ReachAssist: Faucet Handle Extensions for Kids

These faucet handle extenders are designed to help young children who can’t quite reach the wide-spread hot and cold water handles on typical bathroom sinks. They provide the extra length needed so kids can easily turn the water on and off themselves. This version is modeled specifically for a Moen two-handle widespread faucet setup with 20 mm diameters where the extenders grip, but you can customize it here.

I’ve included two different mounting designs in the files. The first version uses M4 heat-set inserts and M4x12 cap head screws, which is the version I recommend. This provides a much more secure and rigid fit. The second option uses zip ties (under 4 mm wide and ~1-1.25 mm thick) to secure the extenders to the existing handles. For both versions you use some double-stick tape or adhesive-backed rubber on the inside to keep the extenders from slipping or rotating around the handles.

Materials and Printing

I printed my versions in Bambu PETG-HF for durability, but standard PLA should work fine for this application. A small bit of support is used for the recessed screw holes for the heat set version, no support for the zip-ties version.

I encourage you to cut it down in the slicer and print a test-fit piece to make sure it fits your faucet handles before printing the whole extender!

Customization

I included STEP and partly parametric Fusion 360 files. You can use the favorited parameters in Fusion to easily adjust the fit for different faucet models or handle sizes. The heat-set insert holes are sized for ~6 mm x 6 mm M4 brass inserts, but these can also be resized in the CAD file to match whatever hardware you have on hand.

Assembly

For the screw version:

1. Press the M4 heat-set inserts into the corresponding holes on the extenders.
2. Line both sides with some double-stick tape (~1 mm thick is what I used)
3. Place the extender under your faucet handle and the matching top part over it.
4. Tighten down the M4 screws until the extender is securely clamped to the handle.

For the zip tie version:

1. Apply double-sided tape or a thin rubber strip to the inside gripping surface of the extender and the clamping part.
2. Slide or snap it onto the handle.
3. Feed your zip ties through the slots and pull them as tight as possible.