How to Update & Change a Bathroom Faucet

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This post brought to you by Moen, Incorporated. All opinions are 100% mine.

updating and changing a bathroom faucet all by yourself

Changing out your bathroom faucet fixture can sound like a daunting task, but I’m going to show you step-by-step just how simple it actually is! Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can do it!

new bathroom faucet on bathroom sink

I’ve been updating my “Girl’s Bathroom” downstairs – last week I showed off my new scalloped stripe accent wall – and I’ve been itching to make a couple more small updates to the space. I was growing tired of my boring builder grade bathroom faucet, so I jumped at the chance to try out the new Moen Boardwalk Centerset bathroom faucet in Chrome.

 photo 9b057fc4-af11-439f-a57d-9b3d124df10e_zpsf6d2ae86.jpg

This faucet is about a million times prettier than the old one! I’m really loving the art deco inspiration and clean lines.

new faucet with parts and instructions

I emptied the contents from the box and took a peek at the instructions. Although they seemed pretty straightforward, my plan was to have my handy hubby install the faucet while I took photos of the process. He’s a licensed contractor, so I usually leave the majority of our DIY projects to him – he works way faster than I do since he already knows what he’s doing!

under bathroom sink view of supplies

Step 1: Clean out all of the stuff hiding underneath the sink, and turn off the water supply to the sink.

bathroom sink cabinet cleaned out with only sink parts visible ready to be changed

Your sink may look quite a bit different underneath than mine does. We have plastic Pex water lines in our house, but the process is the same even if you have traditional metal water pipes.

father and son on lap carving a pumpkin together

With my sink all cleaned out and ready for the new faucet, I was getting super anxious to finish the project. Unfortunately, my husband and the littlest guy were deeply engrossed in pumpkin carving, and I knew it would be a long time before we’d be able to get to my faucet.

So I did what any impatient girl would do…I decided to do it all by myself.

heidi from happiness is homemade taking photo of bathroom

This is my “Oh yes, I will figure this out…right?” look.

lines under bathroom sink shown

Okay, let’s jump into it!

Under the sink there are two water lines that run up to the faucet. Grab a wrench and untwist the nuts to detach the water lines (they’re the black plastic ones in the photo above). Careful! There will still be water in the line even though you’ve shut the supply off, so make sure to put a towel down underneath you to catch any drips (and watch your head!).

arrow drawn on under sink photo with instructions for unhooking the water lines

Next, remove the mounting nuts that hold the old faucet in place.

under sink shown with arrow drawn showing what bolt to loosen to lift rod to change sink faucet

Losen the bolt to remove the lift rod.

old sink faucet being removed from bathroom sink

The faucet should now easily lift out of the mounting holes. It will likely have left a ring from sitting there for ages, so grab some bathroom cleaner and give your countertop a quick clean-up.

new sink faucet replaced into bathroom sink easily

Drop the new faucet into place, adjust the handles to the proper position, and reverse engineer the process that you just completed while removing the old sink – tighten the mounting nuts, tighten the bolt that holds the new lift rod, and reattach the water lines. It’s really that simple!

man working hard hooking up new sink faucet

This guy came to check in on my progress after a few minutes, and I took advantage of the opportunity to have him tighten up all of the new connections for me.

child using brand new bathroom sink faucet

Turn the water supply back on, and grab an eager little helper to test out your awesome new faucet. Works like a charm!

brand new sink faucet installed quickly and easily

I’m seriously in love with the new faucet, and I’m proud of myself for completing a DIY project that I normally would have shied away from! I still can’t even believe how quick and easy it was!

You can find all of the Moen faucets at Lowe’s! For more product information and DIY inspiration be sure to Like Moen on Facebook!

signature of Heidi from Happiness is Homemade family blog

 

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9 Comments

  1. Updating and changing a bathroom faucet might seem daunting, but this guide breaks it down into simple steps with clear visuals. It’s great to see how easy it can be to give a bathroom a fresh look with just a faucet replacement. Thanks to the author for sharing their knowledge and making DIY projects more accessible!

  2. You failed to mention where the water supply needs to be turned off from, Is it outside or is there somewhere inside the house to do this?

    1. It’s different for each home. It may be a valve underneath your sink or somewhere else indoors or outdoors. 🙂

  3. Your post inspired me to change my own faucets. However, being a novice, it would be helpful if you could include the tools I need to complete this project. Thank you!

    Your post has inspired me to install my own faucets. However, it would be helpful to a novice like me if you included what tools you used to change your faucets. Thank you!

  4. Looks fabulous, I just came back from Lowe’s with the same faucet and was looking for additional pieces like a towel rack, etc. on line and found your blog and showed my husband your pix and he loves the style choice too! Seriously expensive and classic looking and can’t wait to put ours in. Saw Delta simiiar style Memoirs was over $500 so I didn’t think we could afford anything like it until we went to Lowe’s today and found this one! Thanks for sharing your pix! Let’s hope it installs as easily and quickly as you say, hubby is always fearful of plumbing nightmares but you have given him hope it will be alright LOL.

    1. I’m so glad you were able to find yourself a new faucet that you love, and I promise that the installation really is simple! 🙂

  5. Heidi! I’m SO happy you posted this! I’ve been wanting to change out our master bath faucet for the last few years. It’s beyond disgusting. You have totally inspired me to do this on my own. Keep posting more girl DIY home improvements- for chicks like me who do 99.9% of the household improvements herself 😉 ~Holly S.

    1. You know that if I can do it, you can totally do it too! Seriously, this was one of those things that made me wonder why I’d put it off for so long – SO easy! We’ve got a huge list of DIYs that we’re working on, so I’ll be sure to make some more girl guides! 🙂