Faucet repair in bathroom or kitchen

Valves of the old type

If you have to work with old type taps, you need to revise its obturator. Usually the breakdown lies here.

Method for repairing an old type faucet

In order to find and fix it, you need to do the following:

First of all, you need to turn off the water supply. It is very simple to do this: a valve is closed on the riser, supplying hot and cold water.
After that, it is necessary to open both valves, and release the remaining water in the pipes.
Only after making sure that the water no longer flows, you can proceed to disassemble the valve. To do this, you need to get rid of the protective caps and use a screwdriver to unscrew the locking screw. After that, just pull the valve up, while shaking it a little, and it will be removed.
Inside the crane, you will immediately find a crane box. It must also be removed from the mixer body. This can be done with an adjustable wrench or open-end wrench. You need to unscrew the faucet box counterclockwise.
Having reached the very heart of the tap, you need to carefully examine all the rubber cuffs. If the faucet just leaked, then you just need to replace them. If, when opening, your faucet made various, unpleasant sounds, you need to replace the entire faucet box, because it is unlikely that you can fix the backlash at home, so the best option would be to completely renew the faucet.

It is necessary to disassemble the crane very carefully, because some parts inside it are quite fragile, and excessive efforts can damage or even ruin them. Therefore, if you are not sure that you can cope with the breakdown yourself, it is better to leave this matter to professionals.

Types and design features of different mixers

Do-it-yourself faucet repair in the bathroom can be carried out solely taking into account the design features. All devices can be conditionally divided into three categories:

Touch sensors are considered a modern proposal, which has a photocell to give a command to turn on the device. It is difficult to repair such a device on your own, so it would be rational to call a specialist. This faucet is placed in the bath due to its simple and comfortable use.
Valves were installed over a long period. The main elements are the body, spout, valves and axle boxes. Older models were equipped only with rubber gaskets, which wore out quickly. Modern manufacturers began to carry out the installation of ceramic plates, because. they are characterized by higher performance characteristics. Dismantling a bathroom faucet with a shower is not always possible, because. some variants have a cast body.
Lever taps are considered the most common device, because. the construction is reliable and can last for several years. The structure of this type of mixer provides for the presence of a body, spout, cartridge, control handle, nut and cover. The cartridge acts as a chamber in which the water is mixed. Ceramic versions are not subject to disassembly and repair. The control handle is used to regulate water, mounted on a special cartridge.

In the manufacture of a crane, various materials can be used. The following are common:

Cast iron were installed over a long period. Such material serves for a long period, is resistant to temperature changes, is used extremely rarely due to its large weight.
Stainless steel is used in the manufacture of modern products, because. It is light weight and can last for several years. To give decorative qualities, the surface is covered with a special composition.

The device of a single-lever mixer is complex, in most cases the entire product is replaced, because. it serves for several years.

WHY THE MIXER DOES NOT MIX

I have a half-meter wooden dish hanging above my bed. I found it in a house that was recently demolished. It would be more correct to call the house a fortress. To look out into the street, I had to lie down on the windowsill, and my torso barely covered it. The construction of the house was attributed to the end of the 17th century.

On the first floor, in the halls with vaulted ceilings, in ancient times there was a tavern. To the rooms for visitors on the second floor climbed the stone stairs. It was so worn out by the soles that it was concave across the entire width of the steps. Both this and the lead sewer pipes confirmed the age of the house.

Right before the demolition, when I turned off the water, I accidentally stepped on a wooden circle. He was lying among the rubbish left by those who had left. Pinky-sized letters appeared through the dust on the circle, scorched along the wide, almost flat edges of the dish. "Bread. Salt. Water,” I read.

At home, carefully and carefully cleaned the dish. He was warped by alternating damp and dry

On the reverse side of the dish on the sides of the crack, I screwed in a couple of screws. Between them he pulled a wire and hung it over the bed. It would have been more correct to place the dish in the kitchen, but there is steam, fumes. And at the bottom of the dish I found an extensive text in small, also burnt letters. Omitting the ancient spelling and ornateness of speech, I bring it up, placing modern punctuation marks and semantic paragraphs.

