Kitchen faucet loose at the base

How a kitchen faucet is held down

A kitchen faucet sits on top of the sink or counter and is clamped down from underneath. Older faucets use large nuts threaded onto the faucet's shanks. Most newer single-handle faucets use one threaded post with a mounting bracket and a big nut, or a bracket with two screws you tighten from below with a long screwdriver or socket.

Every time the handle is pushed or the sprayer is pulled out, the faucet twists a little, and over years the nut works loose. A plastic nut can also crack, and a nut that was only hand-tight when the faucet went in loosens sooner. Once the faucet rocks, the gasket under its base stops sealing and water can drip into the cabinet.

Why faucets come loose

Let's fix it

1. Clear the cabinet and look underneathEmpty the sink cabinet, put a towel down and lie on your back with a flashlight. Wear safety glasses; rust and grit fall when you work overhead. Find the faucet's base from below. You're looking for a large nut on a threaded post, a nut on each shank, or a metal bracket with two screws.
   Done

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2. Find the mounting hardwareFollow the faucet body up from the supply lines and the sprayer hose. A single big nut, often plastic with wings, threads onto the center post. A bracket with screws pointing up clamps against the bottom of the sink. Older two-handle faucets have a nut on each shank near the hot and cold lines.
   Done

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3. Line up the faucetHave a helper hold the faucet straight from above, with the spout centered over the sink and the base plate square to the backsplash. If you're alone, line it up first and keep a hand on it while you snug the first turn.
   Done

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4. Tighten itTurn the nut counterclockwise as you look up at it from below (clockwise as seen from above), using a basin wrench or the faucet's mounting tool to reach it. For a bracket style, tighten the two screws evenly with a long screwdriver or socket. Snug it until the faucet doesn't move, then stop. Overtightening can crack a plastic nut or the faucet base.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • The nut just spins It may be cracked or the threads stripped. A new mounting kit for your faucet model fixes it, or call a plumber.

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5. Check for dripsRun the water hot and cold for a minute, swing the spout and pull out the sprayer. Feel the supply line connections, the sprayer hose and the bottom of the base for any wetness with a dry paper towel. Tighten a dripping supply nut a quarter turn at a time.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • A supply line drips after tightening Tighten that nut a quarter turn at a time. If it still drips, replace the supply line.

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6. If the base still leaks on topIf water seeps out under the base plate on the counter, the gasket or putty under it has failed. Turn off the water under the sink, loosen the mounting nut and, if the supply lines are too short to let it lift, disconnect them. Lift the faucet slightly, clean the old putty, set a new base gasket or the sealant your faucet's instructions call for, and tighten it down again.
   Done

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Watch it done

Fixing a Loose Kitchen Faucet baseBy Dads Know How on YouTube. Their method may vary a little from ours.

Watch on YouTube

If it drips from the spout

If the faucet drips from the spout instead, see the guide for fixing a dripping faucet.

If water is pooling in the cabinet from somewhere else, see the guide for a leak under the sink.

Loose kitchen faucet questions