Do-it-yourself repair of a ball mixer in the kitchen

In detail: do-it-yourself ball faucet repair in the kitchen from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Single-lever faucets 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 handle. These devices are reliable, have a solid service life - some branded ones give a 5-year warranty. Nevertheless, repair of a single-lever mixer is periodically necessary.

Despite the external similarity, rotary or single-lever mixers are of two types - 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 familiarize yourself with the internal structure of each.

The design may 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 more expensive models of faucets, the cartridge body is made of ceramics, in cheaper models it is made of plastic. What these models are good for is ease of repair, but it is not always easy to achieve the required pressure with them - you need tighter control of the handle. But changing the temperature of the water is very easy - with a slight movement of the hand.

The structure of a single-lever faucet with a cartridge is simple. If you go from top to bottom:

Switch with fixing screw.
Locking (clamping) nut.
Cartridge. It mixes water flows, the same device shuts off the water.
The body of the mixer, in which there is a "seat" place for the cartridge.
Fasteners, studs and gaskets to ensure tightness.
Outflow (gander). It can be a separate part - in rotary 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 another part of the body.

Video (click to play).

What is a single lever cartridge faucet made of?

The cartridge itself contains several (usually 4) specially shaped ceramic or metal discs. A rod is welded to the upper disk. 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.

In order for the faucet / mixer to work normally, the plates are lapped very tightly. For this reason, cartridge single-lever mixers are very demanding on water quality. The ingress of foreign fragments between the plates leads to the fact that the valve flows or stops working altogether. To avoid this, some manufacturers put filters on the inlet pipes. But, it is better to put filters on the water supply and get clean water that can be safely supplied to household appliances.

It got its name because of the element in which water is mixed - a ball with cavities. The ball is usually metal, hollow inside. Its outer part is polished to a shine. There are three holes in the ball - two for the entry of cold and hot water, one for the exit of already mixed water. A rod is attached to the ball, which enters the cavity on the handle. This rod with a rigidly attached ball changes the temperature of the water, its pressure.

The structure of a single-lever mixer with a ball mechanism for mixing water

It is easier to adjust the parameters with such a device - the parts are well ground in, the handle moves easily. Mixers with a ball mechanism 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.

Repairing a single-lever cartridge faucet often consists of overhauling and cleaning the o-rings. Salts are deposited on them, debris and dirt accumulate because of which the faucet begins to leak. To eliminate this trouble, the mixer is disassembled, all parts are wiped from dirt (with warm soapy water), rinsed, dried, put in place.

The sequence of installation of parts in a cartridge single-lever mixer

Let's figure out how to disassemble the cartridge faucet. First turn off the water, and then the procedure is as follows:

Remove the decorative cap on the handle. Just pry it off with a screwdriver.
Behind it is a mounting screw. We unscrew it with a hex wrench and take it out.

First unscrew the fixing screw

Actually everything. Dismantled single-lever mixer with cartridge. As you can see, there are not many details. The main working part is the cartridge. In it, inside, mixing takes place.

The cartridge itself has a sealing gasket - a rubber saddle at the bottom, which ensures a snug fit to the body. Over time, rubber loses elasticity, water begins to ooze. If this is the problem, you can first try to clean this ring from the salts and deposits that have formed on it. Put the cleaned part in place, check the work. If the leak does not stop, you will have to change the cartridge.

Cartridges for "one-handed" mixers

Faucet cartridges have different diameters, inlets and outlets are located differently in its lower part. Therefore, if you need to replace it, first you disassemble the mixer, get the treasured part and go to the store or the market with it. You need to choose exactly the same model without any deviations. At home, install the cartridge in the case, turn it slightly until you feel that it “sat” in place. Next - assembly, it goes in the reverse order.

Install the clamp 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 fine, continue the assembly.

