If you are replacing a bathroom sink, one of the things you need to consider is the size. In fact, it is the most important factor you need to consider because if you get the wrong size, it just won’t work. This article will guide you in choosing the right size of a faucet for your bathroom sink, or for any other sink in your home, for that matter.
In This Guide
Step by Step Guide in Measuring Your Bathroom Faucet
To make sure that you are getting the right size of faucet for the bathroom sink, make sure you follow these step by step procedures:
Step 1: Turn off the water source at the main.
You can also turn it off under the sink if your sink has this feature. Just make sure there is no more water being supplied to the faucet you are going to take out. Once you have turned the main off, open the faucet to make sure lingering water is removed.
Step 2: Place a bucket under the sink.
This will catch any drip from the faucet once you dismantle it. You don’t want that water to get everywhere and turn the work area into a big mess. Also prepare some towels that you can use to wipe up water on the floor.
Step 3: Use a tack puller or a screwdriver to gently remove the faucet.
Every faucet is different, so you would first want to assess how it is connected to the sink and use either a screwdriver or a tack puller to gently pry it loose from the sink. Be careful not to scratch your sink. You can also wrap the tool with a thin washcloth to prevent it from damaging the sink material.
Step 4: Start measuring.
A lot of people don’t know where to start measuring. Find the outer holes and the start measuring from their center. This is what they call the inches on center. This is what you will need when looking for a new faucet to install.
With most centerset faucet units, the measurement on the center is usually 4 inches while the wideset ones tend to have an inch on center measurement from 8 inches to 16 inches.
Step 5: Measure the spread of the faucet.
To do this, you will need to remove the handle of the existing faucet. This is the part that is directly mounted on the sink. Remove the screw that is hiding the stems of the faucet’s control unit. Once that is revealed, measure the stem’s center. This will be the spread of the faucet.
If you have an old faucet where the spout and handles can be easily accessed and you want to change the spreads, you will need to contact a professional plumber as this job requires the help of a professional due to the intricacy of the water pressure and plumbing work.
Number of Bathroom Faucet Holes – How Many is Right?
Another thing you will have to consider when replacing a faucet for a bathroom sink aside from the actual size is the number of faucet holes. This can easily be seen when you look at the sink. However, if you can’t easily see it, try removing the faucet.
To do this, you will again have to pry the old faucet loose and remove it from the sink. Make sure you again turn off the water supply for this and prepare the work area by having a basin underneath the sink to catch all excess water. A wrench should help you remove the nuts used to hold the faucet down. Once you have removed the nuts, you should be able to remove your faucet. You should be able to see how many holes there are, which is usually 1,2 or 3.
Start measuring. For those with a 3-hole faucet setup, you will first need to get the measurement of the center of the hole and the left center of the hole found on its right. If the measurement came up 6 inches or higher, you will need to get a widespread faucet for this. However, if the measurement came up less than 6 inches, you will have to get a centerset one or even a 4-inch spread or a mini-spread.
If the sink only has one hole, a single stem faucet should be ideal. You can use those already with a handle or those that have handles that can be directly connected to the faucet.
Two-hole sinks can either go for separated mixing taps where the holes have their own hot and cold water faucet or a bridge faucet where either hot or cold water can come out of it.
Low, Mid or High Arc? Which Bathroom Sink Faucet Height Should You Choose?
Aside from the actual measurements of the size of the faucet as per its installation requirements, you also need to choose from different heights of faucets. This should correspond to your sink type because if you use a high arc faucet, but you have a shallow sink, you could end up dealing with a lot of splashes on your countertop.
Take your needs and how you use the bathroom sink into consideration as well. If you use the bathroom sink as an alternative utility sink where you wash small articles of clothing, it makes sense to get one with a higher arc, so you can wash more. Faucets with lower arcs do not leave enough room in between.
Find out what height is better based on your needs. If you like to get a drink from the bathroom sink faucet, make sure you can fit a standard-sized glass in there. If you frequently wash your hair in the sink, the arch eight of the sink faucet should also be able to accommodate your needs.
Medium or high arc bathroom sink faucets tend to look nicer as well, so if you want both style and functionality, a medium arc faucet should be a good compromise.
These are the things you need to ponder on in order to find the right size of faucet that is the most ideal for your bathroom sink.
What’s Next
visit our comprehensive guide to bathroom sink faucets here!
