Kitchen Faucet Keeps Coming Loose

Kitchen Faucet Keeps Coming Loose: How To Tighten?

Are you dealing with a loose kitchen faucet that keeps moving? Have you tried every possible trick to stabilize without any success? If yes, this guide is for you.

You should tighten a loose faucet as soon as possible to prevent a leak and ensure it behaves normally and doesn’t wander around when you turn it on.

Luckily, fixing a loose kitchen faucet is an easy job that you can do on your own without any plumbing skills.

Below you’ll discover more details on how to fix a loose kitchen faucet handle or base and other helpful info you need to know about a loose faucet.

How to tighten your kitchen faucet?

BEFORE we get into more details about tightening the faucet, you first need to identify the specific part of that faucet that has loosened out. In most cases, the base and handle are the problematic parts that keep getting loose.

How to tighten your kitchen faucet

We’ll discuss our step-by-step guide into two parts—how to fix the loose faucet handle and the base.

1. How to tighten loose kitchen faucet handle

Fixing a loose faucet handle is a simple and quick job. The exact procedure you’ll apply here depends on the type of faucet you gave installed in your kitchen. The general process of fighting the faucet handle is as outlined below.

How to tighten loose kitchen faucet handle

Things you’ll need:

  • Hex head wrench set
  • Flathead screwdriver

Step by step guide:

Step 1. Turn of water supply to the faucet

To start working on the faucet, you first need to turn off the water supply as a preventive measure. This will prevent a mini-flood in your house if anything breaks.

Access the supply valves at the back of the kitchen cabinet. Where necessary, get rid of anything that stops you from reaching the valves. Once you get hold of these valves, simply turn them clockwise to turn off the water supply.

Step 2. Examine the problematic handle

Next, you’ll need to take a closer look at your faucet to familiarize yourself with its design. And to give you an idea of what to use when tightening. You may find out that your faucet model is secured using a set screw with hex head (usually located at the handle base).

But if you can’t seem to easily find this screw, consider popping off the handle’s decorative cap. A flathead screwdriver or a knife will come in handy here. With the cap off, check inside for a head set screw or even a Philips head screw.

Step 3. Tighten the handle

The tightening method you apply will depend on where you established the position of the set screw in Step 2 above.

If the screw sits at the handed base, simply grab a hex head wrench and push it into the screw to tighten it by turning it in a clockwise direction.

Keep in mind that you may be unable to tighten the handle if the tap is in an off position. Thus, consider leaving the faucet open (You see, it makes sense why you should start this procedure by cutting off the water supply).

How to tighten loose kitchen faucet handle

For a faucet with the screw hidden by a decorative cap, you may need to use a hex head Allen wrench or the Philips screwdriver (depending on the type of screw in place).

Turn it clockwise to give the handle a tight fit. You may want to hold on to the handle to make the tightening easy for you.

Step 4. Confirm the handle has the right tight feel

After the tightening, physically check the handle to confirm that it feels tight as you desire. If it still feels loose, don’t hesitate to make it tighter, as explained in the previous step.

If the tightness is satisfactory, all that’s remaining is to put everything back as it was before. If you have taken the decorating cap off, be sure to put it right back.

Finally, put the water supply back on, and your kitchen faucet is now as good as new and ready to serve you well.

2. How to tighten the bottom of a kitchen faucet

If you’re dealing with a loose base of the kitchen faucet, tightening is even easier as you just need to tighten the nut. But one headache you’ll deal with here is accessing this nut as it sits underneath the sink. Nonetheless, this can be successfully done with the right tools and a set of instructions to follow.

How to tighten the bottom of a kitchen faucet

Things you’ll need:

  • Basin wrench
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Flashlight

Step by step guide:

Step 1. Cut off the kitchen faucet water supply

Like in the previous guide, you start by cutting off the water supply to your kitchen faucet. You’d want to get rid of anything in the sink that might make it hard to reach the supply valves. Turn the valves clockwise to shut them off and stop the water supply to the faucets.

Step 2. Examine the loose base faucet

The next step involves getting a closer look at the problematic sink. You’ll need to get underneath the sink on your back for this step. You may also need to use a flashlight to give you a clear view of the nut securing the faucet in place.

