Water supply plays important role in the life of every person, because everyone uses the toilet, shower or bath. Water is also indispensable in the kitchen when you need to wash the dishes or cook a delicious dinner. But the pressure supplied does not always meet the needs of residents. Why is this happening? Water does not flow well from the mixer, overcoming a long journey through pipeline networks. And any breakdown or leakage in any section of this line can affect the pressure. The problem can also arise in the home itself.
If water does not flow well from the mixer, then it indicates a problem in the pipeline system.
The role of high-quality and uninterrupted water supply
Any person knows when water does not flow from the tap in his own apartment or house, this brings great discomfort. Especially if the problem drags on for a long time. And does not matter, hot water weakly runs from the tap or cold, or even both. Because of the lack of water supply, the person himself suffers. Any modern economy or a simple dwelling rests on "two pillars" - electricity and water. And the absence of at least one, completely disrupts the rhythm of life.
Without water it is difficult: to cook food and wash the dishes after that, rinse drain tank toilet, take a shower or bath, do laundry. The risk of such problems requires a person to take certain actions. The first thing you need is the storage of water reserves. The second is awareness of such a failure. After all, the problem is not always in highway accidents. Water may also not flow due to internal housing problems. And understand these important things very important. After all, only he suffers from this.
Causes of poor water pressure or its absence
A person is used to living comfortably in every sense of the word. And even he himself may not notice it, because a lot has become everyday. The same happens with water. When it does not flow well, the first thing that happens to a person is nervousness.
After all, it takes longer to wait until a pot, kettle or other container is filled. And this often leads to mental imbalance, especially when all household chores require haste. Sometimes you can repair the damage. It all depends on the location of the alleged breakdown and its nature. Most often, water does not flow or has poor pressure for the following reasons:
Clogged faucet
Clogged filter nozzle - common cause weakening of the water pressure
Almost every modern faucet has a special filter placed at the end of the so-called "gander". It catches rust particles and can weaken the pressure over time. It is easy to identify this problem. If any other faucet does its job better, then often the accident is due to clogging of this liner.
Clogged pipe filters
A common problem, similar to a clogged aerator on a faucet.
Cork in the pipe
Often occurs during the operation of old metal pipes. Those rust from the inside, which reduces their own throughput diameter. As well as the quality of the water itself - no less important factor. If it contains particles of silt, then the risk of traffic jams increases.
Accidents on the highway or pumping station
Such problems are solved only by public utilities. The owner of the dwelling can only wait until the water supply improves.
Water can also leak from old couplings and cranes. Such problems often arise due to poor installation of these elements. The “temporary” factor is also not ruled out. old metal pipes suffer from corrosion, wear out and can give a microcrack.
The consequences of such an accident can be easily seen. The problem area lets water through and puddles form on the floor, wall or furniture. But there is one small but significant "BUT". The pressure will decrease only when the water no longer leaks, but runs in a large stream. And such problems cannot go unnoticed.
The pressure can also change due to the number of consumers. So, if taps are opened in houses and apartments connected to the same highway, the pressure will noticeably decrease. Often this problem occurs in the evening, when most people return from work.
What measures can be taken?
It is possible to do something on your own to restore the normal pressure of water from the tap, only if the epicenter of the breakdown is located inside the dwelling. IN apartment buildings, with blockages in the riser, it is very difficult to repair a common pipe. Sometimes, The best way This is a replacement for the problem area. Inside housing blockage can be eliminated with a special thin cable. By shutting off the water supply, you can clean the pipes with it. But, for this it is necessary to unscrew the mixer or valve, if possible.
The easiest repair is to clean the aerator (filter in the mixer).
To do this, you need a wrench and a few minutes of free time. After the aerator is removed from the faucet structure, it is washed under running water. From hot water, small holes on the filter can suffer from scale. These are easy to get rid of with the help of special cleaning products. And also popular folk method– boiling with vinegar or citric acid. For this you should:
- take a metal container and pour water into it;
- put it on the stove, throwing an aerator into it in advance;
- pour vinegar into water or pour citric acid;
- bring the resulting substance to a hot state and pour into the sink.
Citric acid is able to clean metal well
After that, the aerator must be rinsed under running water. Lemon and acetic acid do well with fossils on metal. Boiling water is not recommended, as you can deform the thin mesh of the aerator. This method is also suitable for the shower head. It also has fine pores on its surface that are prone to clogging and scale buildup.
Cleaning pipeline filters
If in a dwelling, a problem with water pressure is observed in all mixers, then some filter on the pipeline itself may be clogged. Most often, the very first of those, located closest to the riser, suffers. It is located immediately after the central valve and has the form of a branch pipe, which stands out 1–2 cm to the side. The first thing to do is turn off the water. After that, you can unscrew the clamping nut and remove the filter. He has cylindrical shape and its surface is porous.
