How to Install a Kitchen Soap Dispenser

A hand soap dish or bottle of commercial soap can get in the way and clutter the countertop around your kitchen sink. A handy alternative is to install a built-in liquid soap dispenser. Soap dispensers come in many styles and finishes to match your faucet. Some faucet kits even include a matching soap dispenser.

Installing a built-in soap dispenser can be a very easy DIY project, especially if your kitchen sink has an extra hole for it. If there is no available opening, it is also possible to drill another opening in the sink or countertop in order to mount a soap dispenser. In this project, though, assume an existing knockout is available.

Tools and Materials

• Soap dispenser kit
• Channel-type pliers or basin wrench

How to Install a Liquid Soap Dispenser 

1. Remove the knockout opening on the top of your kitchen sink. Insert the pump handle fitting through the escutcheon plate, and insert into the opening with either the foam or rubber washer it came with to seal the top portion. NOTE: If your dispenser did not come with a washer, use some plumber's putty. This will ensure that water will not leak from the top of the sink when the soap dispenser gets wet.
2. Make sure to center the soap dispenser. In many cases, the hole is larger than the housing of the soap dispenser, and this leaves you some room to center it as you like.
3. From under the sink, thread the mounting nut onto the soap dispenser tailpiece, and hand-tighten to keep it in place. Before you tighten all the way, double-check the position of the soap dispenser on top of the sink. Use a pair of pliers or a basin wrench to tighten just slightly more than hand-tight.
4. Screw the soap bottle the soap dispenser onto the housing from under the sink. This needs to be just less than hand-tight.
5. Now you can fill the dispenser with soap by lifting straight up on the soap pump to remove it and pouring the soap in from the top. Use a small funnel to help get the soap in the opening, if necessary.