Chances are, the faucet that came with your RV’s kitchen isn’t the faucet you would have picked out yourself. But have no fear! You can easily complete an RV faucet replacement to make your kitchen look better and work more functionally. Keep reading to find out how.
Are RV Faucets the Same as Home Faucets?
RV faucets and home faucets are not exactly the same, though they may look to be at first glance. One big difference between the two types of faucets is the material they are made of. In an RV, the goal is to save weight, so designers frequently use lighter materials. This also means that RV faucets may not last as long when repeatedly turned on and off, especially with full time or extended use.
Another way that RV faucets may differ from your home’s kitchen faucet are the connections. Looking under the sink reveals if your RV has a different connection type. Most RVs use PEX tubing with a threaded fitting directly on the end. This connects directly to the faucet with a 13/16th thread.
Home faucets use a variety of different connections depending on if they are connecting to PEX or copper. But they usually have ½” or ⅜” compression fittings.
These differences don’t prevent you from using a residential faucet in an RV. You may just need some special adapters to make the replacement work or to cut the PEX and install the appropriate connection.
How Do I Replace an RV Kitchen Sink Faucet?
Replacing an RV kitchen sink faucet is a quick project that can spruce up your rig. However, there are a few things you want to do before working on the replacement.
Disconnect Water Source: Before you start your RV faucet replacement, you MUST disconnect from your water source or city connection. This could also mean turning off your water pump if you’re using your tanks. Otherwise, you’ll end up with an enormous mess and potentially a ruined RV. Do NOT miss this step!
Release the Pressure: Once you turn off your water source, run the hot and cold water to release any residual pressure before disconnecting.
Prepare for Leaks: Put a bucket or bowl below your faucet connection to catch any remaining water that may spill out when you disconnect your faucet. If you don’t have enough room for a bucket or bowl, a towel underneath will do the trick.
Now, you’re ready to remove the old faucet and begin the replacement.
Remove The Old Faucet Use a wrench to unscrew the connections for the hot and cold water. Then loosen the nut connecting your old faucet to the sink. Pull the faucet out and clean up any areas that need cleaning before installing the new faucet. If your faucet is also secured with silicon, you’ll need to use a little extra muscle to disconnect it from your sink. A small prybar or putty knife could help lift it.
Install the New RV Faucet: Hooray! You’re ready to replace your old RV faucet with the new one! Insert the faucet and tighten the nut into place. Then attach the plastic tubing under the sink to your new faucet. If you are using a faucet with different connections, you will need to install these or replace the original ones. A product called Shark Bite connectors can make this job much easier. All you need to do is cut the PEX and install the proper fitting. Shark Bite fittings do not require any special tools to install and work very well.
Make sure your cold-water line links to the cold-water handle and the hot-water hooks up to the hot-water handle.
Pressurize the System: Once everything is connected, open the faucet’s handles and turn the water supply on. Immediately check for leaks and be prepared to turn the water supply back off quickly. If the faucet starts flowing water without leaks go ahead and close the handles. This will apply the full pressure to the new fittings. Now check for leaks again while the handles are turned off. If it springs a leak, open the faucet to release the pressure, then turn the water supply off again before correcting the leak.
Best RV Faucet Replacements
Now that you know how to complete an RV faucet replacement, you need to know what faucet to choose.
RV Faucet Parts
You’ll want to get a faucet that fits with your current setup, such as a single or double-hole model. If using a traditional residential faucet, you may need an adapter to allow the faucet to connect with your RV plumbing.
Almost every new faucet will come with the parts you need to install it, aside from adapters for your pipe. Always look over the installation manual to make sure you install the parts in the right order, or you may have a leak when you apply pressure.
What Faucet Should You Use?
Since the RV faucet is used and touched so frequently, we personally do not feel this is a good place to save weight or money. Installing a residential faucet in your RV will give the kitchen sink a nice, home-like feel.
While you could install any old residential faucet, there are a few special types that work particularly well in an RV. Here are our top picks:
Touch RV Faucets
One great replacement option is to add a touch faucet to your RV. These are not RV specific, so you will need to make sure you have adequate room to install it both above and under the sink. These are more expensive, but they have their advantages in an RV. We installed a touch faucet in our RV and have been very happy with the results. Here’s why we think you should consider this style of faucet too.
Quick on/off for saving water. All you have to do is touch your hand or wrist to any part of the handle, and the water will turn on or off. This helps you save water while doing dishes without putting extra wear and tear on the handle or covering everything with soap.
Holds temperature & water pressure, so you can dial-in ideal water conditions for washing. No more having to adjust the heat and pressure repeatedly throughout dishwashing. A touch faucet will lock these in for you, so they stay the same with each touch unless you manually adjust them.
If you’ve got pets, make sure the cat doesn’t bump it! You don’t want to come home from a day of exploring to find that the cat let your water run the entire time you were gone! A touch faucet may not be the best choice for some pet owners.
Pro Tip: We recommend turning off the handle during travel, just in case!
Delta Touch2O Technology: Here are our top picks for touch RV faucets to use for your replacement.
