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Disconnect the Hot Water Line — Disconnect the Old Faucet's Supply Lines

Beginner2 hours

Part of project

Replace Your Bathroom Faucet: Easy Guide · Step 2 of 5

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In this video

Place a bucket underneath the connection to catch any drips. Using an adjustable wrench, carefully loosen the compression nut that connects the hot water supply line to the shutoff valve by turning it counter-clockwise. Once it's loose, you can finish unscrewing it by hand.

Goal: Detach the hot water line for flushing

Used in this video

  • Adjustable Wrench (brand: Unknown, Tool Type: Adjustable wrench, Jaw Size/Opening: Medium, Material: Steel, Power Source: Manual) — Loosening and tightening the compression nut on the water supply line.
  • Bucket (brand: Rubbermaid, Tool Type: Bucket, Material: Plastic) — Catching water and debris from the disconnected line.
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FAQs

The project states 'beginner' and '2 hours'. Is this realistic for someone with no plumbing experience?

Yes, replacing a bathroom faucet is generally beginner-friendly if you follow instructions carefully. The 2-hour estimate is for a smooth installation; seized nuts or tight spaces can extend this, so allocate a bit of extra time. Take your time and don't rush the steps.

Is a basin wrench truly necessary for this project, or can I just use my adjustable wrench?

A basin wrench is highly recommended, as it's designed to reach and grip the often-tight mounting nuts in the confined space under a sink. While an adjustable wrench might work for accessible nuts, the basin wrench significantly simplifies this often frustrating step, especially for older faucets.

What's the most common mistake beginners make that leads to leaks after installing a new faucet?

Not properly tightening the supply line connections is a common cause of leaks. Ensure they are hand-tight, then use a wrench for an additional quarter to half turn, being careful not to overtighten and strip the threads. Always use new supply lines, often included with your new faucet.

What should I do if the old faucet's mounting nuts are corroded or stuck and won't loosen?

First, apply a penetrating oil (like WD-40) to the nuts and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. If they still won't budge, you might need to carefully use a hacksaw or oscillating tool with a metal blade to cut through the nuts or bolts, but exercise extreme caution to avoid damaging the sink or surrounding plumbing.

Transcript
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So go ahead and turn off the hot water and then you can start removing the, the line. Okay, the camera might be moving a little bit. So like I said, I'm just using a adjustable wrench, but if you have the right size, wrench, then go for it, but just keep in the sample for you guys and just loosen it enough until you could remove it just by using your hand, it still needs some work. Yeah, it's not very comfortable being underneath your sink, but it's doable and you'll see. Yeah, the camera's going to be moving a little bit so just hang tight. Okay, so once you know that it'll be, once you know that that will be loose enough to completely come off, I still need a little bit more. It would be easier if I wasn't recording, but I wanted to record it to share my experience and hopefully you'll learn and do it yourself. Okay, I don't know if I mentioned it, but you need some kind of container to collect any water that might be coming off from the lines. I just got my, my restroom, waste bin to the small enough to fit underneath the, the small enough to fit underneath here, but you can use any kind of container, because yeah, the lines will have some water and it will come out so that's what I'm using. So I'm almost there. So let's keep going. Okay, looks like it's coming off. And I'll use my other hand and you'll see. Let's see if you can see the water that comes out. Not water good. Okay, so you see this line?

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