“I, Taraska Khomyakov, master of water plating, testify that poets call the earth Cerberus, philosophers call the wolf of the gods, unpretentious people call it a nurse. But would anything grow on earth without water? Water! Voditsa! Vodyanitsa! I, Taraska Khomyakov, in the past a weir and a well, I turn to you. Concubine and devil! Revitalizer and strangler! You are soft and juicy, hot and cold, sweet and bitter, muddy and sticky, affectionate and growling-angry

Your waters differ in miraculous action, which is important for the well-being and misfortune of people. In Epirus there is a sacred key in which burning things go out, and extinguished ones light up.

In Eleusis, the key splashes upward from the sound of a flute. The source in Chios makes you laugh. The waters at Delphi convey the gift of divination. There is a key in Corsica that is good for the eyes. If a thief renounces the kidnapping and wash his eyes with this water, he will go blind. In the mountains of Armenia there are waters that tear apart the clothes washed in it. They also find worms that are born in the snow. The worms are full of wonderful water. Water! Voditsa! Vodyanitsa! I, Taraska Khomyakov, a water platoon worker, confirm! The beast in the beast is pacified. But on you, oh, how hard it is to overwhelm the collar. I know it. I am a shepherd of the water flock. Your shepherd, but once raised on the horns of jets, more than once immersed in zodopuski in water circulators.
I know it, Water-drinker and water-drinker! Aquarius and Aquarius! Water carrier and water carrier! I have been kissed more than once by water-foamy, well-fresh lips. I want to bend over and stroke you so that transparent emerald eyelids open in circles. You will wake up for a moment and freeze again, assuming a magical and bewitching state.

You have eternal strength. The tired one will pick you up in his palms, the power will shoot up in him.

Water! Voditsa! Vodyanitsa!
Keep her tenderness!
Keep her neat!
Keep her safe!
And the water will not dry you out!
And the water will not drown you!
Sparks are the flash of death.
Drops are a spill of life!”

What is a mixer

A faucet is a plumbing fixture that is used to mix hot and cold water. As a result of mixing, water of the required temperature is obtained. Temperature control is determined by the proportions of the volumes of hot and cold water supplied.

So, there are two main types of mixers.

Valve mixer.This is a mixer, adjustment is carried out using valves mounted on a crane box, which is screwed into a special groove on the mixer body.
Lever mixer. This is a faucet that uses two types of mechanisms to mix water. In particular, there are ball mixers in which adjustment is carried out using a sphere with three holes. The displacements of these holes determine the pressure and proportions of cold and hot water. Another type of single lever faucet is the ceramic faucet. In it, adjustment is carried out by shifting the lever holes located on two tightly ground ceramic plates, which are enclosed in a special cartridge.

Single Lever Faucet Repair

In some cases - such as in the case of a leak at the point where the hoses are attached to the faucet or where the faucet is attached to the sink - repairing a mixer with one lever is no different from repairing a mixer with two valves. Moreover, single-lever faucets usually have a one-piece spout and this is a guarantee against leaks at the point where the spout is attached to the faucet.

Ball mixer repair

In the event that the ball mixer is flowing from the spout, and the water supply lever is in the position that excludes water supply, then two options can be the cause of the problem: gasket wear and the accumulation of lime deposits. Here you will need a hex wrench, a screwdriver and a little knowledge on how to disassemble the mixer. With these tools, you will need to disassemble the faucet into individual parts, and then remove any accumulated deposits, check for wear on all necessary gaskets and replace if necessary. Treating new gaskets with silicone grease prior to installation will prolong their life. Then you will need to assemble the mixer back and it is ready for use again.
If the cause of the leak is physical damage to the faucet, then you will need to replace the faucet.

Ceramic cartridge faucet repair

Repairing a faucet with a ceramic cartridge is much easier than repairing other types of faucets. You just need to know how to replace the cartridge in the faucet. It's not very difficult. The ceramic cartridge inside such a faucet cannot be repaired. Therefore, there is no other option but to replace it. In this case, disassemble the faucet, separate the cartridge from it, and then just buy a similar one at the hardware store. Install it, assemble the mixer back and everything will work.

What to do if water does not flow from the mixer or low pressure

The reason for the weakening of the pressure and the complete cessation of the water supply may be foreign objects or lime deposits. In this case, you need to disassemble the mixer, rinse it from rust flakes, lime deposits and other foreign objects. After cleaning the faucet, you need to treat all gaskets with silicone grease and assemble the faucet back. After that everything should work.

