Repair of ball mixers. Single lever kitchen faucet

Which faucet do you prefer, double-valve or single-lever? Take the latter, because this is exactly what experienced plumbers install at home.

Firstly, the “one-handed” mixer gives out a jet of the desired temperature much faster;
Secondly, it is very easy to manage. With a slight movement of your hand, you can regulate both the temperature and the pressure of the water supply. At the same time, one hand remains free, which is very useful in the process of cooking;
Thirdly, it is economical - in the sense of maintainability. All thanks to the presence of a cartridge inside the mixer, which, if necessary, is very easy to change. Installing a new unit does not require special skills and can be done by hand.

Advice! And a little more about saving. Do not skimp on such an accessory as an aerator. It saturates the water with air bubbles, the jet becomes softer and the amount of splashes decreases, but this one is a plus nozzle.

Passing through the aerator, the jet becomes visually thicker. Psychologically, this will force you to reduce the water supply. Neither little nor much, but according to experts, water consumption is reduced by an average of 30 - 50%.

Mastering the plumbing profession

Nothing in this world lasts forever and sooner or later the equipment still fails. With regards to single-lever faucets, their design is so simple that you do not need the help of plumbers for repairs, the call of which can take days, and in some cases even weeks.

Let's take a look at the design together and try to repair the single-lever kitchen faucet on our own.

Similarities and differences in the mixer device

The general scheme or device of a single-lever kitchen faucet is, in principle, the same for the same type of models (see also the article about). It is shown in the photo below.

We take out a decorative cap, which, as a rule, serves as a definition of hot, cold water;

Using a hexagon, unscrew and loosen the mixer handle and remove it from the cartridge stem;

We unscrew the decorative nut (case cover) by hand. And already with the help of an adjustable wrench, we unscrew the nut that fixes the cartridge in the mixer body;
We take out the replaceable block, change it to a serviceable one and assemble the mixer in the reverse order. The cartridge is inserted into the corresponding slots, with the help of a fixing nut we clamp it. We wind the decorative nut, set the lever in place;

Major breakdowns
Tools and materials
Repair Technology

Mixers in everyday life are used quite often. They are classified according to various indicators, for example, by type of installation (shower, bathroom, kitchen). No matter where it is used this device, its malfunctions provoke the same reasons.

The ball mixer has simple design and easy to operate.

The repair of the ball mixer, which is the most commonly used, is distinguished by its features. This is due to the fact that its design is characterized by a special modification. However, the repair of a ball mixer is not difficult. The main thing is to follow the rules and sequence.

Major breakdowns

A device such as a ball bath faucet may have the following breakdowns:

liquid flows out of the faucet;
water pressure is weak;
The water temperature is set incorrectly.

The reason for the decrease in water pressure may be a clogged faucet. To eliminate this problem, a special filter should be installed in front of the mixer. Fluid is leaking, usually because the gap between the pivot element and the rubber seals is clogged in the cartridge. The tightness of the installation can be broken even due to a small grain of sand.

Repair in this case consists in the bathroom and cleaning the clogged area. Otherwise, the leakage will only increase, since even a small grain of sand will completely ruin the rubber gasket over time. Due to a strong change in water temperature, one of the holes may become clogged with rubber pieces from the gasket or sand particles.

If it is impossible to determine the cause of the breakdown, respectively, repair, it is necessary completely for the bathroom.

Some buy faucets at a fairly low cost. Such products are made from cheap silumin. It is completely unreliable and even with a small mechanical impact it can break. This faucet is beyond repair. It is better to purchase once a high-quality expensive model.

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Tools and materials

For an effective bathroom, it is necessary to prepare materials such as:

aerator;
ceramic head;
head cover;
cartridge for single-lever mixer;
control knob;
plastic and rubber rings;
decorative cap.

In addition, you will need the following tools:

wrench;
pliers;
hammer;
screwdriver;
hex key;
drill.

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Repair Technology

The first step begins with the disassembly of the crane. To do this, remove the handle:

shut-off valves are closed;
the screw is loosened with a hex key;
the handle is removed directly.

Next, you need to press the recess of the threaded ring with a screwdriver and carefully turn the ring counterclockwise. Make sure that the faucet does not turn all the way around and that the water hoses underneath are not damaged.

Using pliers, remove the chrome dome in such a way that the 4-toothed ring located under the dome is not damaged. It is removed, as a rule, together with the dome itself. Tightening the threads corrects the flow of water, so the position of the wheel can be adjusted up or down. Experts advise unscrewing the plastic ring from the dome to see that the threaded connection rotates well and is not dirty.

