Tosca 5-Minute Faucet Review

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The Tosca 5-Minute Faucet truly can be installed in about 300 seconds, but Tosca isn't making promises about removing the old kitchen faucet. Only after struggling to take out the old unit will you appreciate the value of a 5-minute kitchen faucet installation job with no extra tools

Detaching a kitchen faucet can be messy and difficult. After shutting off the water and unscrewing your water lines, move the supplies and other debris from under the sink. Then slide on your back under the kitchen sink and enjoy the lip of the cabinet digging into your back. The only way to remove most faucets is to loosen a pair of small nuts in a tight spot between water lines and sink basins. It may also require a specialized $15 basin wrench, which is otherwise of limited use.

Even the right tools may fail. I tried to remove my kitchen faucet and gave up after about an hour of fighting corroded threads with vise grips, hammers and WD40. I then took the Tosca unit to the in-laws' house and earned some brownie points by replacing their faucet. After climbing back above the sink and pulling out the faucet and water lines, you'll see why top-mounted installation is advantageous. Install the Tosca 5-Minute Faucet with just the two supplied Allen wrenches and an adjustable pipe wrench, all while standing on your feet. It truly installs in less than five minutes if you organize your parts, follow directions and work quickly.

First, twist the base onto the countertop. You need to simultaneously hold the base straight, keep the anchor in place and turn the larger Allen wrench. The next step is pushing the water lines through the base without twisting them. The faucet body attaches to the base with a small hex screw that tightens with the smaller Allen wrench.

You only need to reach under the sink in the final minute to attach the water lines and turn on the shutoff valves. Before starting, make sure the water lines are long enough to reach the shutoff valves. The lines are designed to be just long enough for average length pipes, but were a few inches short of the shutoff valves for my project. Finally, attach the counterweight to the spray head line.

The Tosca 5-Minute Faucet is sturdy and easy to operate. The sprayer head fits well and pulls in and out smoothly. The sprayer button on top of the head is convenient and easy, but sometimes has trouble staying locked in the spray position. It pays to keep your instructions to remember how to repair or remove the faucet using the small hex screw.

You can install the new Italian Tosca kitchen faucet in five minutes with fewer tools and less hassle than standard kitchen faucets. It also gets top marks for quality and ease of use.