Oh Ikea… how do I love thee? I could go on forever counting the ways. For me, there is something cathartic about putting together your cute furniture, and a sense of accomplishment that comes along with it that is unlike most other things in this world. HOWEVER (and that is a BIG however), occasionally, you throw a major curve ball at me, and your other customers, and we have to figure out how to make the strange situation work for us.
This is a story of one of those curve balls.
After redoing the main bathroom’s shower and all of the headache that came with it, I refused to go back to using my shitty master bath’s vanity, so I figured I could just “add that on” to the other project. Most of all, it was easy fixes; there is nothing wrong with the shower in our master, and the floor is okay, so I just painted (sassy green!), and thought a new vanity and medicine cabinet was all I needed. For the most part, I have been 100% correct; I am totally happy with all of the somewhat minor changes that I have made. I LOVE the new cabinet, and the vanity is way more compact, and looks way more high end than the one that was in there since we moved in. However (there’s that word again!), I hit a snag when I went to connect the new faucet to the water supply line.
As you can see in the above picture, the lines were just a little too short, but that wasn’t the real problem; the fitting was completely different than the fitting of my previous faucet, which meant that they would not connect to the supply lines.
In fact, it should be stated to anyone that considers ever getting Ikea faucets, that their supply connection STANDARD is 1/2″ (which actually measures 1″ in diameter, which is just odd), not the 3/8″ standard for the United States (NOTE: I could be getting this backwards (but I’m pretty sure I’m not): Ikea says, “Connection hoses with 3/8″ connection included.”, but I’m fairly certain it was a 1/2″ connector at the end of the supply line… regardless, it doesn’t fit.). So what does that mean, exactly? Well, it means that the Ikea supply connections are far bigger than the existing connections that come out of your wall, and well, to put it bluntly, it just won’t work. I found this interesting, because it isn’t mentioned ANYWHERE in the Ikea manual for the faucet.
Hmmm…
So here’s what I did:
First, I googled the situation. I managed to find out that this is only a slightly known issue for those that have ventured into the realm of Swedish flat pack furniture, and lucky for me, there were solutions! So here’s what I had to do…
1) I went to Lowes, and was told they didn’t have what I needed. Don’t waste your time, go DIRECTLY to Ace Hardware, because they have everything you need; which differs from Steve’s (somewhat more complicated, sorry Steve!) solution I linked to above. Here’s what you will need:
2 connection adapters (not sure that’s what they are called); these will be the connection between the Ikea hoses and your new hose. It should be 1/2″ on the Ikea end, and 3/8″ on the other end for the new hose.
2 new faucet connector hoses, standard 3/8″ fittings on each end.
And that’s it!!
Now, here are some pictures, because this is incredibly difficult to explain just using words:
This is the new hose that I was describing with the male/male adapter installed on top:
This will be screwed into the Ikea faucet connector:
Now, the the Ikea faucet is screwed into an adapter, and that adapter is now screwed into a hose that has the standard connector for the supply line coming out of the wall. We’re all set!!!
This is what it looked like when I got everything all in:
$25 dollars and a little elbow grease, and it works like a charm. Now, I don’t know why those hoses start at 12″, causing me to have to snake it around like that, but I don’t care as long as it fucking works, and it does.
So, if you plan on getting a cute little sink, and oh-so-easy to install faucet to go with said sink, be sure to come back and reference this post. It will save you time, because you won’t have to start out empty handed; you can get the adapters and new hoses before you start!
Oh the joys of DIY home improvement… right?! Needless to say, I am more than happy with my “new” bathroom(s), and I can let out a sigh of relief and go back to loving Ikea wholeheartedly (even though I MAY have cursed their name a few points during the project); but don’t even get me started on that weird ass p-trap and the nonsense that went into getting that cluster fuck to work.
UPDATE: It didn’t occur to me to post pictures of the sink/faucet (I was focused on the stress of getting the damn thing installed), but Shan’s request reminded me; so here you go: (I may update this with actual photos of MY cabinet/sink/faucet in the near future, so check back for that)
I saw these on your Flickr earlier, and was saddened that you didn’t post a photo of the most important part… what the faucet looks like!!
