Replacing kitchen faucet.

[kathydavidb]

It's time to replace our kitchen faucet. Before I tackle this project I wanted to get any input from those who had done it before. Is it a standard faucet that I can buy at a Home Depot type store or do I need to pay more and go to an RV parts store? The supply lines look pretty standard. Are they easily hooked up & disconnected? The faucet mounts on a single hole and there are 2 mounting bolts on each side that hold the mounting plate down. I think it should be pretty straight forward but some of these projects tend to turn into a can of worms. Any info. would be appreciated. Thank you, Dave.

[GR "Scott" Cundiff]

I think you have it . We (a friend and I) replaced ours with one from Lowes - not even an especially high dollar one at that. We were pleased with the results.

 

[Mike and Claudia]

Actually just like in a "regular" house. The only thing is I wouldn't get one with the "pull-out" hose, as the room under the sink is limited and there is little room for the hose and weight.

 

We had a door in front of the sink, as well as in the rear, so it was pretty easy to replace the old one. We bought a Peerless brand, which is a good brand.

 

Good Luck!

[nana25k]

Ours has a pull out and have no issues with the hose. But it would depend on your rig

[socaltoolguy]

I've changed out 3 of them. One in our 5er and two in motorhomes. Right now, Costco has a fantastic one on sale for $60. It's a single lever with pullout spray head. It's a brushed nickel/stainless finish. I put one in our motor home and we love it. It's an easy install.

 

Ray

[Kirk W]

I agree that the RV store is not the place to get your replacement. You will find better ones for no more and probably less money than what the RV shop has and they won't be cheap plastic. I bought ours at Lowe's but any such store should have them. Get one of the major brands as you can then get parts for them if you need to repair one, rather than replace it. It is pretty much the same job as it would be in the kitchen of a house, but might be somewhat tighter space.

[lenp]

What kind of faucet are you talking about? Some (Moen) have replacement cartridges that are very easy to replace than the whole faucet.

 

Lenp

[etrippe1]

I see from your signature you own a Coachman MH, I own a Georgie Boy which is owned by Coachman. So, before assuming all will go well, check underneath to see how your existing water supply lines are attached to the faucet. Are there shut offs with 3/8 supplies to the faucet ? Is there a shelf under the sink ? How much room do you have and can you easily get your hands with a wrench around the existing connections? If your MH is plumbed with pex tubing, it might go straight to the faucet w/out any shutoffs. If the existing faucet has a hot and cold handle, then the connections are right at the bottom of the sink, and if you buy a new single handle faucet, then there are tubes that extend down to the connection point. This could be critical if no shut offs and supply lines. You might have to cut the pex and reinstall fittings onto the pex. It can be done but just takes a bit more time, tools, material and knowledge.

 

All of the above was my situation. I replaced my 2 handle faucet with a single handle w/ soap dispenser, pull out handle from Costco. It lasted 2 years before it needed to be replaced. I returned it to Costco and they gave me my money back. I had to cut the pex and reinstall compression fittings to make the connections. Luckily the shelf below gives enough distance to allow the hose to lay but we cant put anything on that shelf. This is the faucet I replaced the one from Costco with. I bought it at Home Depot. http://www.danze.com/file.aspx?DocumentId=586.

 

good luck

[skp51443]

Before you even look at a faucet go by the repair parts section and see what brands have parts, what is available and what it costs. With that firmly in mind go look at faucets.

 

Something really cheap with no parts available isn't that bad a deal, an expensive one that you can't get parts for or that needs special tools isn't a good deal.

[Wrknrvr]

Two things that I do when replacing a faucet. First is if you can use the existing plumbing and it has a replaceable cone washer in the fitting-- replace the cone washer every time it is apart.

Second is if you need to change the plumbing then the easiest way to do that is to use a shark bite style fitting to convert over to be able use a flexible supply line. There many different styles of supply lines to choose from.

When using a shark bite style fitting check your water lines to see if the lettering on the outside of the pipe is painted or stamp into the pipe. if is stamped in then you need to make sure the o ring in the fitting is going to be on a smooth part of the supply line.

 

 

Vern

[BrianT]

If what you had worked well and you liked it, getting a similar replacement makes sense.

 

If your old one had a pullout sprayer and it worked good, a new pullout sprayer style that is similar should work well too.

 

Not a hard job.

 

Good luck!

[kathydavidb]

The reason I need to replace the faucet rather than repair it, is that the spout no longer moves side to side. For a couple of years I was able to spray lube around the base but now it is totally stuck in one spot. When checking online for faucets I found that there were many others that had to replace theirs for the same reason. I don't think it is repairable and once I get it out I would rather replace it than live with it's problems any longer. There are no shut offs under the sink so I have to shut all the water off to the RV while I work. That's the reason I want to get all my parts & supplies ready when I start the project. If something goes wrong(Murphy's Law) we will be with out water until it is fixed. Could I install shutoffs between the supply lines & the faucet lines? Going to Home Depot will give me the chance to inspect the new stuff. Thanks for all the info. Dave.