Bathroom faucet repair

Such a problem as the faucet in the bathroom is flowing is quite common. Almost every person at least once in their life has encountered a leaking mixer, and knows that this is not very pleasant. No one wants to use a broken faucet. What to do with a leaking faucet? Of course it needs to be fixed. If you are very far from repair issues, and you know absolutely nothing about the faucet device, the best option would be to call a plumber at home. But if you are not afraid of difficult tasks, and are used to fixing all the breakdowns in the house with your own hands, you will be able to cope with a leaking mixer.

Faucet leaking? Call a plumber or try to fix the situation yourself

Leak due to a malfunctioning shower-bath switch

The essence of this problem lies in the simultaneous outflow of water from both the tap and the shower.In this case, the cause is a worn spool gasket, which is located in the spool switch, the malfunction is eliminated by the same gasket replacement. But there is one feature - only one gasket can be the reason for the simultaneous outflow of water. If there is confidence that the top gasket is the cause of the problem, then it can be removed with a thin hook, in which case it will not be necessary to completely disassemble the mixer. It is necessary to unscrew the union nut at the shower screen hose and remove the hose itself. If both gaskets are the cause of the leak, they must also be replaced.

To do this, close the cold and hot water valves and disconnect the flexible hose. Then you need to disconnect the spout and unscrew the adapter. To remove the switch handle, unscrew the screw, and then pull out the eccentric. The spool is removed from the mixer body through the adapter connection hole. Rubber rings are removed from the spool with a screwdriver or an awl, after which new rubber rings must be pulled onto it. New rings must be moistened with water to facilitate the entry of the spool back into the mixer body. The spool switch is assembled back in reverse order. In extreme cases, the life of the gaskets can be extended by winding thin copper wire or linen thread around the old rings, but this is a temporary measure, sooner or later the gaskets will have to be replaced with new ones.

It should be remembered - competently approaching the choice of a mixer. you will ensure its trouble-free and long-term operation.

Switch to shower

If the faucet continues to flow when you switch to the shower, the bathroom faucet needs to be repaired as well. This problem usually occurs when the gasket between the shift lever and the housing is deformed or worn. In order to eliminate such a breakdown, you will certainly need a new gasket made of rubber, or paronite.

Switch to shower

Before starting work, you need to unscrew the lever that switches the water from the faucet body. After the lever is removed (in some models there is no fixing screw, and it is simply unscrewed), the old gasket is replaced with a new one. Then, at the place where the lever is attached to the thread, it is necessary to wind a small amount of “coupling” (MUV tape). At the last stage of the crane repair, the lever returns to its rightful place, and is well fixed. Now, by turning on the water, you can check the quality of your work. If when you switch to the shower, the water from the tap stops flowing, then you did a good job with your task.

The main causes of breakdowns

First of all, it should be noted that bathroom faucets are slightly different from the kitchen faucets we are used to. They combine not only shut-off units for hot and cold water, but also a water flow separator (shower / bathroom). If your faucet suddenly malfunctions, repairs will cost much less than buying a new faucet.

Do not immediately grab the adjustable wrench and completely disassemble the crane. First you need to remember who installed the faucet, and what type (old or new) is installed in your bathroom. The difference between these types is huge, because the new type of taps have ceramic cartridges, working with which is significantly different from repairing the old type. The most common types of damage are:

the valves rotate very poorly, and you have to make a lot of effort to open the tap;
in the closed position, the tap leaks, constantly flows from it, or water drips;
in the open position, the mixer hums very strongly;
a very weak pressure can also be considered a breakdown if the pressure is normal in other taps in the house;

when using the shower, water flows through the tap, or vice versa;

Fortunately, all of the above malfunctions can be repaired with your own hands. It is quite simple, the main thing is to understand the taps of the new and old type.

The need to install check valves

During the summer months, systematic preventive work is carried out in relation to hot water pipes. The whole house is without hot water for about three weeks. This practice is necessary to ensure that there are no major accidents.

This period is optimal for repair or partial replacement of pipe communications. Returning to the problem of mixing, another, no less common case should be noted.

The absence of non-return valves on the inlet pipes leads to hot water mixing. Until check valves are installed, the problem will overtake you over and over again.

Causes affecting the water pressure in the faucet

To eliminate a malfunction that leads to a violation of the pressure or its complete absence, you need to understand why the water from the tap does not flow well.

Most often, the problem lies in the following circumstances:

Faucet blockage. A decrease in pressure and a decrease in the water jet occurs due to clogging of the aerator, which is an insert and filters water. Confirmation of this breakdown theory is such a violation as a decrease in pressure in only one mixer, when other taps in the house are working normally.

