In detail: do-it-yourself repair of a Rostov mixer from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Single-lever mixers attract with their laconic design and easy control of the water flow. Turning on the water, changing its temperature and pressure - all this with one turn of the knob. These devices are reliable, have a solid service life - some branded ones give a 5-year warranty. Nevertheless, repairs to the single-lever mixer are periodically necessary.
Despite the external similarity, there are two types of rotary or single-lever mixers - with a cartridge (cartridge) and ball - with a ball inside. You can repair any of them, but for this you need to disassemble them first. And so that you can not only disassemble, but also assemble, it is advisable to get acquainted with the internal structure of each.
The design can be different, the structure remains the same
Cartridge mixers are so named because their locking and regulating mechanism is hidden in a special cartridge flask. In the more expensive models of faucets, the cartridge body is made of ceramic, in the cheaper ones it is made of plastic. What are good about these models is the ease of repair, but with them it is not always easy to achieve the required pressure - you need a tighter control of the handle. But it is very easy to change the temperature of the water - with a slight movement of the hand.
The structure of a single-lever valve with a cartridge is simple. If you go from top to bottom:
Switch with fixing screw.
Locking (compression) nut.
Cartridge. It mixes the streams of water, the same device shuts off the water.
The body of the mixer, which has a seat for the cartridge.
Fasteners, studs and gaskets to ensure tightness.
Spout (gander). It can be a separate part - in swivel models for the kitchen or part of the body - for sinks in the bathroom.
If the spout is separate, gaskets are still installed from below and there is still a part of the body.
Video (click to play).
What a single-lever mixer cartridge consists of
The cartridge itself contains several (usually 4) specially shaped ceramic or metal discs. A stem is welded to the upper disc. By changing the position of the rod, we change the position of the plates relative to each other, changing the amount of water passing through the holes in the plates.
For the faucet / mixer to work properly, the plates are ground very tightly. For this reason, single-lever cartridge mixers are very demanding on water quality. The ingress of foreign fragments between the plates leads to the fact that the valve leaks or stops working altogether. To avoid this, some manufacturers install filters on the inlet pipes. But, it is better to put filters on the water supply and get clean water, which can be safely supplied to household appliances.
It got its name from the element in which water is mixed - a ball with cavities. The ball is usually metal, hollow inside. The outer part is polished to a high shine. There are three holes in the ball - two for the inlet of cold and hot water, one for the outlet of the already mixed one. A rod is attached to the ball, which goes into the cavity on the handle. This rod with a rigidly attached ball also changes the temperature of the water, its pressure.
The structure of a single-lever mixer with a ball-type water mixing mechanism
It is easier to adjust the parameters with such a device - the parts are well ground in, the handle moves easily. Ball mixers are less critical to the presence of mechanical impurities, but do not respond very well to the presence of hardness salts and excess iron. So for normal operation, pre-filtering is also required here.
Repairs to single lever cartridge faucets often involve overhauling and cleaning the O-rings. Salts are deposited on them, debris and dirt accumulate, which is why the tap starts to leak. To eliminate this nuisance, the mixer is disassembled, all parts are wiped from contamination (with warm soapy water), rinsed, dried, and put in place.
The sequence of installation of parts in a cartridge single-lever mixer
Let's figure out how to disassemble a faucet with a cartridge. First, turn off the water, and then the procedure is as follows:
Remove the decorative cover on the handle. Just pick it up with a screwdriver.
A fastening screw is hidden behind it. We unscrew it with a hex wrench and take it out.
First, unscrew the fixing screw
That's all. The single-lever mixer with cartridge was disassembled. As you can see, there are not very many details. The main working part is a cartridge. It is in him, inside, that mixing takes place.
The cartridge itself has a sealing gasket - a rubber seat at the bottom, which provides a snug fit to the body. Over time, rubber loses its elasticity, water begins to ooze. If this is the problem, you can first try to clean this ring of salts and deposits that have formed on it. Put the cleaned part in place, check the work. If the leak does not stop, the cartridge will have to be replaced.
One-hand mixer cartridges
Mixer cartridges have different diameters, inlets and outlets in the lower part are located in different ways. Therefore, if you need to replace it, first you disassemble the mixer, get the cherished part and go with it to the store or to the market. You need to choose exactly the same model without any deviations. At home, you install the cartridge into the case, turn it slightly until you feel that it has "sat down" in place. Next - the assembly, it goes in the reverse order.