[Daveh]

My wife works in plumbing sales so even though we do not have our fifth wheel yet I have looked into this issue. Generally, all RV's have faucet plumbing compatible with residential fixtures. I am contemplating replacing all our RV stuff before we ever hit the road. As my wife will tell you quite forcefully, the stuff at Lowe's, Home Depot is not the same quality as you will get through plumbing suppliers. However, anything at the big boxes is going to be WAAAAY better than what you get with this rv speciific CRAP (a little plumbing joke there).

[skp51443]

You could install shutoffs but I'd not suggest it, it is easy enough to shut off the water when you want to do a faucet change and it is rare enough that you'd likely use the shutoffs one more time if at all. If you do put them in you'd need the right tools for your type of plumbing or the SharkBite type fittings. The way I see it is that is just more chance for a problem with all the cutting, fitting and clamping involved.

 

What you could do is just cut the feed lines off your old faucet, crimp them and solder them shut (plumbing solder not electronic) so you had a couple blocking plugs you could use on any similar supply line. Might even find a plug ready-made at the store if they have a bunch of parts.

[docj]

As my wife will tell you quite forcefully, the stuff at Lowe's, Home Depot is not the same quality as you will get through plumbing suppliers.

 

With all due respect to your wife; if I buy a specific model Moen or Delta faucet it's going to be the same thing regardless of whether I buy it from a plumbing supply store, Home Depot, Lowes or Faucet.com I agree that there are low end faucets at the big box stores that plumbing contractors wouldn't use, and also that the major brands probably have some "made for Home Depot Lowes" merchandise of unknown quality. But, I just bought a Kohler item from Faucet.com and I know that it was the same item I could have ordered through a plumbing supply store, only less expensive.

[Daveh]

Oh yea that is definetly true if the same model #, it is going to be the same but generally you are not going to find those items in big boxes. I am not familiar with faucet.com but they may well be selling high end stuff. The internet does change industries, doesn't it. I was referring to the big box stuff. They have some stuff which is good but you are not going to get very high end fixtures there, Plumbers refuse to work with those fixtures.They won't put them in and they won't repair them (I am sure small plumbing shops will do repair). I know consumers, myself once included, think plumbers wouldn't touch the stuff because they wanted to protect their profit margin,but the real reason is they don't want have to stand behind their work when the product itself is not reliable . If you look at the internals of a toilet for instance, the difference is quite obvious. But don't get me wrong I can get Kohler etc at cost but I would not hesitate to put big box fixtures in my fifth wheel. BUT, i never would pay for RV fixtures becuase from what I have seen they charge high prices for wretched quality.

[cpaulsen]

Actually just like in a "regular" house. The only thing is I wouldn't get one with the "pull-out" hose, as the room under the sink is limited and there is little room for the hose and weight.

 

We had a door in front of the sink, as well as in the rear, so it was pretty easy to replace the old one. We bought a Peerless brand, which is a good brand.

 

Good Luck!

We got the pull-out sprayer.......works perfect......just make sure you have room for it.

[Kirk W]

........the stuff at Lowe's, Home Depot is not the same quality as you will get through plumbing suppliers.

While there may be some truth to this, I have purchased plumbing supplies from both Lowe's and Home Depot and found that as long as you don't buy the cheapest thing in the store but go with a quality product by a major manufacturer (Peerless, Delta, etc.) and select one of the models that have a good selection of replacement/repair parts, you will get excellent service from them.

 

As to plumbers refusing to work on what is sold there, we see plumbing contractors buying supplies and fixtures at our local Lowe's store nearly every time we go there and your not likely to take your RV to a plumbing company anyway.

[Wrknrvr]

Something else to do for your project. If there is any mineral build up around the faucet area, place some pieces of paper towel around the base area and soak it with vinegar. It will help remove the mineral build up without damaging the counter. Then as soon as you get the old faucet removed do it again for what minerals a re under the base area.

It will help with the cleaning process without elbow grease.

 

 

safe Travels, Vern

[Daveh]

Kirk, As I said, I WOULD use some big box stuff in my fifth wheel. I can only speak to West Michigan, the major plumbing shops will NOT install or repair. Here is one example of the difference. The big box stores sell a Kohler Forte Widepread Faucet, so does a plumbing supply house. The big box store carries the K-10273-4 which has alot of plastic parts, the plumbing supply house sells the K10272-4 which has metal parts. Another way to tell, at least with Kohler, if the faucet was made specifically for the big box stores is if it has a Kohler seal that needs to be torn to get the box open, the big box stores don't have this. Someone that does not know plumbinng would never know the difference. The subject is thoroughly discussed elsewhere on the internet and really was not raised by the OP. I am sorry what I made as a passing comment has stirred such controversy, It was just a heads up. My main point was that I would not use rv plumbing. My wife sells high end plumbing for new contruction. Some of it costs ridiculous amounts of money. I would not put that in my fifth wheel either. I certainly did not mean to offend anyone.

