Bring on the Chrome
One thing that can spruce up your bathroom or kitchen in a quick way is by upgrading or replacing your plumbing fixtures. Faucets, shower-heads, levers and knobs bring sparkle and character to a room and a smile to the face. If you want to upgrade your bathroom, but don't have the budget for it, start by replacing your plumbing fixtures and it will feel like a whole new space. Aesthetics aren't the only concern either. A lot of plumbing fixtures are heavy water users, like your toilet or shower-head, so replacing them saves money in the long run and helps you conserve water. The nice thing about replacing your fixtures is it only takes basic mechanical skills to be able to do it, so with the right instruction, you can do it yourself.
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Step #1: Turn off your water.
You can't remove a plumbing fixture from its place unless the water to that particular fixture is shut off or else you are asking for a mess. You may want to go one step further and shut off the water to the entire house, especially if you are replacing more than one fixture at a time. It may cause a little bit of inconvenience if someone needs to use the bathroom, but the mess you avoid is well worth it.
Step #2: Pick your new fixture.
The easiest thing to replace an old fixture with if you are doing it yourself is with one of similar make and model. For instance, if you are replacing your bathroom sink faucet, look and see how many holes are in your counter-top and how far apart they are spaced. It could be you only have one hole for the plumbing lines to be fed through, or you could have up to three. Find a new fixture that has the same number of plumbing lines as you have holes in your counter and make sure they are the same distance, or at least a distance that will work with the holes in your counter. The same goes with the diameter of your toilet base, the number of plumbing lines for your shower head and where they are supposed to come from for the set-up, etc.
If you want to make a significant change to how the fixture will work in your bathroom you'll want to call in a professional plumber to help you. For instance, if you are replacing a wall mounted showerhead with a ceiling mounted showerhead you'll need to move your plumbing line which the average person doesn't have the skill or tools to do properly.
Step #3: The Actual Replacement.
When you are removing your old fixture, pat attention to how it was installed so you can repeat the installation process with your new fixture. Sometimes you will need to cut access holes in your wall when replacing showerheads, especially if you don't have a crawl space available to change things out in. If this is the case, you'll also need to learn how to patch your bathroom walls, or there are access plates that can be installed over an access opening. Be sure you have all the tools you will need to replace the fixture before you begin and that you know which valve feeds the hot water and which feeds the cold.
