Should I replace my own faucet? A 30-second test

The 30-second test

Open the cabinet under your sink. Look for two small valves on the supply lines (cold and hot) just before they enter the faucet. Take the handle of each valve and turn it clockwise. You're trying to close the valve completely.

Three outcomes:

• Both valves turn smoothly and close fully → DIY is reasonable. The valves are healthy.
• Valves turn but feel gritty or stop partway → marginal. You may get them closed but they might not seal completely. Have someone ready to shut off water at the main if needed.
• Valves are stuck, missing, or drip when partly closed → stop. Hire it out. Trying to force a seized valve breaks it open and floods the cabinet.

About 60% of Kelowna homes built before 1990 have shut-off valves that fail this test. Mineral buildup from the local water seizes the valve stem inside the body. The handle still turns but the gate inside doesn't move.

Why does this matter?

Faucet replacement is mechanically simple: disconnect old supply lines, remove the mounting nut, lift out the old faucet, drop in the new one, reconnect. The whole thing takes 30-60 minutes once you can stop the water.

Stopping the water is the whole job. If your shut-offs work, this takes 5 seconds. If they don't, you're either turning off the whole house at the main (and refilling all the lines after) or you're swapping a faucet while water is actively flowing - which means flooding the cabinet, the floor, and possibly the floor below.

What tools do you need?

Total tool investment if starting from zero: $60. If you already have a wrench set, you're in for about $20 of consumables.

• Basin wrench (the long-handled tool that reaches the awkward nut under the sink) - $25 at Home Hardware
• Adjustable wrench - probably already in your toolbox
• Channel-lock pliers - $15 if you don't have a pair
• Towel and bucket for the small amount of water that always spills
• New braided stainless supply lines (don't reuse the old rubber ones) - $12 for the pair
• Plumber's putty or silicone sealant for the deck plate - $6
• Flashlight or headlamp (cabinet under-sink is always dark) - already have one

What does the work actually look like?

• Close both shut-off valves. Open the faucet and let it run until the lines drain.
• Disconnect the supply lines from the shut-off valves (you'll need the wrench here).
• Crawl under the cabinet and use the basin wrench to remove the mounting nut(s) holding the faucet to the sink deck.
• Lift the old faucet out from above. Clean the sink deck where it sat (mineral crust, old plumber's putty).
• Drop the new faucet in. Apply plumber's putty or silicone to the underside of the deck plate first.
• From under the cabinet, hand-tighten the mounting nut on each threaded post. Then snug with the basin wrench (don't overtighten - cracks the sink).
• Connect new braided supply lines: one end to the faucet inlet, other end to the shut-off valve.
• Open the shut-off valves slowly. Watch for drips at every connection.
• Run water for 30 seconds. Look and feel for any wetness around connections.

When does DIY go sideways?

The two failure modes we see most often (and end up cleaning up after) are:

First: seized shut-offs that crack when forced. The DIYer cranks the valve handle, the stem snaps inside the body, and now water is flowing without a way to stop it short of the main shut-off (and the main shut-off in many Kelowna homes is in the crawlspace or behind drywall).

Second: cross-threaded supply line connections. Braided lines have a small plastic gasket inside the connection - get it tilted on first thread and you'll have a slow drip that doesn't show up until 4 hours later under a soaked cabinet floor.

Both are recoverable but expensive - water damage to a cabinet runs $400-$800 in repair costs, more if it gets to the floor below.