Since you needed additional length to the supply line, your fix worked out well. I actually had enough slack in the supply lines provided by Ikea but had the same problem with the fitting. I went to a local plumbing supply shop that specializes in bathroom faucets and they sold me a female/female fitting that converted the 1/2″ to 3/8″. $15 bucks each! but better than having to switch the supply lines.
I complained to Ikea about the fact they never told me about this and their answer is below — DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY SAY THAT THEY WARN PEOPLE, THAT’S BS B/C NO ONE WARNED ME!:
Thank you for contacting IKEA Canada. We regret to hear that the service that was provided to you did not meet your expectations.
Please note that the adaptor for our IKEA faucets is sold separately and that is advertised and communicated to our customers in the store.
Should you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We thank you for your understanding and for choosing IKEA for your home furnishing and decoration needs. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you in the future.
Best Regards,
IKEA Canada Customer Service
THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this. I bought the sink and a different faucet from IKEA (your bathroom wall is the same as mine!!!) and was struggling to find a solution at Home Depot. We did looked at the female/female adapter…my husband thought this solution might not work well because the fitting (the rubber) wasn’t quite right and may cause water to leak. How is yours? Any water leak around the fitting?
I wasted 2 hours at Home Depot looking for an adaptor thinking I was going crazy! Thanks for the tips?
Had same problem, customer service said they did not have the adapter and to find it by my own means.
Taps sold to Canadians should be compatible with Canadian plumbing.. I figure….
Hello! I thought it would be worth asking. I have a faucet from Ikea that recently started spewing water from the base for no reason. I noticed a white o-ring underneath the base that has a clean split right through it. Do you think this could have caused the leak? Where do you suppose I can find a new one? Ace Hardware? Who knows how long I’d be at Ikea if I tried to get an answer. I’d drive myself fucking crazy…….let me know.
Frustrated,
Hollie
Hollie, to be honest, I know very little about plumbing. However, it sounds like the o ring may be your issue. I would take it to a hardware store and try to find a match (Ace is a GREAT place to try). If not, contact Ikea’s website. They have to have replacements for things like that. If you still don’t have any luck, I would say bite the bullet and call a plumber; it may be expensive, but they’ll fix it.
I tried what you said today and it worked beautifully and all for about$20! Thanks for the info!
Well, Hello! We bought the same sink- and the Grundtal faucet- and the hoses are 5″ too short. I also found the connector adapters and 12″ hoses, but alas- leaks abound! Teflon tape isn’t helping. Hubby also found a leak at the main line into the faucet from the hose itself. ARGH.
I wrote to Ikea hoping they had longer hoses available if I asked nicely. They told me to take the faucet & hoses to the local hardware store because the hoses ARE INDEED STANDARD US sizes and someone should be able to help me. (because obviously i’m clueless!)
I love Ikea and I love the faucet but we are 5 months into this remodel and so close to finishing that we’re giving up on the faucet and looking for a US brand. I thought I’d google for swedish faucet water hoses to see if I could find some and found you. WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE KNOW OF THIS ISSUE?!
@Denise: did you get your issue fixed? Those little rubber o-rings inside the part you screw together are ESSENTIAL. Make sure they are in there; without them, no amount of teflon tape will matter. I hope I was able to help; that’s why I wrote this post!
I have the same problem. I tried an adapter between the two hoses but it leaks. More than leaks, sprays water everywhere! The faucet came with a washer to go in the end of each hose. I tried it both with the washer and without. Still leaks. Any suggestions?
The adjoining ends of both hoses are actually the same size though so the adapter is just a male/male of equal sizes.
@Tammy: I would suggest trying the washer and the teflon tape. The two should work. If not, you probably need new parts. Good luck!
Thank you so much for this tip. I picked up one of the Ikea faucets last Sunday and was installing it today. Had the same issue with the 1/2″ hose connecting to the 3/8″ valve. Your info saved me a lot of wasted time. I agree that Ikea needs to do something about this. Include an adapter, two different hoses (1/2″ and 3/8″), something… I had to get help from one of the Ikea floor people to get the faucet and she didn’t mention anything about an adapter being required nor did I see any sign indicating an adapter might be required.
