Usually, it is easy, even for a non expert, to just shut the water valve off under the sink. But if the valves are old and have not been turned for a while, they may stick, and too much pressure will cause them to break. If you fear this may happen, make sure you have someone at the main shutoff valve who can hear you when you scream to shut off the water!



You may want to use a walkie talkie or cell phone, since most shutoff valves are located out near the curb in most suburbs. They are covered with a lid over a small square hole. It is usually easy enough to open the lid by hand.

In the countryside, the shutoff valve may be located in a small shed. Make sure you know where the shutoff valve is before you start your plumbing job.

After you have shut off the water, only a trickle of residual water should come out of the pipes. Take everything out from under the sink and put down towels and have a pan ready.

First, disconnect the connectors. They may be brass nuts or clamps, similar to the ones used to connect a radiator hose to a water pump in a car.

Look at the hoses and valves and replace the ones needing replacement. You can find them at a plumbing supply house or a home improvement center, and make sure you also get a lot of plumbers tape (made of Teflon).

If the pipes are old, you may not be able to remove them that easily, and have to cut them off with a hacksaw. If the valves valves were welded on, make sure you replace them with the newer threaded valves. You have to leave enough piping to be able to retread with a re threading tool. Once it gets this complicated, you may want to call in a plumber.

It is inevitable that hoses and valves that have been there a while will have a buildup of calcium carbonate. It is a chalky material that you usually see on shower stalls.

If anything is sticking in your sinks valves and pipes, it is usually calcium carbonate that is to blame. A little pressure should free the pipe, but do not turn too hard, since you may break the pipe. If you do that, you will have to replace and reseal the entire pipe.

After you have removed everything, clean the surfaces with steel wool or sandpaper.

Wrap many layers of the plumbers tape to the now smooth and threaded surfaces where you want to replace the hose and valves. Make sure you thread the tape in the same direction that the valve will be turned. This way you will make certain that you are tightening the tap when yo screw on the valve. Next, screw on the valve, put the hose on and tighten the clamps, but not too tight, just so they are snug.

Now slowly turn on the valve, watching for leaks as you do. If you have fitted your threads properly and put the tape on correctly, you should have no leaks.

Once you have done this job a few times, you will be an expert at it. The key is not to tighten too much, because you if you break anything, you have to take everything off and start over. But that will give you more practice for the next time.