of Installing a Kingston Brass Kitchen Faucet:
Step 1: Before beginning the installation, make sure you flush both supply lines to clear any debris, then shut off both supply lines after flushing.
Step 2: Detach the Tee connector and spout mounting hardware from the spout
Step 3: Gently apply a little amount of silicone caulking around the middle hole at the sink top. Please avoid using the plumber’s putty as it may ruin the finish and invalidate the warranty.
Step 4: From the sink top, insert the spout base ring if possible and spout through the middle hole. Insert the spout set up hardware back onto the spout; secure the locknut with your hands, insert the popup rod through the back hole or the spout top, and then revolve the indented metal washer to ensure a smooth pop-up rod movement. After that, test the popup rod for ease of operation.
Step 5: Apply the Teflon tape, then place the tee connector washer and thread the tee connector onto the spout shank. Secure lower lock nut and place the washer into the cold and hot valve and position them through the holes on the sides.
Step 6: While holding from below the sink, secure the top lock nut from above and set an appropriate height from the deck to the stem’s tip. Secure both the top and the bottom lock nuts and make sure not to tighten the lock nut excessively as it may result in undue stress on the stern body causing leakage, which may result in water damage.
Step 7: Attach flexible hoses to the exit hot and cold valve assembly port; you may need to loop the hose but make sure you don’t overtighten.
Step 8: On the all-male threading use a Teflon tape and attach the inlet supply lines to the lower inlet port of cold and hot valve connection.
Step 9: Fix the bottom gasket mounting nut onto the draining system; wrap the top drifted end of the draining system with Teflon tape.
Step 10: Apply silicone to the flange’s bottom side, Install the flange body up through the draining system, hold the draining system at the sink’s back, and screw up the mounting nut with your hands. Be sure to clean excess silicone.
Step 11:Place the pivot rod into the pivot rod vent, insert the pivot nut over the pivot rod, fix it on the draining system, and secure it firmly.
Step 12: Insert the pivot rod through one of the lift rod strap holes and tighten it with the spring dip. Then adjust the lift rod height by resetting the clevis screw on the faucet with the lift rod in position through the lift rod strap, insert the lift rod and harden with a clevis screw.
Step 13:Once the connections have been made, check on the water supply to ensure no leaks; if no leakage, detach the aerator from the spout and turn the handles to a completely open position. Allow the water to run for at least 30 seconds, then replace the aerator.
How to Take Care and Maintain your Faucet
Most brass faucets are finished in unique standards. Regardless, due to the high mineral content in the water, your finish may get tarnished and dull with time. Here are some dos and don’ts to taking care of your faucet so it can serve you for the longest time possible.
Dos:
- Use silicone-based caulking when installing.
- Use a water solution and mild soap to clean your faucet.
- Make sure you dry the faucet after using it.
- Wax the faucet regularly with wax
Don’ts:
- Use plumbers’ putty during installation.
- Use abrasive agents to clean.
Caution:
- You must flush out the water lines completely before use to get rid of clogs and debris in your water system that could lead to malfunction and water flow reduction.
- If you don’t flush out the water lines before using the new kitchen brass faucet, your warranty may become void.
- Using abrasives may destroy your faucet’s finish and invalidate the warranty.
How Long Does It Take to Install a Brass Faucet?
The time needed to install a brass faucet depends on various tasks included. If you’re an experienced DIYer, it should take less than eight hours to install the kitchen faucet as long as all the necessary tools and materials are on set. All tasks include preparing and protecting the area, removing an old faucet in case of a replacement, and fixing the brass faucet with new supply lines.
Benefits of Installing a Brass Kitchen Faucet
Here are other benefits of using a brass kitchen faucet:
- Durability – Brass faucets are corrosion-resistant than all other materials in the market. If you’re dealing with hard water, which is prone to corrode faucets rapidly, this is particularly important.
- Hygiene – Brass is germicidal. Besides maintaining a mint condition for a long time, it kills germs. However, you have to pay keen interest when purchasing a brass faucet since some are merely sealed with brass and might not serve the same purpose as those fully manufactured from brass.
- Timeliness – Brass is one of the materials that have been used for a long time. Besides, it gives your kitchen a vintage appearance.
Conclusion
Nowadays, there are so many faucet varieties; some are self-filtering, others have different streams, while others have a boiling water attachment. But you can never go wrong with a brass kitchen faucet.
A Kingston brass kitchen faucet revitalizes your kitchen. While it may seem like just a normal kitchen faucet, it creates a big difference in your house. By installing the faucet, it can greatly increase your satisfaction when performing everyday kitchen chores due to its great appearance.