How to tighten the bottom of a kitchen faucet

Step 3. Grab the nut with the wrench

Now that you have found the nut holding the faucet in place, you need to grab it to make the tightening job easy. Use an adjustable wrench and set it to the correct size for correctly holding the nut in place.

Step 4. Tighten the nut.

Now that the night is held in place, you simply need to turn your wrench clockwise to tighten it and make the base stable. Note that you may be forced to twist yourself in unnatural and uncomfortable positions to reach this unit, depending on your sink. But you must do whatever it takes to get this nut tight.

Step 5. Confirm that the faucet bottom is tight

Get hold of the faucet base and physically check that it has the right amount of tightness and doesn’t move around. If it feels alright, you’re done fixing the base. Put the valves back on to start using your faucet as before.

Why does your kitchen faucet keep coming loose?

A loose faucet is simply frustrating! It becomes inconvenient when you open it, and it can’t stop moving or make undeniable noises. Sometimes, it may even cause leaks!

In this part, we have discussed some common reasons why your kitchen faucet may get loose.

Poorly done installation

If you installed your kitchen faucet recently and it starts moving around, this is most likely due to poor installation. Some homeowners end up using the wrong size of a piping faucet, screw, and other components when setting up a new faucet. This directly results in a non-secure assembly. And sooner or later, you’ll be forced to deal with a loose faucet!

Poorly done installation

Faucet overuse

It’s typical for kitchen sinks to loosen up over time due to regular moving and twisting the faucet around. The good news is that the faucet doesn’t get unstable with just the first few uses. It will take a while, say years. If this happens, all you have to do is tighten the loose part (handle or the base) and your faucet should continue functioning as before.

Worn-out O-ring

Another possible reason for a loose faucet is an old and worn-out O-ring. The O-ring holds the faucet in place and keeps it secure. However, this component can get old and worn out with time, making it less effective at its job. The result is a loose faucet. To fix this, you need to get a new O-ring to replace the old one so that your faucet will continue staying in place securely.

Loose screws

Do a quick examination of your kitchen faucet assembly. And you’ll discover that it has multiple screws holding it to the sink base. Vibrations of the sink and faulty installation may cause these screws to become loose. And in so doing, they make the faucet wobbly.

Loose screws

FAQs

1. How do I tighten the nut under the kitchen sink faucet?

To tighten the nut under the kitchen sink faucet, you first need to locate it. This means sliding underneath the kitchen sink with your back. Once you locate the nut, you can use a basin wrench or adjustable wrench and set it to the size of the nut so that it grips it securely. Lastly, turn the wrench clockwise to tighten the nut to the desired level.

2. How do you tighten a faucet without a basin wrench?

If you don’t have a basin wrench within reach, you can still tighten a faucet using a socket wrench to get the job done.

3. What size Allen wrench to tighten Moen kitchen faucet handle?

You’ll need an Allen wrench size 7/64-inch hex wrench to tighten a Moen kitchen faucet handle. Moen usually sends you their products with a detailed manual, so you should be able to find info specific to your faucet model easily. They also have highly reliable customer service, so you can reach out to them whenever you’re in doubt regarding your faucet.

4. How to tighten a loose Moen single-handle kitchen faucet?

To tighten a loose Moen single handle kitchen faucet, you simply follow the procedure outlined in our guide above.

5. How do I keep my kitchen faucet from getting loose?

You can keep your kitchen faucet from getting loose correctly by installing it correctly. Ensure you use the correct components to ensure a secure and reliable faucet installation. However, keep in mind that the faucet getting lose is completely normal and will catch up with your faucet over time as you continue using it.

Final word

It’s normal for a kitchen faucet to get loose with time. A loose faucet keeps shifting whenever you turn it on and can be quite annoying to use and can even cause a leak.

After reading this guide on how to fix a kitchen faucet that keeps coming loose, you shouldn’t have any problems fixing this problem.

The right approach will depend on whether you’re dealing with a loose base or handle. The procedure to fix the faucet is clearly outlined in the above guide and the right tools to use.

We advise you to fix a loose faucet as soon as it shows signs of wobbling. If left unfixed, it can lead to a leak. It can also make annoying squeaking noises as it gets more wobbly. And eventually, it will prove inconvenient to use due to too much movement when you turn it on or off. Also, buying a good faucet like Delta or Grohe can help.

Hopefully, this guide will help you fix a loose kitchen faucet and enjoy using it as before.

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