How to Install Kitchen Faucet with 2 Handles (Step by Step)

Quick answer: How to install kitchen faucet with 2 handles, in short: the job is a dozen small steps, and none needs special skill. Close both shutoffs, open the old faucet to bleed off pressure, and pull it out. Then set a gasket and body into the sink holes, snug mounting nuts from below, click any sprayer hose into its quick connect, hook up supply lines, and flush with the aerator off before checking for leaks.

My steps follow two real manufacturer guides: Moen’s sheet for its CA87876 two-handle kitchen model and Delta’s for its 21987LF. Most deck-mount two-valve designs go in this way.

Still, your box has the final word. If anything here disagrees with your own instructions, I’d go with those.

What You’ll Need

• New faucet plus its instruction sheet
• Supply lines. Moen says they’re not included with its faucet, so buy the right type first.
• Adjustable wrench, plus a basin wrench for nuts tucked behind a sink
• Bucket and old towels for leftover water
• Flashlight
• Silicone sealant, only for a rough deck (Delta lists it as optional)

Check connection type before you shop. Delta’s model takes either ball-nose risers (3/8 inch, about 9.5 mm, outside-diameter copper tubing) with coupling nuts, or 1/2 inch IPS faucet connectors. Moen simply says to attach supply lines to its threaded shanks.

How to Install Kitchen Faucet with 2 Handles

1. Shut off water. Close both valves under your sink. Moen’s caution: always turn water off before removing an existing faucet.
2. Relieve pressure. Open both old handles. Moen says this confirms complete shut-off.
3. Remove what’s there. Loosen supply connections and mounting nuts from below, lift it out, and scrape that deck clean.
4. Count holes. Compare your sink’s openings with the new layout. On Delta’s spray version, a spray support sits in the far right hole and its hose passes up through center.
5. Fit a gasket. It goes on the underside of the body. Delta allows silicone beneath it if your deck is rough or uneven.
6. Add a sprayer, if included. Moen has you insert a hose guide, thread its nut on from underneath, and hand-tighten, then feed the side spray through until it seats.
7. Drop in the body. Lower it through those holes until it rests flat.
8. Snug mounting nuts. Thread them onto each shank from below. Delta says hand-tight; no wrench required.
9. Click quick connects. Push each hose in until you hear a click, then tug down. Both Moen and Delta use this test.
10. Hook up supplies. Attach lines to both shanks, then to shutoff valves. Hot goes on hot; Moen even includes red and blue indicator rings.
11. Flush. Unscrew the aerator, open both handles, then open both valves. Moen says 15 seconds; Delta says 60 seconds.
12. Hunt for leaks. Wipe each joint with dry paper towel and look with a flashlight. Then screw that aerator back on, hand-tight.

When I compare these two sheets, they disagree only on small details like flush time and how the sprayer mounts. That’s reassuring. The core sequence holds across brands.

Why the Flush Step Matters

Delta explains it plainly: flushing clears away debris that could damage internal parts. Whatever shook loose in the old pipes during the swap would otherwise go straight into the new valves.

Don’t skip it. If flow is weak on day one anyway, check the supply valves are fully open and then clean the aerator. Moen’s low-flow troubleshooting starts with exactly those two checks.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Overtightening the mounting nuts. Delta says hand-tight is enough for its locknuts. No wrench needed.
• Buying the wrong connectors. Match the faucet’s connection, not your old faucet’s.
• Skipping the tug test on quick connects. Both makers tell you to pull down after the click. A half-seated connection is exactly what that test catches.
• Mixing up hot and cold. Check before you open the valves. Swapping lines later means shutting everything off again.
• Wrong handle rotation after a repair. Delta notes that on its stems, the stops must point to the center of the faucet for proper handle rotation.

My take: give yourself twice the time you think you need. The work isn’t hard. Lying on your back under a sink with a flashlight in your teeth is just slow.

When to Call a Plumber

Stop and call a licensed plumber if a shutoff valve won’t close fully, if a valve or pipe is corroded or cracks when you turn it, or if there are no shutoff valves at all. Those are fixes to the supply plumbing, not the faucet.

If your new faucet whistles or hums once it’s running, see why is my kitchen faucet whistling. Wondering whether to repair the old one instead? Read how long does a Moen kitchen faucet last, or browse more kitchen remodel guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need plumber’s putty for a two-handle kitchen faucet?

Not usually. Both the Moen and Delta two-handle faucets covered here use a gasket under the faucet body. Delta allows silicone under the gasket only if the deck is rough or uneven.

Can I install a two-handle faucet on a sink with a single hole?

Not as it stands. A two-handle deck faucet needs more than one hole, so you’d have to add holes or pick a single-handle faucet instead. Check the faucet’s hole count and spacing against your sink before buying.

How tight should the faucet mounting nuts be?

Follow your sheet. Delta says hand-tight is enough for its locknuts and no wrench is required. Supply line nuts get snugged with a wrench, per Moen.

Why do I flush the faucet after installing it?

To clear debris from the supply lines before it reaches the faucet’s internal parts. Delta says to remove the aerator and flush for one minute; Moen says 15 seconds.

Last updated: November 10, 2026. Sources: Moen CA87876 two-handle kitchen faucet installation guide (PDF), Delta 21987LF two-handle kitchen faucet installation sheet (PDF) and Moen: kitchen faucet low flow.