How To Reassemble Your Faucet’s Aerator
By Bob Plankers on Dec 26, 2008 in Featured, How To
Took your faucet’s aerator apart to clean it? Trying to figure out how to put it back together again? Internet absolutely no help because it tells you that you should have noted how it came out in the first place? Yeah, I’m with you, pal, and you’ve come to the right place. This is how. Click on the photos for larger versions.
First, I numbered everything so I could refer to them (this is also the order they go back into #1):
The part I got hung up on was where you put part #3 into part #2 first, because it seems like it’d block all the water. It goes in like this:
Then stick that in part #1:
Top it all off with part #4:
Put part #5 on top, screw it all back into the faucet, and you’re done.
26 Comment(s)
By Shannon on Dec 26, 2008 | Reply
Oddly enough, I’ve had the same problem as you… only instead of providing useful instructions in a blog post, I just threw away the part that ended up extra during my process and just lived with the botched up way that I put it back together. I think your way is better. :)
By Matt Simmons on Dec 26, 2008 | Reply
I’ve done this because mine developed calcium deposits. I used the “shove it together until it sticks” methodology.
By Bob Plankers on Dec 28, 2008 | Reply
Shannon, my faucet at home is probably messed up identically to yours because I, too, tossed the extra part. The faucet in question was my mother’s, and her aerator was so messed up anyhow that I ended up getting a new one ($3 at Menards) and dissecting it. :-)
By Kameron on Dec 29, 2008 | Reply
For my sinks, part #3 usually ends up in the trash can. I can control my rate of flow by those handy little knobs on the top just fine without it.
Just don’t tell the low-flow aerator manufacturers and supporters I admit to doing this.
By Elizabeth on Apr 12, 2009 | Reply
Thank you, thank you!! You saved us from going nuts…
By Julie on Apr 16, 2009 | Reply
THANK YOU!! For future reference, your readers may want to know that part #3 is actually made of two parts (or it was for my faucet)- a ring and the insert. If the insert is set backward into that ring, the assembly will not fit into the faucet. However, just having that numbered photo set me on the right track. I appreciate your help!
By Dolly on Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
Thank you so much for taking a picture of the parts. I was just about to give up on the web for instructions when I came across your site. I had one of the “thingys” backwards, now my faucet is fine. Thank you!
By Nancy on Apr 20, 2009 | Reply
Thank you, you really helped me fix the mess my husband did.
By Kathy on May 5, 2009 | Reply
the best instruction for this need
By Dylan on Sep 17, 2009 | Reply
Thank YOU!!!! Fixed the mess my wife started and forgot! I didn’t want anything to do with it, but your instructions were PERFECT! Thank you AGAIN!
By Marcelo on Sep 19, 2009 | Reply
Just wanted to let you know that your website keeps helping people. I couldn’t find anything on the internet with better instructions than your website. The pictures helped me SO! much.
It would have been great if you had something talking about the other part of the process. I didn’t know you needed to put something (normally electrical tape) around the pliers before them from scratching the aerator.
Oh well, who cares now. I have the water running again and that is what it counts!
Thank you!
By Linda on Oct 24, 2009 | Reply
You are AWESOME! Thank you!!!
By Jane on Nov 3, 2009 | Reply
thanks for this,saved having to go buy a new one!
By Wendy on Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Perfect instructions = perfect result! One less stress. Thank you so much.
For people who have trouble unscrewing or screwing in part #1, use the top of a dish glove for grip.
By Rachel on Dec 20, 2009 | Reply
Thanks for this post with pictures! Mine just fell apart into 8 pieces when I took it off. I tried every combination to put it back together and failed until I ran across this site. Very helpful!
By Mary Ann on Jan 8, 2010 | Reply
Advice still being heeded – THANK you!!!
By Sandy G. on Feb 7, 2010 | Reply
You have just made my LIFE! my faucet head has been off for months because I couldn’t figure out how to get the aerator back together… I got fed up with it sitting on top of my fridge, took it down, and found your page on Bing! Now I can have a normal sink faucet once again. you rock!
By Larry B. on Feb 12, 2010 | Reply
It’s funny how useful this blog has been! Even though you will never come back to read this tutorial…. I want to thank you for this simple easy to find forum.
By Travis on Mar 7, 2010 | Reply
I am not that bad of handy man, but trying to re-assemble my faucet drove me nuts. Couldn’t have done it without your help.
Thank you.
By melissa on May 5, 2010 | Reply
Thank you! Thank you!!! You are awesome!!
When I took off my faucet last week to fill up water balloons for my kids, I went to put back on the aerator, and sure enough…couldn’t!
I’m usually very handy, and my husband is even handier…he couldn’t do it either!
I gave up after a few days of off and on trying, and just surrendered to the fact that every time I did the dishes, cooked or washed my hands I would be splattered with water from a aerator-less faucet. BUT, today I decided to google my problem, your site popped up, and voila!
Thanks so much!!
By angela on May 18, 2010 | Reply
a eek ago I took my faucet apart for spring cleaning and lost the screen. Well tonight my daughter found it in her desk. So I passed the job of puting it back together (thitd time) to the man of the house. And after him washing the flat piece in #3 down the drain, I sugested me looking it up on the internet he took the screen out and put it together w/just #1,#2, and half of #3 by the way when I started the rubber rings were gone. Than I looked up your site and after my trip to the hardware store tomorrow. I will show the man of the house how helpful the internet can be THANKS…
By TOM on May 21, 2010 | Reply
GREAT INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!
a year ago I had the same problem I’m having this year HOW DOES THE &*(^ GO BACK TOGETHER.
Tried for over 2 hours and could not get to back together.
Less than 2 minutes following your instructions I had water running!!!!!
Can not THANK YOU enough.
By Amanda on May 31, 2010 | Reply
Bob, You rock! I’ve been struggling with a squirty faucet for almost a year now, after having taken it apart to clean it! Thank you so much – these were excellent directions! My faucet works fabulously well now.
:)
By Mike on Jun 9, 2010 | Reply
Your comments at the top of this page are so right on. Thanks for numbering! You saved me from major frustration.
By dennis on Aug 15, 2010 | Reply
Thank you Google and thank you Bob!
By ArButterfly on Aug 18, 2010 | Reply
Thank you Mr.Bob you saved me $60= Plummer me and my husband almost call 1 what a shame I know we can do it. Of course with the help of technology now day’s I told him let me look on Google, and voila! ,Thanks again for posting this helpful how to Reassemble Your Faucet’s Aerator.