How To Install a Touchless Kitchen Faucet

Installing a touchless faucet makes doing the dishes a breeze and gives your kitchen an updated aesthetic. However, installing a touchless kitchen faucet involves a bit more than their low-tech counterparts. In the video above, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows viewers how to install a new touchless kitchen faucet from start to finish. If you’re looking to make the switch, keep reading for step-by-step instructions to help you with your project.

*Unless otherwise noted, costs in this article reflect an average of prices that our team found from hardware stores like Lowes and Home Depot, and on Amazon.com.

Preparing for Installation of a Touchless Kitchen Faucet

Before you begin, gather the necessary tools and materials for the job.

You’ll need:

You’ll also need your new touchless faucet kit. Before you install it, you should get familiar with the new components. Most kits include:

• Battery pack: Powers the motion sensor system of the faucet
• Control box: Manages water flow and connects to the sensors
• Faucet body with integrated spray head: The main part of the faucet
• Hot and cold water supply lines: Connects the faucet to the water supply
• Mounting hardware: Used to secure the faucet to the sink
• Soap dispenser (optional): Adds extra convenience for washing hands or dishes

Once you get adjusted to the layout of your new faucet kit, it’s time to gather your tools and start installing.

Removing the Old Faucet

The first step in installing your new touchless faucet is removing the existing one. Here’s how to do it:

1. Close the hot and cold water shutoff valves underneath the sink.
2. Use a basin wrench to disconnect both water supply lines from the underside of the sink.
3. Twist off the hand sprayer from the spray hose, then pry off the retainer clip with a narrow screwdriver or a pocket knife.
4. Pull the sprayer base off of the spray hose, then push the hose down through the sink deck and into the cabinet below.
5. Drain the water from the spray hose into a bucket.
6. Pull out and discard the old faucet.

After removing the old faucet, clean the sink surface thoroughly. Removing old grime and residue will help the new gasket adhere properly.

Pro Tip: Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert, recommends testing the shutoff valves before disconnecting anything: Turn off the hot- and cold-water valves under the sink, then test the faucet. If the water still comes on, your valves aren’t working and you’ll need to shut off the water at the next valve down the line or at the water main.

Expert Insight: Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert, cautions homeowners to check the condition of their shutoff valves and supply lines while they have access. On one project, he noted corroded green pipes and missing shutoff handles under the sink — signs of long-term leaking and a potential safety hazard, especially near electrical connections for a garbage disposal. As he put it: “There’s no handles on the shut off. So we couldn’t shut this water off in a pinch or in an emergency. So, a little bit of work to do down here.”

Installing the New Touchless Faucet

Once you remove the old faucet, you’re ready to install the new touchless model. Follow these steps:

1. Place the new faucet’s mounting plate and gasket onto the sink deck.
2. Set the faucet in place by feeding its hoses and data cable down through the hole in the mounting plate.
3. From below, slide the ends of the hoses and cable through the support bar and mounting washer.
4. Thread on the hex nut and tighten with the supplied wrench to lock the faucet to the sink.
5. Feed the soap dispenser through the old hand-sprayer hole in the sink deck, then tighten the mounting nut from below.
6. Push the retractable spray hose into the gooseneck faucet and down into the cabinet.

Double-check all connections before proceeding to the next step. If your new faucet isn’t set up properly, it could cause a lot of problems down the line.

Pro Tip: Richard Trethewey, This Old House plumbing and heating expert, recommends sealing the mounting plate before setting it in place: “What I like to do is to put a little bit of plumber’s putty to the base of this plate” to ensure no water gets down below the deck.

Setting Up the Control Box of the Faucet

The control box manages the water flow and connects to the motion sensors of your touchless faucet. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Fasten the battery-powered control box to the inside of the cabinet with two screws.
2. Plug the water supply lines, power line, and data cable into the push-to-connect fittings along the top and bottom of the control box.
3. Install the control box battery, then adjust the water temperature setting.

Finishing Touches on Your New Touchless Faucet

With the faucet and control box in place, it’s time to make the final connections and test your new fixture:

1. Snap the counterbalance weight onto the hose that’s connected to the retractable faucet spray head.
2. Open the water supply valves and check for leaks at all connection points.
3. Turn on the faucet manually to flush out any debris and ensure proper water flow.
4. Test the touchless feature by waving your hand in front of the sensor. Adjust the sensor sensitivity if necessary.

Touchless Faucet Maintenance

While touchless faucets have plenty of perks, their high-tech design requires more maintenance than a standard faucet. Use the following tips to keep your touchless faucet functioning properly:

• Clean sediment and debris from the faucet aerator annually to maintain proper water flow.
• Clean the sensors periodically with a soft, damp cloth so no grime obscures the sensor signal.
• Replace batteries as needed (some models only need replacing every three to five years).

Keeping up with these tasks may be bothersome, but the benefits definitely outweigh the downsides. With a little upkeep, you’ll enjoy your touchless faucet for years. These innovative fixtures—which use motion sensors to activate water flow, reducing the spread of germs—make it easier to use the faucet with messy hands.