 

I am looking at the same issue right now planning for wiring for of my batteries, wire and solar. With the money, and attention I paid to brand and quality, for the inverter, controller and batteries. I am inclined to buy the lugs, wiring and other componenets at an electrical supplier rather than the big box.

[Chalkie]

While there may be some truth to this, I have purchased plumbing supplies from both Lowe's and Home Depot and found that as long as you don't buy the cheapest thing in the store but go with a quality product by a major manufacturer (Peerless, Delta, etc.) and select one of the models that have a good selection of replacement/repair parts, you will get excellent service from them.

 

As to plumbers refusing to work on what is sold there, we see plumbing contractors buying supplies and fixtures at our local Lowe's store nearly every time we go there and your not likely to take your RV to a plumbing company anyway.

 

I agree. Back in the day I was plumbing manager for a lumber yard that served primarily contractors (before Lowe's and Home Depot came to town). We carried the same products that the local plumbing supply house carried, if not in as broad of selection. Home Depot's arrival in town was pretty much the demise of that company as they carried mostly the same items throughout, at better prices, and also catered to the home owner.

 

As has been said, buy a quality product from a major brand and you should be good to go. Having said that though, and speaking of repair parts, some store brands are actually made by Peerless/Delta (same company) and the Peerless/Delta parts are used to repair them. A knowledgeable sales person should be able to tell you and you can save a little money.

[Randyretired]

I know a person that works at a electrical contractor supplier and they say often the big box stores sell wire cheaper than they can buy it. The buying power of these big box stores is hard to compete with.

[budeneighe]

I replaced the faucet in 2008 for similar reasons to what you describe.

Faucet:

See: https://plus.google.com/photos/118379351685064821335/albums/5710516312654037089 for all the photos of the project.

I also took the time/trouble to replace the unuseful 2 bowl sink. I spent a lot of time searching for a single bowl that was deep enough but would fit in our corner area where the existing sink was. Fitting into a corner hole in the counter top made it unavoidable to have the same size sink.... almost. The single bowl stainless sink was only slightly deeper from the counter front than the original 2 bowl sink so I did have to cut out about 1" more across the rear of the hole but it made a perfect fit.

A few things to watch for.

1. Not all solid counter tops are actually solid. Mine has a 1/4" layer glued on top of flake board so it looks and feels like corian but when removing the old sink be very sure that it is not stuck to the corian as it may break off a piece along the edge of the sink. Fortunately, when this happened on mine, the piece that broke out was on the strip of counter top that I later cut out to make the hole big enough to fit the new sink so it was not a disaster.

2. one of the biggest irritations of the previous sink was the lack of clearance between the top of the sink and the faucet sprayer so we found a kitchen faucet with a taller rise of the sprayer/head above the level of the sink and it is much better. Just because the pipe has a high rise from the counter does not mean that the sprayer is higher above the rim of the sink.

3. Another aggravation with the previous kitchen faucet was it was a push on - Pressure-hold sprayer. If there was not enough water pressure or I wanted to use the spray mode while running only a small amount of water (like boondocking), I had to forcibly hold the button in the whole time. For the new installation I found a faucet that had both a much higher rise and a sliding button to switch from stream to spray. it will stay in whichever position you leave it regardless of the pressure or flow. The higher rise allows us to get pots and other taller stuff under the water flow. But in a corner installation like mine, it can't be too high or it blocks access to the counter area behind the sink. We use that area for a dish drying rack.

4. The drain for the kitchen sink may have a special 2 bowl drain pipe with a much more shallow P-trap to allow it to fit under the sink. In my case, the whole counter with the sink in it is part of the kitchen slideout and has some interesting grey water plumbing to allow it to slide 18" with out using flexible pipe. For me, this was the hardest part to accommodate the single bowl sink...but I eventually got it worked out.

For the actual parts I ended up using, The sink was one of these as I recall: Single bowl kitchen sinks from Home Depot. I believe it is the HD114559 with the 8" deep bowl.

The faucet I found was a Kohler Forte with a pull out spray head.

The 4th hole in the sink is where the water filter faucet comes up.

I did a lot of "figuring" before I started cutting and buying.

it has been in continuous daily use for over 6 years. Last year, again, due to mineral deposits forming under the spout ring, I removed it, cleaned off the crusty deposits, lubed it with Plumbers silicone grease and put it back. Swivels smoothly once again with no parts to throw at it.

[skp51443]

Checking the exact model number is important and not only in plumbing.

 

You will find a lot of electronic devices that vary slightly in model number and have a different set of features. Watch this when reading reviews as well as when you are shopping or you may end up with a device that is missing a feature that is important to you or differs a lot from what you were expecting.

[kathydavidb]

OK, I'm pretty well set to tackle this project. My only concern now is getting one that mounts the same as my old one. At Home Depot all the boxes of faucets were sealed so I couldn't look at the mounting of it on the underside. The displays were all mounted down so again I couldn't see the mounting. I'll have to go back and talk to a sales person. Thank you for all the help. Dave.