Next, a piece of plastic is removed in the form of a shield, which consists of 2 parts of white and black. The black part is the seal. Its conical shape is often broken after long use or it becomes rusty. This results in leaks. Usually, to repair a bathroom faucet, it is enough to simply remove the dirt. However, if the matter is not in the seal, then you need to disassemble further.

An upward movement removes the ball from the mixer. It has a limiting hole that sets the rotation of the mechanism. It is necessary to carefully examine the ball stopper for dirt, chips and cleanliness of the coating. If the ball is damaged, it must be replaced.

When installing a new ball, care must be taken to ensure that the cutout that runs along the right side fully falls on the ledge next to the top of the valve. Then a shield is inserted, which fits with a plastic fuse into the slot on the side of the tap.

The springs located under the black seal must be in working condition at the time of disassembly. If they do not work, then you need to change them for new ones. To do this, they are eliminated carefully with a flat screwdriver. Since the new springs are somewhat stronger and longer than the old ones, it is recommended to use several platypuses during their installation, as well as pull the shield down until the springs are clamped. Next, a ring and a chrome dome are installed, which are tightened with pliers. The more you tighten the ring, the more difficult it will be to turn on the mixer in the future.

When repairing seals, use silicone grease(it extends the service life).

It will not be washed off with water and improves the course of the rubbing elements of the crane.

To assemble the mixer, you need to do all the steps described in reverse order. This completes the repair. After repair, be sure to check the faucet for leaks.

Often the leak starts near the base or in the upper area of the faucet. To fix this problem, you need to lift the spout at the base and pull it up. The ball bath faucet has 2 O-ring seals. Usually it is they who provoke the flow of the tap over time. These rings should be carefully removed with a small flathead screwdriver. After they have been replaced and the valve has not yet been delivered, the O-rings should be coated with silicone grease to minimize wear.

When installing and repairing a crane, all threaded connections should be sealed with a special thread or fluoroplastic tape. It must be remembered that the plumbing market offers a huge variety of ball faucets, so their repair may vary slightly.

Mixer - the most weak link in the plumbing system. This equipment, even the most reliable one, sometime leaks. So that such a nuisance does not take you by surprise, the article will talk about how to repair the mixer with your own hands.

The task of the mixer is to mix cold water with hot water. Basically 2 types are common. This device can be:

valve, where the temperature and pressure of water are regulated using valves;
lever, dividing, in turn, into single-lever ball and ceramic, where ceramic plates are placed in the cartridge instead of a ball.

Installation and repair of ball mixers

Many install a ball mixer. All because he:

easy to operate, because The design consists of a single rotary knob. Occupying the upper and lower positions, it regulates the water pressure, and by moving it to the right or left, you can change the temperature;
one of the most reliable.

The algorithm of its work is the following:

by raising the lever, we make the ball rotate;
the holes of the ball begin to coincide with the holes of the saddles;
depending on what part of the area of these parts coincided, the jet is regulated.

Briefly about the design

If you look at the single-lever mixer in the context, we will see:

a decorative plug on which there are designations of cold and hot water;
screw;
control rod;
a hollow ball with two holes, where the water actually mixes;
2 rubber saddles - one for cold water, the other for hot water. A ball is installed in the saddles and pressed against them under the influence of water pressure;
steam cuff;
control ring;
steam and adjusting cuff;
ball sleeve;
aerator.

Most important details mixer - the ball and seats are part of the cartridge, which is a non-separable unit. Therefore, the repair of a ball mixer, if one of them fails, comes down to replacing this module.

Possible causes of the malfunction. elimination

If your faucet drips, then:

The first step is to inspect the hull. In case of discovery mechanical damage in the form of a chip or crack, we can only perform a temporary repair of the mixer tap, sealing the damaged area with a sealant;
check if water is leaking from under the cover at the top. To do this, tighten the nut from below. If this is the reason, then the flow will stop;
when both the body is intact and the nut is well tightened, and the water is still dripping, you will have to dismantle the mixer by doing preparatory work. Turn off the water, then drain the remaining water from the mixer itself. Now it remains only to unscrew the fixing nut and look at the gasket. The reason, most often, lies precisely in it. In this case, the repair consists in replacing it;
in the case when all these manipulations do not help, the cartridge is to blame. Perhaps it just got clogged or the cause of the malfunction is something else, but this is not so important, because. In any case, only its replacement will help.

Replacing the cartridge when repairing a single-lever faucet

Repair of a single-lever mixer associated with the replacement of the cartridge is performed as follows:

to avoid flooding, we close the water valves and drain the water;
remove the mixer
remove the plug with the designations of hot and cold water;
unscrew the screw;
dismantle the lever;
we get access to the cartridge and remove it, instead of the old one we install a new one;
collect everything as it was.