The formation of cork from rust, particles of silt and scale in the pipe. A gradual decrease in pressure in this situation can lead to a complete blockage of the throughput diameter of the connecting filter or the pipeline fitting itself.
Reducing the pressure of the water supply in the water main. The problem may be at the level of the pumping station. It is also possible to depressurize the pipeline.
Incorrect calculations when designing a water main. For example, during the laying, pipes of a larger diameter were used than the one that was used on neighboring branches; a large length of water pipes, which does not correspond to the capabilities of pressure equipment.

The drop in pressure of both hot and cold water can be caused by factors such as the simultaneous consumption of liquid in large quantities. As a rule, under such circumstances, the water does not flow well in the evening, when the bulk of the inhabitants of the area return home.

Repair of a faucet with two valves

If you need to repair a mixer, the water temperature of which is controlled by two valves, then you need to proceed as follows: the first thing to do, regardless of the type of mixer that we will be repairing, is to turn off the water supply to the mixer. And then:

If the mixer spout turned out to be the source of the leak, then we remove the valve, then we release the crane box, followed by the replacement of gaskets, as well as sealing the thread with fum tape. After that, the crane box is put in place. However, if the cause of the leak is a failed crane box, then it must be replaced.
When water oozes out from under the faucet box and the water supply valve, the first step is to check the fit of the faucet box to the mixer. It happens that in order to fix the problem, you just need to screw the crane box closer to the mixer, which you should do. If this does not help, then you should release the crane box, seal the thread with fum tape and screw the crane box back. It will also not be superfluous to check the gaskets and replace them for reasons of prevention.
If the source of the leak is the connection of the spout to the mixer, then it is necessary to release the spout, change the gasket, seal the thread with fum-tape and screw the spout back using a special nut.
When a leak occurs at the place where the hoses are attached to the mixer, it is necessary to replace the gaskets. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace the rubber hoses themselves.
If a leak occurs at the point where the faucet is attached to the sink, then you will need to replace the gasket, or put the faucet on a silicone base.
If suddenly an out of the ordinary event occurred and the mixer body cracked, then in this case you have no other choice but to replace the mixer. How to choose a mixer to replace a broken one is a topic for a separate article.

If water flows from a faucet with two taps, replacing the crane box

Mixer installation diagram.

Faucets equipped with two taps (for cold and hot water) are easier to repair than lever ones. If the body itself is not damaged, then the reason most likely lies in the wear of the gland, which is located in the mixer valve. The simplest action in this situation is to tighten the nut until it stops. If the nut is tightly tightened, but the leak is not eliminated, then you will have to change the worn stuffing box. To do this, the union nut is dismantled, it is unscrewed using the appropriate tools, after which the stuffing box bushing is removed and a sealant is inserted into the resulting gap. A thin twine or linen thread, fiber from burlap perfectly copes with the role of a sealant. The stem is very carefully and tightly wrapped with a sealant when laying.

When making turns, the seal must be pressed extremely tightly to the rod, be sure to leave a gap for the subsequent placement of the sleeve. After winding the seal is completed, the sleeve is placed in its place, the union nut is tightened. After the actions taken, it is necessary to turn on the water, if everything was done correctly, then the flow process will be absent, and for a long time.

If, when you turn on the shower, water also flows from the mixer tap, you will need to replace the crane box - a locking element located in the mixer handles. The work of the faucet is aimed at preventing the flow of water at a time when the faucet is closed. Cranboxes are ceramic and with rubber gaskets, the second option is less reliable, as it wears out quickly, which leads to repeated failure of the mixer. To replace the crane box, you need to remove the mixer handles. To do this, using a screwdriver, it is necessary to remove the decorative parts from the handles, unscrew the screws that attach the handles to the faucet body and, using an adjustable wrench, remove the crane boxes. Then new parts must be carefully screwed into place of the old ones, the main thing is not to overtighten the thread. If water flows from the mixer, from under the base of the tap, then the reason, most likely, is the wear of the eccentrics. The eccentric joints can be sealed with sealant and ordinary tow, this will be enough to eliminate this type of leakage.

Good advice

Plumbing experts recommend not winding too much "coupling" on the faucet threads. It will be enough to wind only 2-3 layers. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to screw the clamping nut on top.

Following our recommendations, you can fix the faucet in the bathroom without any problems.

Before proceeding with the replacement of the faucet box, or cartridge, make sure once again that the water in the faucet is completely shut off. This will allow you to avoid an unwanted flood.

To ensure that breakdowns in your bathroom are less frequent, use only high-quality materials. They may cost a little more, but by using them, you can definitely avoid frequent breakdowns.

It would also be useful to buy a special kit for repairing faucets at home. Such a kit usually contains all the necessary parts for emergency faucet repair: o-rings, gaskets, etc.

As you can see for yourself, there is nothing complicated in repairing faucets. Any man who understands how a faucet works can fix it. We wish you great luck in this matter, and let breakdowns occur as rarely as possible.

Types and arrangement of mixers

Consider how a bathroom faucet with a shower works.This will help to understand the principle of its operation, depending on the design. All faucets that can be used in the bathroom are divided into 3 categories:

1. Touch. The control element of such a device is a photocell that gives a command to turn the device on and off. Self-repair of such devices is very difficult, so it would be most rational to refer it to specialists.

2. Valve. The device of the bathroom faucet with a valve-type shower is quite simple:

frame;
spout;
valves. Designed for manual control of the mixer;
axle box crane. They control the flow of water. Older models are equipped with rubber gaskets, while new ones have ceramic plates.

In the photo, the design of a valve mixer with a flag switch

Tip: Ceramic bushings are much more durable than older models, and they are much easier to manage, since the valve rotates a maximum of 180 degrees.

3. Lever. Recently, this type of mixer is gaining popularity. A typical lever model consists of the following elements:

frame;
spout (gander);
a ceramic or ball cartridge in which water is mixed. Ceramic cartridges cannot be disassembled. If such a cartridge has become unusable, the repair of a bathroom faucet with a shower will consist in replacing such a cartridge;
control knob that regulates the pressure of water and its temperature. Mounted on the cartridge lever;
a nut that fixes the cartridge in the housing;
a housing cover that covers the cartridge and is designed to give the mixer a more aesthetic appearance.

The main components of the lever mixer with a cartridge

Solving pressure problems

If the pressure has dropped or the water does not flow at all, you can try to find out the cause of the malfunction yourself, and then fix it. It is worth noting that not all breakdowns can be repaired by yourself. In case of accidents at the station, depressurization of the pipeline and similar reasons, the relevant competent services are involved in the repair.

You can try to clean the clogged section of the pipe from the riser to the valve with a special cable. When the water does not flow well from the neighbors below and above, it can be argued that the riser is clogged. It is almost impossible to clean it. It is to be replaced.

If the faucet itself is clogged, the mixer can be cleaned. This will require a wrench. With it, you need to unscrew the aerator. Due to the fact that the aerator has small nozzles, it clogs quickly. To clean the aerator, you need to substitute it under running water and rinse it. When the problem is not in the aerator, you will need to dismantle the valve and unscrew the lock washer that holds the locking element in the housing seat, and get to the axle box and remove it. Next, the body is cleaned of scale, plaque, etc. When everything is finished, you will need to assemble everything in the reverse order.

If the problem appeared in the shower and after cleaning the faucet there is still no hot water, you will need to clean the sprayer. It is dismantled using an adjustable wrench, after which it is placed in a saucepan and filled with water, and then placed on the stove. Add vinegar or citric acid to the water. You don't need to boil. An acidic environment is detrimental to plaque and other deposits that have formed on the sprayer. After cleaning, the sprayer must be rinsed under running water and reinstalled.

If the problem is not in the mixer, but in the water pipes, then it is better to contact a specialist (locksmith, plumber).

In order to fix the problem of poor water pressure yourself, you will need:

shut off the water;
dismantle the plug of the coarse filter;
remove and rinse the wire cassette.

The filter element is returned to its place and the plug is screwed using a special tape for sealing. If the cause was not a clogged coarse filter, it can be assumed that the failure of the fine cleaning system was to blame.

After disconnecting from the water supply, it is necessary to check the pressure in the free pipe. To do this, open the central valve. If everything is normal, the liner is replaced and the filter glass is washed from the accumulated dirt, and then everything is mounted in its original place.

When none of the above helps, you can try flushing the pipes under pressure. To do this, turn off the water with a valve located near the filter, unscrew the flexible hoses or the mixer, if it is wall-mounted.

Water will flow from the pipes, which must be sent to the sewer or a pre-prepared container (basin, bucket). Pipe cleaning is recommended to be done with an assistant. It will take sharply for 1-2 seconds to open and close the valve.