Tool for changing kitchen faucet?

[roofdweller49]

I'm looking to change my kitchen faucet, and it's the single handle style Delta faucet. It looks like it's held in with a plastic nut and from what I researched, people use either a basin wrench or the rigid faucet tool

EZ Change Plumber Wrench Faucet Tool | RIDGID Tools

Shop RIDGID® EZ Change Plumber Wrench Faucet Tool now! The one tool for common faucet installations and sink strainers.

www.ridgid.com

Is one better than the other?

Thanks

 

[Bill Bowman]

Either one should get the job done.

 

[four.cycle]

Tool for changing kitchen faucet?​

 

[NoahG]

A pair of pliers wrenches and a basin buddy.

 

[2oolhound]

I just repaired one of these yesterday because it wouldn't completely shut off. The repair kit was $12 cnd (about $8 USD). The job was done on top of the counter with no need to go below. Even though I thought the faucet was antique the kit was readily available at the hardware store (see photo).



The kit has the correct allen wrench and I needed a 1 1/4 socket to remove the valve body once the handle was removed. With the valve body out you can pull on the arm that the handle attaches to. It has about a 1" diameter ball on it's end with holes in it's bottom that align to holes in the lower valve assembly. Looking into it you can see 3 holes. The 2 holes on the outside (left and right) look black because they have the black boots in them with the small springs under them (you can see then in the kit. Those push up to the round ball and is what was causing my leak.

Here is the kit:



You just need the 2 white plastic parts, the 1 black part (that go on top of the ball and the 2 spring loaded rubber cups for the leak I had).
Hope this is useful.

 

[honcho]

For me, the Rigid tool has been superior to the old-fashioned basin wrench. I was not aware of the Basin Buddy and that looks like a good option to a basin wrench too.

 

[Steve_P]

I have the Ridgid. I've only used it a few times, but it works. As said, I haven't used a basin wrench since. Mine looks different than what's in that pic - I've had it for a long time.

 

[Meursault74]

I just repaired one of these yesterday because it wouldn't completely shut off. The repair kit was $12 cnd (about $8 USD). The job was done on top of the counter with no need to go below. Even though I thought the faucet was antique the kit was readily available at the hardware store (see photo).



The kit has the correct allen wrench and I needed a 1 1/4 socket to remove the valve body once the handle was removed. With the valve body out you can pull on the arm that the handle attaches to. It has about a 1" diameter ball on it's end with holes in it's bottom that align to holes in the lower valve assembly. Looking into it you can see 3 holes. The 2 holes on the outside (left and right) look black because they have the black boots in them with the small springs under them (you can see then in the kit. Those push up to the round ball and is what was causing my leak.

Here is the kit:



You just need the 2 white plastic parts, the 1 black part (that go on top of the ball and the 2 spring loaded rubber cups for the leak I had).
Hope this is useful.

I've rebuilt ours a few times with those kit. Never used a socket to remove that part though. I used an adjustable wrench or pliers, whatever was closest. Probably a " pliers wrench" would be ideal. Curious why you chose a socket. Obviously it worked it. But I rarely think of sockets when I work on plumbing.

 

[KnurledNut]

Reach up there and see if you can take them loose by hand. They probably aren't that tight.

 

[roofdweller49]

Reach up there and see if you can take them loose by hand. They probably aren't that tight.

It's funny, the other kitchen faucet I have is too loose, and part of the reason I'm looking at tools.

 

[Beerhippie]

 

[metaleltr]

I made a spanner for the plastic nuts from I believe a piece of 1-1/4 pvc pipe. Of course unless you have a scrap laying around with the price of pvc these days you might as well buy one of the special tools.

 

[The Cobbler]

I made a spanner for the plastic nuts from I believe a piece of 1-1/4 pvc pipe.

did the same with a pc of thinwall tube that was part of something else . simply cut an X in it with angle grinder, touched the cuts up so all faces touched the nut wings and marked it " faucet wrench" so I don't mix it up for scrap and re use ot for something else.
came in handy for Moen with the 1/2 IPS plastic mounting nuts

 

[bonneyman]

PASCO has a plumbing tool line that has most everything a DIY plumber needs.

https://www.pascospecialty.com/catalog/PASCO_Section_C_0823.pdf

 

[silkman]

Here we use these pipe wrenches which probably don't have in the US of A. Obviously you need the hollow type as theres also a solid type that wont work. I use a nut externally on the other side of the pipe wrench with an extension and 1/2" ratchet, very easy job.



Also here, faucets usually have two small nuts instead of a big one but the above principle is the same