Useful: if this moment if for some reason you cannot purchase a new cartridge, then rinse the old one well, wrap it with FUM tape in 1 layer and put it in place. This measure is temporary, so try to buy a new one as soon as possible.

When the cause is in the aerator

It also happens like this: you can’t wash the dishes properly because the water from the tap in the kitchen flows in a weak stream. Before blaming the water utility, check the water pressure in the bathroom. If everything is fine there, then you most likely just have a clogged aerator. Your actions in this case:

remove the aerator;
open the water. Is everything okay now? There is no doubt, exactly the reason is in this detail;
rinse the aerator under a strong jet;
it may turn out that it is rusted, then we buy a new one.

Take note: the same symptoms are observed when pipes or hoses are clogged. Exit 2: either change, or get by with cleaning.

Features of repairing a ball mixer in the bathroom

Surely you have encountered such a phenomenon as the spontaneous lowering of the switch lever when you try to supply water to the shower. It flows well from the tap, but not from above. Suppose it is necessary to repair the Damixa Eclipse 47100 mixer, although the probability of failure is low, but still ... First, briefly its characteristics:

it is produced in Denmark. DAMIX Company;
designed for bath
chrome-plated, has a ball regulator and a fixed spout 15 cm;
hose outlet 1/2″;
sockets, eccentric connections 3/4″ included.

The reason is found by trial method:

1. Let's try to start repairing the mixer with the simplest thing - replacing the top gasket:

remove the hose, after unscrewing the union nut;
prying the gasket with a thin knitting needle, remove the gasket;
in place of the removed one, we install a new one, not forgetting to moisten it with water before that;
we assemble the mixer.

2. If nothing has changed, the bottom gasket may be to blame:

you have to turn off the water;
then remove the flexible hose;
remove the adapter, spout and switch;
now it is possible to remove the eccentric;
opened access to the gold mine. We also dismantle it;
finally a ring. We remove it, change it to a new one;
further assembly.

It will be useful: spare gaskets are usually attached to the mixer. When for some reason you don’t have them, make them yourself. This is possible if there is 3-4 mm hard rubber.

Will help in the repair of the mixer video:

Valve mixer repair

Although ball mixers are considered the most reliable, if you choose a 2-valve mixer from a reliable manufacturer, then it will serve and look no worse. In the top of popular manufacturers are:

GROHE (Grohe) from Germany;
Damixa (Denmark);
Vidima (Bulgaria).

Nevertheless, either after the warranty period has expired, or from poor quality water, it may be necessary to repair. Let's consider the repair of the Grohe Chiara 33988 valve mixer.

What can leak here is a crane box. Its design is simple:

2 disks are pressed tightly against each other;
through holes on the disks;
the valve opens - the holes coincide, in the closed position they are blocked.

If a leak is noticed, then, obviously, the lock nut on the body has loosened:

take a wrench;
pull up. As you can see, everything is very simple.

Sometimes nothing helps, then, it means that the cartridge has served its purpose and it's time to change it. The technology is similar to the one we used to replace this assembly in the ball cartridge:

take a screwdriver and unscrew the screw under the plug;
first loosen slightly, and then remove the lever;
unscrew the screw holding the handle and remove it completely;
pull out the cartridge and insert a new one.

By the way: if you have a mixer with a worm gear and it is out of order, then put a crane box in its place. Thus, you will increase its reliability.

Everything that has been said about the Grohe faucet can also be applied if you need to repair the Vidima faucet, manufactured by the company of the same name from Bulgaria, which is part of the IDEAL STANDARD INTERNATIONAL corporation. This mixer:

reliable. The warranty is up to 5 years, so before this period you are unlikely to have to perform any manipulations with it;
most of them have ceramic cartridges;
They are mainly made from brass. To obtain a shiny surface, manufacturers use electrochemical galvanization.

Repair of cheap models of 2-valve mixers

Models of two-valve mixers, which use a worm gear instead of a crane box, are cheaper, and their reliability is proportional to the cost. So, the mixer tap needs to be repaired. Let's start with disassembly:

the valve body must be unscrewed. To do this, we turn it counterclockwise;
remove the gasket;
we change the old seal to a new one, bought in a store or made on our own;
under the resistant edge we wind a layer of FUM tape;
Next comes assembly.

This will help if the gasket is the cause, but it may also be that the place where the gasket rests, the seat, in other words, is rough, and the seal does not fit well. Then this very roughness must be eliminated: