Advice needed on kitchen faucet and water pump install in '02 MB February 15, 2020, 01:55:48 pm Hi All -- it's time for me to replace my kitchen faucet. It leaks and I've put it off for years. I look under the sink and know this is not going to be fun. Got a plumbers wrench last year for home (it helped on a sink removal!) and wonder if there's a tool that will help make my LD job easier. I'm in a rural part of Baja and parts are difficult to get here so I need to have my ducks in a row when I start the job.Same for the water pump (original Whisper King). I read my charger can be slid out a bit but the pump housing area looks daunting. Any advice on removal/install on this? (New pump will be a backup as current pump is working but starting to cycle on occasionally.)Any tricks I should know about? Tools?Read that Larry has a post on doing the water pump install I can't find. Anyone have a link to that?Thanks for your feedback.
Re: Advice needed on kitchen faucet and water pump install in '02 MB Reply #1 – February 15, 2020, 02:09:18 pm Quote from: Leland1 - February 15, 2020, 01:55:48 pmHi All -- it's time for me to replace my kitchen faucet. It leaks and I've put it off for years. I look under the sink and know this is not going to be fun. Got a plumbers wrench last year for home (it helped on a sink removal!) and wonder if there's a tool that will help make my LD job easier. I'm in a rural part of Baja and parts are difficult to get here so I need to have my ducks in a row when I start the job.Same for the water pump (original Whisper King). I read my charger can be slid out a bit but the pump housing area looks daunting. Any advice on removal/install on this? (New pump will be a backup as current pump is working but starting to cycle on occasionally.)Any tricks I should know about? Tools?Read that Larry has a post on doing the water pump install I can't find. Anyone have a link to that?Thanks for your feedback.The Lazy Daze Companion: Water PumpsHowdy, Lee.Chris
Re: Advice needed on kitchen faucet and water pump install in '02 MB Reply #2 – February 15, 2020, 06:29:47 pm Lee, having done both, I will offer a few highlights. The Companion article that Chris sent gives details.On the Midbath, remove 4 screws to remove the power panel cover. That will give you access to 4 more screws which should allow you to slide the entire power panel out and rest it on the floor. That gives good access to the pump area. Replacing the pump is pretty straightforward. One tip - on the front of the new pump, black on black, is a little arrow that shows the flow direction. Make sure you connect it up the right way.As to the sink faucet, it is awkward but not terrible. Use an open end wrench or a crescent wrench to disconnect the lines going into the faucet. Then, you may need a basin wrench, but a large socket may help with removal of the faucet itself. There is one thing about the faucet hoses - the infeed lines attach with threaded fittings that the wrench can handle. The single feed from the cartridge to the faucet head is usually attached to the faucet with a snap on fitting. On mine, one needed to push the hose up while catching a little nylon flange with your fingernail and pull the flange down. Then, holding that flange down, slide the hose down and off the faucet. Tricky.Have fun!Ken F in NM
Re: Advice needed on kitchen faucet and water pump install in '02 MB Reply #3 – February 15, 2020, 09:44:45 pm Thanks guys. Had read the water pump article at Companion already so read it again. Thought I was missing something.I'll start with the faucet and post how it goes. But it won't be until next Fall when I return South. L.
Re: Advice needed on kitchen faucet and water pump install in '02 MB Reply #4 – February 16, 2020, 03:14:00 am A tip, take your faucet to the store (home depot or wherever you are buying the new faucet) to make sure the nipple length matches (and of course that the locations where they go thru the existing holes into the countertop match well enough to use existing holes also.See attached picture - the nipples are the parts that stick down below the countertop to attach the pipes to.If you have pex, you have a little flexibility (but likely not much since LD doesn't do extra lengths of things), if you have the semi rigid grey pipe you have a lot less flexibility and those nipples need to where the pipes go (they do come in standard sizes).Same with distance between holes - they are standard. If you are switching from a 3 hole to a 1 hole, again this is standard, just make sure you can attach your hoses.There are many ways to make that connection if your pipe doesn't match the new faucet exactly, just more effort and trouble to do this. The folks at the hardware store can help with this. And rule of thumb, ever connection is a potential leak spot, so keep an eye on them especially the first few days after installation.Jane