How to replace a kitchen tap

Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. This guide draws on “How to Remove and Replace a Kitchen Tap with Wickes” from the official Wickes channel, a clear and practical UK tutorial covering the whole process from turning off the supply through to testing the finished installation. Particularly useful for understanding how to deal with a stiff back nut on an older tap.

1. Turn off the water supply

Find the isolator valves on the hot and cold supply pipes under the sink. They are usually small inline valves with a flat-head screw slot — turn the slot 90 degrees to close. If there are no isolators, you will need to turn off the mains stopcock, usually under the sink or in the kitchen cupboard.

Turn on the kitchen tap after closing the valves to release pressure and drain any water in the pipes. Lay a towel in the cupboard to catch any drips when you disconnect.

2. Clear the space under the sink

Remove everything from under the sink. You will be lying on your back with your arms above your head for most of this job, so the more space you have the better. A head torch is worth wearing — the space is always darker than it looks.

3. Disconnect the supply pipes

The supply pipes connect to the base of the tap via flexible connectors or compression fittings. Use an adjustable spanner to loosen the connection nuts. Have a small bowl or cloth ready — a little water will dribble out even after draining.

If the tap has a separate supply for a pull-out spray or hot water tap, there will be additional connections to undo. Take a photo before you start so you remember what connects where.

4. Undo the back nut

The tap is held to the sink by one or two large back nuts underneath the sink deck. A basin wrench or tap back nut wrench is the right tool here — a standard spanner will not reach in many installations. The nuts can be stiff on older taps, especially if they have never been disturbed.

If the nut will not budge, try penetrating oil and leave it to soak for ten to fifteen minutes before trying again. Do not force it hard enough to crack a ceramic sink.

5. Lift out the old tap

Once the back nut is off, the tap lifts straight out from above. Remove any old sealing putty or worn rubber gasket from the tap hole and clean the surface before fitting the new tap. A new tap onto a clean seating seals properly; one fitted over old putty or grime often drips from the base.

6. Fit the new tap

Most new taps come with a rubber or plastic base plate and a flexible supply hose already attached. Thread the supply hoses down through the tap hole, position the tap, and fit the back nut from underneath. Hand tighten first, then snug up with the basin wrench. You do not need to force it — the rubber seal does the work.

If the tap has no gasket and relies on plumber’s putty, roll a thin sausage of putty and press it under the base flange before fitting. Wipe off any squeeze-out after tightening.

7. Reconnect the supply pipes

Connect the hot and cold supply hoses to the correct isolator valves. Hot to hot, cold to cold. Use PTFE tape on any threaded connections before making them up. Tighten by hand first, then firm with a spanner — half a turn past hand tight is usually enough for a compression or push-fit connection.

8. Test and check for leaks

Slowly reopen the isolator valves one at a time and watch for drips at each connection. Run the tap and check again at the base of the tap deck, at each supply connection, and at the isolator valves themselves. Dry all the joints with a cloth, wait a minute, and check again — a slow seep is easier to spot on a dry surface.

If you have a mixer tap, test both hot and cold. A small drip at a compression joint usually needs just a quarter turn more with the spanner.

When to call a handyman

Call Richard if the supply pipes are copper and old enough to be fragile, if the back nut is corroded solid, or if the tap hole is the wrong size for the new fitting and needs enlarging. Some under-sink spaces are genuinely difficult — awkward angles, a waste disposal, or pipework in the way — and there is no shame in having someone else do the uncomfortable bit.