How To: Over the Stove Faucet

Deciding on a Pot Filler

• Before shopping for a pot filler, make certain there is room for one behind the stove. Most pot fillers are designed to swivel back against the wall when not in use, and they require three or more feet of lateral wall space. Any obstructions, such as a stove hood in the path of the spout, prevents you from fully utilizing the faucet. Take careful measurements of the clearance you have before deciding on a model. Before installing it, test it by holding it against the wall and swiveling the spout.

Installing the Rough Plumbing

• You need to move the stove and the wall covering behind the stove to install the single, 1/2-inch pipe that supplies the faucet. Install blocking to hold the stub-out, which is the pipe that extends from the wall and attaches to the faucet, as well as the faucet itself. After connecting the supply pipe to the nearest water supply line, run it to the blocking and terminate it with a 1/2-inch brass elbow securely attached to the blocking. You will thank yourself in the future if you include an accessible ball valve that allows you to turn off the water supply to the faucet. A temporary nipple keeps debris out of the pipe while you cover and finish the wall.

Faucet Nipple Installation

• Once the wall repairs are complete and you have replaced the stove, connect the pot filler faucet to the stub-out. Remove the temporary nipple and screw in the connection nipple that comes with the faucet. Be sure to wrap plumbing tape around the female threads before installing it, because a leak behind the wall -- even a small one -- is potentially disastrous. The stub-out must set beyond the wall by the amount specified in the installation instructions determined when you installed the blocking.

Connecting the Faucet

• Most pot fillers come with a retention ring that fits around the stub-out. The ring has screw holes so that you can fasten it to the blocking, and it usually has an Allen screw that tightens onto the nipple. Be sure to orient the ring to avoid driving screws into the pipes behind the wall. The final step is to fit the supplied escutcheon plate over the ring and screw the faucet onto the nipple. Avoid damaging the finish by tightening it with a strap wrench instead of a pipe wrench or pliers.