How to dismantle and repair the faucet in the bathroom

So far, mankind has not come up with an eternal tap that would work reliably, did not leak and did not break with time. And it does not matter if you bought an expensive mixer or a cheaper device, it will fail during operation. The only difference is how quickly it will come.

When choosing a bathroom faucet, you need to pay attention to the material and its technical features, functionality and ease of installation and use.

What if the mixer in the bathroom went out of order? You can, without understanding the failure, buy a new faucet and replace it with an old mixer. You can call plumbing and hope that he master eliminates the malfunction, and does not add new problems. However, the best option is to independently study the design of the crane and troubleshooting.

Types of mixers

Currently, there are 3 main types of mixers with different types of closures:

• with ball valve;
• with a cylindrical lock;
• with a trapezoidal aperture.

Mixers are divided into: ball, valve and thermostats.

A mixer with a ball valve is the most common and popular option. The crane device is as simple and convenient as possible. The shutter is made in the form of a ball with a through hole, necessary for the passage of a water jet. The cylindrical design of the closure includes a casing, an oil seal, a lid and a metal cylinder lock. A cork or conical device means that its opening is a trapezoid. This device is used quite rarely.

Distinguish devices dvuhventilnogo type and single-lever. Each of them has its own peculiarities of structure, disassembly and repair. Let us consider each type of crane in more detail.

Tools and materials

To perform work on the repair of the crane in the bathroom, you must prepare special tools and materials. For this purpose you will need:

• screwdriver;
• pliers;
• adjustable wrench;
• rubber gaskets;
• foam or soft cloth;
• tape for waterproofing or towing.

Classic two-valve

The most common and usual for the domestic consumer is a two-valve crane. Such a design can have two varieties: mixers with separate nozzles and a device of a tee type.

The two-valve mixer is a mechanism with a cast brass or steel casing, in which there is a threaded connection on the back side for connection to the water supply. Inside the body there are crane-axle boxes - the nodes that are responsible for supplying water, adjusting its temperature and head.

Scheme of a two-valve mixer with a slide switch.

A rubber gasket or a ceramic disk can be used with the crane-axle. If one pair and the other can fit in the case, both designs can easily be interchangeable.

To disassemble the tap in the bathroom is not difficult. The whole procedure consists of several stages:

1. First, close the water on the riser pipe and check that this tap is in working order and the water is blocked.
2. Further it is necessary to lay a bath with a soft cloth or foam rubber. This is necessary in order that the accidental fall of the faucet parts does not violate the plumbing.
3. Then follows the extraction of decorative stubs from the grooves.
4. Under the plugs are the screws, which must be unscrewed with a screwdriver.
5. After that, the valves themselves are removed.
6. With the help of the adjustable wrench the crane-axle boxes are twisted.
7. Откруживается вылив.
8. The aerator is removed.
9. The case is inspected for blockage, contaminants, scale and other disturbances for normal water supply. If necessary, everything is washed and cleaned.
10. A rubber or ceramic gasket is replaced with a new product. In some cases, it may be necessary to replace the entire crane-axle box.

After all consumables have been replaced, the mixer construction must be assembled in the reverse order. At first the crane-axle boxes are installed, then the valves are fixed on them, the aerator and spout are mounted on their place. When installing the structure, it is important to wind the waterproofing tape or the hood to the connection points.

We can say that the repair is over, but it is important to check the faucet for quality water supply and no leakage. To do this, we perform the water supply and open the taps. If everything is in order, then the cause of the malfunction was correctly installed and the repair was performed perfectly.

Single lever

The assembly of the single-lever mixer.

Recently, a single-lever mixer has replaced the classic two-lever crane. A similar design can be equipped with either a ceramic or ball cartridge.

The constituent parts of this mixer are:

• the body of the device;
• cap;
• the swivel handle;
• gaskets;
• removable mechanical cleaning cartridge.

A mixer with ball-type cartridges is equipped with a hollow ball with a hole for the passage of a jet of water. It is fixed by means of a pin with a crane handle. Getting into the balloon, hot and cold water is mixed and enters the spout. Temperature and head are regulated by moving the lever up and down and from side to side.

Mixers having ceramic cartridges are equipped with two ceramic washers, which fit tightly to each other. When the knobs move, the holes in the washers coincide, due to this, mixing of water and its spout is carried out.

It is important to note that cartridges with ceramic discs are not subject to repair, but only replacement.

To disassemble the faucet in the bathroom alone will not be difficult. This work should be done in this order:

• shut off the water;
• Remove the plug and unscrew the screw that secures the lever;
• dismantle the lever;
• replace the cartridge with ceramic plates with a new part;
• Reassemble the structure in reverse order.

It is also advisable to remove spillage, remove old sealing rings during new technical operations, grease and install new consumables and install them in the same place and assemble the spout.

Crane repair scheme.

Such works are suitable only for products with ceramic cartridges. If there is a ball mechanism in the mixer, the best solution for its malfunction will be a complete replacement with a new element. Although the option of replacing the ball is completely impossible to exclude.

At the moment there are many modifications of single-lever ball valves. The ways in which they can be dismantled and disassembled can vary greatly. That is why it is recommended to store instructions for installing the mixer, which is necessarily attached to the product. In this document, the manufacturer indicates all the subtleties and nuances of the work performed.

Need for repair

Not all people can understand when it's time to dismantle the faucet in the bathroom and repair it. For someone, a rare drip is already a signal to action, and someone stubbornly does not want to realize that it is necessary to take measures, even when a trickle of water from the tap is continuously flowing. Here are some reasons that are an indication for repair:

• periodically there are problems with the switching of water shower-bath;
• flow of the mixer in any place;
• weak pressure in the tap;
• the switch jams and does not want to return to its original position;
• constant dripping from the spout or even flowing a thin trickle.

Choice of construction

If you decide to buy a new mixer in the bath, then do not do it spontaneously. Prepare to choose thoroughly. Consider which model and design is preferable to buy. It is important that the device is beautiful, high-quality, and also served for a long period. It is not superfluous to be able to repair the structure. If the model can not be repaired, then it is better to refuse it.

Make sure that in the kit with a faucet of the appropriate type, there are spare ceramic cartridges. Pay attention to their type and size, so that at the most inopportune moment you do not remain without replaceable elements.

After purchasing the product, carefully study the instructions supplied with the crane, and only then proceed to install it.

If the procedure is unimaginable for you, it is better not to experiment, but immediately call the plumber.

So, if you are able to disassemble the faucet in the bathroom and perform the repair of the mixer yourself, it is important to do this thoroughly and not to miss any details. If such a process is beyond your power, then it is better to call plumbing. However, when calling the master, it will be more appropriate to replace the mixer with a new product than repairing the structure. This is due to the fact that the services of a good master are not cheap, and the repaired part will obviously fail before the new crane. The choice, of course, remains with the owner.