I ran into the same problem today and stumped 3 workers at Lowes. when I told them it was a Ikea faucet they said that explained a lot. I’m going to try out your way this weekend. I’m sure it’ll work, thanks.
I am in the process of installing the same sink and faucet as the photo. I have run into the same leaky problem as above. I purchased 1/2″ male x 1/2″ male brass adapters from Home Depot to connect the Ikea water lines to a standard 3/8″ supply line that has a 1/2″ female fitting to connect to the adapter. I have teflon taped and double checked that the o-ring is seated properly, but I am still have a leak… on both the hot and cold lines. It looks to me that the supplied o-rings are a little small for the 1/2″ line.
Does anyone have a suggestion?
Duane,
Thanks for posting about this. I just got back from Home Depot realizing all of the above that you wrote about. I have the same sink and faucet too. I’m so close to having a workable sink I can almost taste it (not literally). You’ve saved me so much time. I’m heading off to ACE Hardware tomorrow.
-E. Jasper
Boston
Ken, Duane and everybody,
I’m in a similar boat. Ace was great and i installed the adapters and turned on the water and…leaking from both hot and cold water! I have the “o ring” washers in there and teflon tape and still it’s leaking. I tried another kind of beveled washer but still no luck.
Not sure what to do next. If anyone found a solution please pass it along. I might try to change the valves from 3/8 output to 1/2 inch so the hoses work….we will see.
I was able to stop the leaking on my set-up. The problem I found was that the washer supplied by Ikea is too small in diameter. When the Ikea supply line was tightened on to the 1/2″ x 1/2″ brass adapter the washer supplied slips inside the adapter causing the water leak. If you can find an adapter with a thicker wall then the washer supplied would work; however, I had no such luck. The solution I found was to get a larger washer. The only washer I could find that would fit in the 1/2″ end on the Ikea line is a Moen Faucet Washer (Item #3793), I found them at Home Depot. It is a bit of a squeeze to fit the washer in the end of the Ikea hose. Once in don’t tighten it too hard as this will push the washer inside the adapter again. Good luck everyone!
Ken
Ken,
Thanks. That did the trick. I got a larger washer, installed it yesterday, and success! I have a new sink that isn’t leaking.
The Home Depot I went to couldn’t help me with the Moen washer you recommended so I bought the “Home Washer Assortment” made by Danco (#80817). There were two 1/2 inch rubber washers in there. I had to trim the outer edges a little to fit them into the connector. But once I installed them, tightened them up a little, and turned on the water, no leaks!
Thanks for your help. I couldn’t have finished the job without you all. Very grateful.
-E. Jasper
Thanks all for the post. I wish I would have read earlier instead of spending hrs at the local hardware stores. I had the exact same issue and after I installed the adapter and it started to leak I almost threw the faucet out! But changing the washers worked! However, no more IKEA faucets for me….
had same problem and decided to buy a faucet from lowe’s got it home and it had the right supply line that fit the ikea one I installed the faucet and workes fine so I orded two supply lines from pegasus to replace the one’s I used(so I can take it back to lowe’s). phone number 866-863-1500 part # SKU 294 694 it costs $30 shipped for both supply lines hope this helps
thank you very much for the advice. i am not a skilled handyman just like the sink and vanity from IKEA and want to try to put it in myself. gotta say i love being able to read this ahead of time. thanks again and i will let you know if it works.
I HAD the same issue! But, my supply lines were long enough.
Went to ACE and got a 1/2″ x 3/8″ inch IPS (iron pipe size) MALE adapter.(it’s silver) It allowed me to connect the Ikea 1/2″ female supply hose (which is a normal pipe fitting, NOT compression) to the 3/8″ male supply stop valve. Using tape on all connections. So, to reiterate the adapter/ reducer has a male pipe 1/2″ side and a female compression 3/8″ side.