- TOUCH ON. TOUCH OFF. Messy hands, Touch anywhere on the kitchen...
- MAGNETIC DOCKING: MagnaTite Docking uses a powerful magnet to...
- LASTS 2X LONGER: Patented DIAMOND Seal Technology reduces leak...
- TOUCH ON. TOUCH OFF. Messy hands, Touch anywhere on the kitchen...
- MAGNETIC DOCKING: MagnaTite Docking uses a powerful magnet to...
- LASTS 2X LONGER: Patented DIAMOND Seal Technology reduces leak...
Touchless RV Faucets
Another option for your replacement is a touchless faucet. There is no question that a touchless RV sink faucet could be convenient. Since most RVs don’t have dishwashers, you’ll be doing your dishes by hand after every meal. The convenience of turning the water on/off with a swipe of your hand makes dish duty much simpler. Another pro is when your hands are dirty from cooking, you can easily wash them without touching the faucet and getting it dirty or spreading germs.
There are a few downsides to this automatic feature, though. First, RV sinks are often smaller than traditional home sinks. This means you may accidentally turn the water on or off when you don’t want to.
The biggest con to using a touchless faucet in an RV is that there is more of a delay between your hands being sensed and the water turning on or off. This means a touchless faucet will use more water than a touch version would. If the RV is hooked up to a water supply, this is not as big of a deal. But it can be problematic in situations when you may be trying to conserve water, such as when boondocking.
If a touchless RV faucet seems like the right replacement choice for you, here are our top choices!
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- SPOT RESISTANT: Spot Resist Stainless finish resists fingerprints...
- ONE SENSOR: MotionSense Wave features single-sensor touchless...
- POWER CLEAN: Power Clean spray technology provides 50 percent...
Standard RV Kitchen Faucet
Typically, RV faucets are designed with cheap and/or lightweight materials. They also may not have as sleek of a look as traditional home kitchen faucets. Like their touch and touchless counterparts, you may need to rework the plumbing lines to install a standard RV faucet.
Sprayer Faucets
A simple swap of your RV faucet can give your kitchen an updated look and feel, plus give you new features, like a sprayer. Many RV faucets don’t come with a sprayer feature. Since you’ll probably be washing dishes frequently in your RV, the sprayer feature and taller faucet give you more room to clean. We think it is a must-have for those who RV regularly or full-time.
Before buying a sprayer faucet, make sure you have the clearance for a taller faucet, and think about the hose under the sink. These types of faucets use a flexible hose with a weight that pulls the sprayer back into place after use. This weight needs enough clearance under the sink to move. If there is a shelf in the way, this may not work.
Also, be sure to measure the depth of the sink you have to work with. Some residential faucets are designed to work for larger residential sinks. With smaller RV sink sizes, you might install a faucet that sprays the near edge of the sink when turned on full blast.
Here are some fun replacement faucets that give you that oh-so-convenient sprayer:
- Durable kitchen faucets with pull down sprayer- Your farmhouse...
- Easy to use- oil rubbed bronze Kitchen faucet with sprayer coming...
- Three mode setting- Your bronze kitchen faucet with pull down...
- THREE-FUNCTION SPRAYER HEAD: Kitchen sink faucet setting (STREAM,...
- HIGH-ARCH: Spout design with 360-degree rotation offers more room...
- BRASS MATERIAL: Lead-free Brass construction with superior...
Big Bang For Your Buck
Your RV kitchen faucet is a much-used part of your RVing experience. We’re confident you’ll find an upgraded faucet to be something you appreciate on a daily basis – both aesthetically and functionally! Personally, we waited far too long to make this upgrade, but you don’t have to wait as long as we did. These 6 RV faucet replacement ideas will help jump-start your RV kitchen improvements!
Looking to renovate your RV kitchen? Check out these Innovative RV Kitchen Sink Upgrades That Will Save & Purify Water.
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Glen Taylor
Friday 14th of January 2022
If you want to improve your RV's fuel efficiency and reduce maintenance costs, you may want a non-metallic faucet. However, consider spending the extra dollars for a more durable faucet.
Dalton Bourne
Thursday 5th of August 2021
Knowing the differences between RV faucets vs home faucets should make it easier for you to decide whether replacing your RV water fixture with a household model is worth it: the water in our homes passes through rigid metal or PVC pipes. Their connections feature threads or grooves that form a tight seal with your faucet’s inlet ports. Motorhomes feature flexible cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubes that run behind the RV’s wall panels and other spaces. Hence, the main difference between a residential faucet and an RV tap is their connection to the plumbing system.
Al Demmitt
Saturday 19th of February 2022
Seems like the one thing that no one mentions is the hole size. After buying what we thought would be the right faucet for us only to find out the hole size in our rv was too small and using a hole saw wss not an option. It would be nice if manufacturers would list that in their specs
Dalton Bourne
Saturday 7th of August 2021
Knowing the differences between RV faucets vs home faucets should make it easier for you to decide whether replacing your RV water fixture with a household model is worth it.