Install the compression nut first. Actually, at this stage you can check how the new cartridge works. Turn on the water, adjust the temperature and pressure with the rod. To make it more convenient, you can put a handle on the stem. If everything is ok, continue with the build.
The single-lever ball mixer was invented a little over 40 years ago. Its design is simple and reliable - there is actually nothing to break. If problems arise, it is only because of poor-quality water - dirt particles settle on the rubber seats on which the ball rests. Contact deteriorates, water seeps out and the faucet starts to leak.
Some ball valves are also available with a cartridge. Only the inside of the cartridge is not a plate, but a ball. Disassembly of this type is no different from the one described above. The whole difference is hidden inside the flask. There are also other types of taps. In them, the shut-off ball is installed directly in the rubber seat. There are some minor differences here.
The tap lever is removed in the same way - first remove the plug, then unscrew the screw with a hexagon. Pull the lever up, remove it. After the actions are very simple and similar to those described above:
We unscrew the cap, preferably with our hands, since it is usually made of thin metal, it is easy to bend it.
We unscrew the clamping nut, there is a washer under it, we also remove it.
Access to the ball is now open. We pull the stem, take out the ball.
There are two saddles under the ball, with springs so that the rubber bands are pressed more tightly against the ball.
All dismantled. Next is the repair of a single-lever mixer. In theory, the problem is that deposits have accumulated at the point of contact between the ball and the seat. They must be removed - gently clean, wipe. There may be problems with the springs. They also sometimes accumulate dirt, but more often they simply lose their elasticity.
The third source of problems is the ball itself.Actually, it should be made of stainless steel, therefore, it only needs to be cleaned of deposits. In reality, this is not always the case - cheap taps have appeared, even with plastic balls or made of cheap metal. In this case, peeling of the surface or other similar troubles may occur. Such a locking element will no longer work normally. It needs to be replaced. With a ball, you also go to the store, pick up a replacement of a suitable size. Assembling the mixer in the reverse order: the springs from the saddle, the saddle is out of place, there is a ball on them, etc. Collecting the entire structure, carefully center everything - a skew will lead to rapid wear and the valve will flow again.
Faucets with a swivel spout are placed on sinks in the kitchen or on the bathroom. Periodically begins to flow from under it. The locking mechanism in this case is not to blame, it is just that the gaskets have lost their elasticity or the lubricant has dried out.
Repair of a single-lever mixer with a movable spout
In this case, disassemble the mixer as described above, then remove by pulling up the spout. Remove all old gaskets. If they are stuck, you can use a flat screwdriver or even a knife blade. You need to remove them, but they still need to be replaced. Select new ones from the removed gaskets. It is desirable that they be made of silicone, not rubber. Silicone is more elastic, retains its properties longer, and better tolerates contact with water.
Lubricate new gaskets with plumbing silicone grease, install in place. Replace the spout. It must be pressed down well so that it rests against the union nut on the mixer body. Next - the assembly of the rest of the mechanism.
Probably, every person has come across a situation when he found a puddle of unknown origin on the bathroom floor. An attentive person immediately found a small stream of water flowing down from the mixer.
That's it, you need to call the plumber ...
Or try to repair the mixer yourself.
With the mixer, which is in the kitchen, everything is more or less clear. This is the simplest type of mixer.
You can replace it in the following way.
We shut off the water using ball valves.
Using a screwdriver, remove the "lambs" from the mixer taps.
Using an open-end wrench, unscrew the taps from the mixer.
We change the gasket to a new one.
We screw the tap into place, having previously wound a sealing tape on the thread.
The last step will prevent leaks in the kitchen faucet through the threads.
It is more difficult to troubleshoot a bathroom faucet.
Let's try to understand this issue.
First of all, there are two types of faucets in the bathroom:
Each type of mixer has its own advantages, disadvantages, and, therefore, its own special defects.
Let's start with the breakdowns of single-lever mixers.
Mixer leakage.
Weak water jet.
Simultaneous flow of water into the drain and into the shower net.
Failure of the pushbutton switch.
Leak in the area of the push-button switch button.
Most often, the cause of this malfunction is a small speck that has ended up in the mixer mechanism. Sorinka can be caught between the ball and the ball sleeve or between the valve discs.
In this case, you need to replace the cartridge.
It is necessary to remove the decorative plug of the water switch lever.