The reason previous posts are having leaks is because you must use a pipe fit adapter NOT a compression adapter on the Ikea supply side. If you notice the Ikea connecter is flat inside and the washer is slightly smaller,(do not change the washer)! That will only work if you connect it to a thicker wall with a taper.
It works! Lycka till! (as they say in Swedish)
People may also be getting leaks because the 1/2″ hose connection end-nut is likely aluminum and not stainless steel.
My connection hose cracked within 24-hours of installation and its been NO JOY in dealing with IKEA Customer Service.
“Just send me a new connection hose, IKEA, I’ll even pay for shipping!”
No dice.
I came up with a solution on my own that may work if your Ikea supply lines are roughly the right size. I got the 3/8″ female compression to 1/2″ IPS Male (don’t forget the teflon tape) from Ace and it seemed to work like a charm and may work for most people (no need for an extension). P/N 4292330.
Problem is the Ikea lines are TOO LONG for me and I had to scrunch them around to make everything fit. Unfortunately this space crunch puts too much strain on the Ikea fitting ends and I get the occasional drip. I’m going to try Duane’s method with an extension to see if I can relieve the strain at the faucet.
I purchased a DALSKÄR faucet from Ikea and ran into connection problems. specifically, the 1/2 inch female connection from the Ikea-provided stainless steel supply hose would not affix to the 3/8 inch male valve affixed to the iron pipe coming out from the wall.
After unsucessful attempts to obtain assistance from the local lowes and home depot, i went to ace hardware and was able to find the first item listed below which eluded all my previous searches
(2) Ace Compression Adapters for Faucet (Chrome) – 3/8 Female x 1/2 IPS male. Ace Part# 4292330.
(2) Stainless steel supply line extentions (you can get these at any hardware store) – 3/8 to 3/8
(2) rubber washer rings to insert into the 1/2 female end of the Ikea supply hose (if the lines came with these washers, i must have misplaced them). i bought a package of miscellaneous washer sizes a couple of years ago – but these can also be found anywhere.
(1) teflon tape – to coat all of the male connections; also can found anywhere.
tdisandro@yahoo.com
Considering an Ikea sink but I don’t want to run into all the hassles described here. Also nervous about having to deal with Ikea in a few years when the cartridge in the faucet wears out and needs to be replaced (they all do eventually).
Anyone know if you can use a North American brand faucet on the Ikea sink (like a Moen or Delta)?
Much appreciated
Thanks for the blog post. Saved my some serious headache. I just purchased the KRÅKSKÄR faucet, which required the 3/8″ to 5/8″ coupling. Other than that I did just as you described to make it work. I just noticed that Ikea’s website claims that there is a 3.8″ adapter included, which it wasn’t in my case. Hopefully they will figure this out for us US types.
Thanks again.
- Kyle
I purchased Ann sink and Tap and had the same issue.
The flexible line was too short and 1/2″ instead of the advertised 3/8″.
Ikea was absolutely no help in suggesting how to fix the problem.
I added a one inch long 1/2″ to 1/2″ brass nipple with another 6″ long flexible hose 1/2″ at one end to 3/8″ connecting to the shut-off valve.
This works great since all the plumbing is exposed with this basin, and you can’t tell unless you lie on the floor.
If Ikea supplied information regarding this I would have saved 2 days of running around buying and returning different options.
A $25. adaptor kit might be a good Idea for North American market.
Take note Ikea.
Needless to say I came really close to return the whole kit and buying Canadian made products.
Interestingly enough, I just went on the Ikea “Instructions to their products” site and on page 3 of the updated instruction sheet for the Ann faucet, they have added the adapter.
It’s a good start, now they need to tell the consumer that the flexible hose is too short.
N.
I bought 2 Grundtal faucets last week, and had my contractor to check if it matches with the plumbing in our house. (After I read through all this!) There are 2 adapters in the package and they looks like one end is 1/2″ and the other end is 3/8″. It can literally fit to our plumbing connector! I thought I had to return the faucets cus I don’t wanna go thru any installation hassle. I’m so happy now I can keep these 2 beautiful and modern faucets for my guest bathroom !
Maybe IKEA people have read your blog and they did something! Thanks so much!!