The removed filter must be washed in a previously prepared container with water. After that, everything is put back and the common valve opens. If the water pressure is normalized, then the problem can be considered solved. Otherwise, it is recommended to check other filters as well.
Such an element of plumbing as a mixer often fails, since the load on it is quite large. Faucets are installed in the kitchen and bathroom.
In most cases, it is enough to just replace the gasket or seal. Any person can handle such work, and there is no need to call a plumber.
Mixer device
What is a mixer? This device is designed to mix cold water and hot. There are two main types of mixer:
- mixer with valves;
- cartridge mixer.
In the first case, the supply of cold and hot water regulated by two valves.
When with cartridge, there are no valves on the device. They are replaced by a pen connected to a device called a cartridge. Different positions of this knob regulate the flow of water.
Another reason that water is not flowing through the mixer neck may be that the rubber gasket on the faucet box has torn and blocked the water. To check, you need to unscrew both crane boxes and check them. And finally, some dirt can simply get into the mixer. The device is removed, disassembled and washed.
Various types of leaks
Leak from valve
The reason is the wear of the sealing ring. It is necessary to unscrew the bushing, replace the ring and screw it back.
Leak from under the gander
It also happens due to wear of the sealing ring. The gander is unscrewed, the ring is replaced, and the gander is screwed into place.
Leak from mixer
Most likely a crack in the case. This faucet needs to be completely replaced. If the device is collapsible, and it is possible to buy the mixer in parts, then only the damaged part changes.
Crack in the body of the structure - it's time to change
In addition to all of the above, if the mixer is connected to the water supply with flexible hoses, water may leak at the junctions of the hoses with the mixer or with the water pipes. In this case, it is usually sufficient to slightly tighten the nut.
Water flows when closed
Here, the repair of a faucet with valves and a faucet with a cartridge is different. In the first case, you need to unscrew the crane boxes and replace the rubber gaskets with them. Gaskets can be purchased at any plumbing store. When buying a mixer, both gaskets and o-rings are often supplied in the kit. They need to be preserved.
O-ring replacement
If water flows through a closed cartridge, then . It must be taken into account that they are different size, therefore, in order to buy a new one, it is advisable to take a mixer with you to the store.
Check the integrity of all gaskets
Healthy. Read the review on our website: "" - different variants problem solving.
Faucet mixer repair
Shower repair
Shower switches can be different type. - read in a separate review. Usually, the water is shut off either with a button or a lever switch. The spring in the button often breaks. You just need to put in a new one. Both in the button and in the switch, rubber gaskets and o-rings can also fail, which are very easy to change. In the shower hose, the rubber tube, which is located under the metal braid, can break. In this case, either a new shower hose assembly is bought, or a rubber tube is changed.
That's all the main problems with this device. From the above review, it can be seen that there are no difficulties with the repair. In order to repair the mixer with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
- wrench;
- pliers;
- screwdriver.
You may also need an FUM tape that needs to be wound around the thread to prevent water from flowing along the thread.
In order to remove the valve box, you must first remove the valve lamb. To do this, remove the plastic cover that covers the fastening screw. The screw is unscrewed and the lamb is removed. After that, the axle box is turned out with the help of pliers or a key.
Unscrew the fixing nut and remove the cartridge
In order to remove the cartridge, you must first remove the switch tap. To do this, the mounting bolt on the side of this crane is unscrewed. You may need a thin screwdriver to do this.
ease of operation - easy
time - 5-10 minutes
costs - $10-50
pollution level - low
2. It is necessary to clean the small filter
(such a yellow appendix next to the valve), if there is no large flow filter. Turn off the water and unscrew the filter nut with a wrench. Remove the mesh from the nut and shake out rust and other debris from it. When you put the nut in place, make sure that the gasket is not lost.
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low
efficiency - for 1-2 years helps.
3. It is necessary to clean the meshes on the mixers
If you don't have any filters, or the water still goes bad. The nets are unscrewed manually or with a wrench. In order not to scratch the nickel or chrome plating of the mesh, use a soft cloth and adjustable wrench. A needle will do to clean the mesh.
ease of operation - easy
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low
effectiveness - for 6-12 months helps .
4. Try flushing the pipes under pressure
If none of the above helps. To do this, turn off the water with a valve that is near the filter, unscrew the flexible hoses or completely unscrew the mixer if it is wall-mounted, and make sure that the water that flows from the pipes gets into a bucket or sewer. It is advisable to do this with an assistant. Turn the valve on and off abruptly for a few seconds.
ease of operation - medium complexity
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low, possibly medium
efficiency - for 1-2 years helps .
5. If nothing helps, then the pipe section from the riser to the valve is clogged
sometimes it is possible to clean it with a cable, but it is unlikely that you have a cable, and here you cannot do without the services of a qualified plumber.
If water is coming it’s very bad for you and your neighbors from above or below, which means the riser is clogged. It is almost impossible to clean the riser, only stupidly to change it. Discuss this possibility with your neighbors, then call the plumbers.
