Regardless of where you live in Connecticut, we expect the water that comes into our home to be clean enough to cook, clean and bathe with. While the water may be clean as it enters your own, depending on the type of plumbing and pipes, they may have significant sediment collecting on them that is then passed throughout your home. The easiest (non-official way) to see if sediment has built up is to pour a glass of cold water and look for particles.
Whether you are confident that you have clean water and your pipes clean, having a kitchen sink water filtration system ensures your drinking water is clean. Hope Plumbing has years of experience installing filtration systems and it isn’t uncommon for us to get a call from folks who made a DIY install attempt only to determine they needed a professional. If you would like to learn more about harmful chemicals and lead reduction in water, please check out the the National Sanitation Foundation’s guide. The NSF is dedicated to standardizing sanitation as well as food safety.
Before we get into the DIY process, Hope Plumbing sells and installs the best water filtration systems. So before you buy a water filtration system, please give us a call to discuss. If you have already purchased a system and landed on this web page, we are still here to help.
How to install an Under Kitchen Sink Water Filter
First, let’s breakdown the two main parts of the water filter system. 1.) there is an unit that goes under the sink which contains two replaceable filters. 2.) there is a compact faucet mounted on the countertop or sink. Quite simply, the system connects to supply line under the sink which brings water through the two filters before it reaches the faucet.
Not all filters are the same obviously, but in some cases you will have two faucets, one for drinking water as well as cooking and one for cleaning that doesn’t require filtration. The second faucet often takes the place of the sprayer or soap dispenser.
One key factor in the complexity of this project is the age of your home and or pipes.
- If you have a newer home, we recommend calling Hope Plumbing so a professional can take care of the job for your. However, if you have plumbing experience, the good news is, the pipes are flexible and have updated fittings. If you fall into the “newer homes and or pipes” category, you are going to use the “Flex Pipe” that should come with your filter system which connects the cold water line to what is called the T-Joint. The T-Joint will lead to the “in” and flex pipe will be used for the “out”.
- If you have an older home with copper pipes, we would suggest calling Hope Plumbing so a professional can handle the job. The job involves cutting pipes, working with and soldering joints/fittings as well as other difficult tasks. In addition, if you do not have a sprayer or soap dispenser you will be required to drill a second hole.
So, if you are still ready and haven’t already decided to call Hope Plumbing at (203) 217-3380, please remember you can call us if you reach a step below and have thrown in the white towel. We are licensed professionals and we appreciate enthusiastic DIY’ers so don’t feel awkward if what you thought was doable simply became too much to handle.
How to Install an Under Kitchen Sink Water Filter
Installing a filter is only for seasoned Do It Yourselfers and if you have no experience with plumbing, don’t stress, call us at (203) 217-3380.
Step 1
Reach under your sink (in most homes) and turn off your cold water supply. Relieve the pressure in the line by turning on the kitchen tap until no water is coming out. If you are unsure which is hot or cold (call us…I mean), turn both on one at a time and hold your hands to the pipes to see which is warmer.
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Step 2
Grab an emery cloth and clean the copper tubing around the cold water shutoff valve. You then want to cut the tube just under the shutoff valve. Then make another cut approximately 1 inch below the first cut and remove that section of tubing. Grab you T-Joint and slip that onto the bottom part of the open section.
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Step 3
Fit a 1/2 ball valve to the two pieces of copper tubing as well as a female adapter. Solder these together before you install it. It is easier to start from the bottom and work upwards.
Once you have soldered them together, fit the finished unit onto the T-Joint with a 90 degree elbow. You can now solder both ends of the assembly into place. Wrap Teflon tape to the reducer fitting and thread it through the female adapter and use pliers to hold the adapter.
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Step 4
Place the washer, rubber gasket and aluminum base onto the threaded stem of the faucet. Guide the faucet into the hole and make sure it sits flat. From underneath, place the mounting bracket, lock washer and hex nut onto the stem. Tighten the hex nut very carefully.
Step 5
Install the required batteries into the filter. Cut a length of the plastic tubing that reaches from the cold water line reducer (installed above) to the filter that we will mount on the back wall underneath the cabinet in a moment. One side goes into the fitting on the filter and attach the end to the water line at the reducer. Cut another length of tubing that will be placed on the opposite side which goes up to the faucet.
Step 6 – If you are still with us, we are hiring apprentices and licensed plumbers, please call – (203) 217-3380
Select the best possible spot on the back wall where the filter will sit. Make sure the pipes you cut above reach as well, mark the holes, drill and anchor the filter down.
Step 7
Almost done. Connect the tube to the faucet using a compression fitting. Turn your cold water supply back on, turn on your faucet and let the water run until you see an even flow. The filtered water make look cloudy or almost carbonated for a few minutes.
DIY projects often test our abilities as well as patience. You might be saying, isn’t easier to simply hook the filter up to the existing faucet to avoid the T-Joint installation? If you think you are in a bind or would just prefer that Hope Plumbing head over to take this off of your plate, give us a call and we will fix any mistakes or finish the project up for you.
Hope Plumbing – CT Water Filtration Installation Specialists, please call – (203) 217-3380