You greatly depend on your RV kitchen faucets for things like cooking, washing dishes, rinsing off food and so much more. It’s easy to take your kitchen faucet for granted; it’s there when you need it, and you expect that it always will be. However, like all the things you use and take for granted, you may find yourself reflecting on their importance only when they break or need to be replaced.
Whether your RV faucet needs repair or replacement, or you are just looking to upgrade to a more modern model, changing out a kitchen faucet is a straightforward, DIY project that can be completed in a couple of hours, so you can get on with your day and back to making memories in the great outdoors.
RV Faucet Replacement How-to Video
Replacing Your RV Faucet Step by Step
Step1: Determine what type of faucet you want.
When deciding on a new faucet, it’s important to determine what type of faucet you want or need. Faucets come in two styles, the single-hole and the three-hole. Both of these styles will either have a pull-down faucet or a separate handheld sprayer, usually mounted at one corner of the sink.
Step2: Gather the necessary tools and supplies.
Before you get started, you should make sure you have everything you need to get the job done. Some of the items you will need are:
- An adjustable wrench
- A pair of channel locks
- A socket set that includes deep sockets
- Plumber’s putty
- Teflon tape
- A small bowl or bucket to catch any water left in your supply line
- A faucet wrench (optional) to help you with the hard-to-reach nuts that secure the faucet in place. Oftentimes, the space where they are located is too tight to get your hands and tools into.
Step3: Shut off your water supply.
Next, you will need to shut off the water supply to the coach. If you are connected to a water supply from the park or city water, shut off the supply at the faucet. If you are boondocking, make sure you turn off your water pump before beginning. Now, go ahead and clear out all the things you are storing under the sink to give yourself room to work.
Step4: Replace your RV faucet.
Going forward, the steps for each style of RV faucet are slightly different. Refer to the sections below for single-hole and three-hole RV faucet replacement instructions.
Single-Hole,Single-Handle RV Kitchen Faucet Replacement
With a single-hole style faucet, all supply lines and sprayer hoses are fed through one hole in either the sink or countertop from the bottom of the faucet. If you have three holes for mounting, no worries. The single-hole faucet will come with a base plate that will cover the other two holes. This way, if you would like to go from a three-hole to a single-hole style, you can do so without worrying about having a couple of extra holes exposed in your sink or countertop. Unfortunately, if you have a single-hole style now but would like to go with a three-hole style, you will have to consider drilling a couple of extra holes in your sink or countertop.
For starters, there should be a locking nut to mount the faucet, either as a loose part in the box or already on the faucet itself when you open the new box. If the nut is already on the faucet, be sure to remove it before inserting the faucet through the hole. Now that the faucet is pushed through the hole, place it in the position where it is to be mounted, then from underneath the sink, install the locking nut and secure the faucet in place. You may need an extra pair of hands to hold the faucet in place above the sink while you install the locking nut from underneath.
Three-Hole,Two-Handle RV Kitchen Faucet Replacement
With a three-hole faucet, you have the same number of supply hookups, but there is a hot and cold valve on the left and right of the faucet to turn the water on to the faucet. Your supply lines from the coach will connect to the faucet valves on the left or right. If there is a supply line for either a pull-down or handheld sprayer, this will most likely still come off the faucet in the middle.
As with the single-hole model, push the faucet into place through the holes. Place it exactly where you would like it to finish mounting and secure it from underneath with the locking nuts provided, this time on the supply valves located on the left or right of the faucet.
Once you have the faucet securely mounted, it’s simply a matter of connecting your water supply lines.
Tip: The hot water supply is always on the left. It’s good practice to turn on the water, and make sure there are no leaks on your brand-new faucet.
Properly installed, your new RV kitchen faucet replacement should give you many years of trouble-free water to keep you camping and enjoying the great outdoors.
