How to Replace a Kitchen Tap – The Complete UK Guide to Changing a Kitchen Tap

Replacing a kitchen tap is one of the most achievable plumbing jobs in a UK home – and one of the most satisfying, because the difference between an old dripping tap and a new one that works properly is immediately noticeable every time the sink is used. The job does not require specialist plumbing qualifications, though it does require a methodical approach, the correct tools and a clear understanding of how to isolate the water supply before starting. Done properly, it saves the £80-£150 that a plumber typically charges for a tap replacement that takes them less than an hour once they have the tools and knowledge in front of them.

The most common kitchen tap in UK homes is the monobloc mixer tap – a single body unit with one spout and either a single lever or two separate handles for hot and cold. These fit through a single hole in the sink or worktop and connect to the hot and cold supplies below using flexible braided hoses, usually supplied with the new tap. They are also the most straightforward to replace because the connection approach is standardised across brands. Older kitchens may have separate pillar taps – one for hot, one for cold – which fit through two holes and are connected differently. This guide covers both types, with specific notes where the approaches differ.

What you’ll need

Before you start – what to check

Locating the isolating valves under the kitchen sink is the first practical task before any work begins. Most UK kitchens installed in the last twenty years have quarter-turn isolating valves fitted directly on the hot and cold supply pipes beneath the sink. These are small brass or chrome fittings with a slot in the head – a flat-head screwdriver turned a quarter turn shuts off the supply to the tap without affecting the rest of the house. If the slot aligns with the pipe, the valve is open. If it sits across the pipe, it is closed. Test them now – valves that have not been operated in years sometimes seize partially open and do not fully shut, which you will discover very quickly when water continues to trickle when you undo the connections.

If there are no isolating valves under the sink, or the existing ones do not shut off fully, the mains cold water supply and the hot water cylinder or boiler feed will need to be isolated instead. This is more disruptive – it affects the whole house rather than just the kitchen tap – but it is the only option if local isolation is not available. Fitting new isolating valves at the same time as the tap is straightforward and worth doing to avoid the same problem in the future. They cost a few pounds each and take minutes to fit on a compression or push-fit connection.

Removing the old tap

Before disconnecting anything, place a bucket under the hose connections and have old towels ready across the cabinet floor. Turn the isolating valves a quarter turn to close them, then open the tap to release pressure and confirm the water has stopped. There will still be a small amount of water in the hoses and the tap body that will drain out when the connections are undone – the bucket catches this. Undo the flexible hose connections at the isolating valve end first, then at the tap tail end. Keep the hoses – the fittings may be needed for reference when connecting the new tap even if the hoses themselves are being replaced.

With the hoses disconnected, locate the backnut under the tap base – this is the large threaded nut that holds the tap down onto the sink or worktop from below. Use a basin wrench or back nut socket to loosen it anticlockwise. On older taps this nut is often a large plastic or brass fitting with flat faces that the wrench engages. Once loose, unscrew it by hand and lift the old tap out from above. Clean the sink hole thoroughly – there will usually be old sealant, limescale and general grime around the hole that should be removed before the new tap is fitted.

Fitting the new tap and testing