The single-lever ball mixer was invented just over 40 years ago. Its design is simple and reliable - actually there is nothing to break. If problems arise, it is only because of poor-quality water - particles of dirt settle on the rubber saddles on which the ball rests. Contact deteriorates, water seeps in and the faucet starts to leak.

How to Disassemble Single Lever Ball Mixer

Some ball valves are also implemented with a cartridge. Only inside the cartridge are not plates, in a ball. Disassembly of this type is no different from that described above. All the difference is hidden inside the flask. There are also other types of faucets. In them, the locking 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 action is 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 remove it too.
Opened access to the ball. We pull the rod, we take out the ball.
There are two saddles under the ball, with springs so that the elastic bands are more tightly pressed against the ball.

All disassembled. 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 - carefully clean, wipe. There may be issues 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. In general, it should be made of stainless steel, respectively, 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 cheap metal. In this case, peeling of the surface or other similar troubles may be observed. Such a locking element will no longer work normally. It must be replaced. With the ball, you also go to the store, select a replacement of the right size. Assembling the mixer in reverse order: springs from the saddle, there is no place for the saddle, there is a ball on them, etc. When assembling the entire structure, center everything carefully - the skew will lead to rapid wear and the faucet will leak again.

Faucets with a swivel spout are installed on sinks in the kitchen or bathroom. From time to time, a leak starts from under it. The locking mechanism in this case is not to blame, just the gaskets have lost their elasticity or the lubricant has dried up.

Repair of a single-lever mixer with a movable spout

In this case, disassemble the mixer as described above, then remove it by pulling up the spout. Remove all old gaskets. If they are stuck, you can use a flathead screwdriver or even a knife blade. You need to remove them, but they still need to be replaced. On the removed gaskets, select new ones. It is desirable that they be made of silicone, not rubber. Silicone is more elastic, retains its properties longer, better tolerates contact with water.

Lubricate new gaskets with sanitary silicone grease, install in place. Install the spout in place. It must be pressed down well so that it rests against the union nut on the mixer body. Next is the assembly of the rest of the mechanism.

In the kitchen, the faucet is used much more actively than in the bathroom, so it fails much more often. In rare cases, the only solution to the problem that has arisen is the purchase of a new appliance and the invitation of a plumber, in the rest you can handle it yourself. Having decided to repair the faucet in the kitchen with your own hands, you will save on the services of a specialist and gain important experience. You just need to arm yourself with theory and tools.

Your kitchen faucet needs repair if you experience the following "symptoms":

Leakage from under the nut at the point where the water is poured out, from under the handle (lever) or mixer taps in working order.
The correct movement of the lever or valves is violated (they stick, scroll, do not lock in the desired position, etc.).
With normal water pressure in the system, the jet is not powerful enough.
Water drips from a closed faucet.

Please note: the detected problem must be solved as quickly as possible! This will extend the life of the mixer and protect yourself and your neighbors from flooding, saving money, time and nerves.

The most common problem is a leaky faucet. And here you need to know the "enemy" not only in person, but also from the inside. It's about mixers.

Cool things like thermostatic and touchless faucets are good for bathrooms. In the kitchen, more practical models are fighting for a place in the sun - traditional two-valve and single-lever. Common elements for them are: body, spout (spout), aerator, sealing gaskets. Otherwise, they differ significantly.

Familiar to the eye taps with two valves are arranged quite simply. Under the flywheel, which you turn during the operation of the structure, there is a crane box - its locking element. Below is a device of such a kitchen faucet in pictures.

Boxes in a two-valve mixer (in section)

In products where several turns of the flywheel are required to supply or shut off water, worm axle boxes are installed. Their work is based on rotational-translational movements. The more you unscrew the valve, the more the axle box gasket will move away from the so-called "saddle". The consequence of this is the flow of water into the internal cavity of the mixer, and then into its spout (spout).

Worm-driven faucet for mixer

In models where only half a turn is enough to supply water, axle boxes with ceramic plates are installed. When the faucet is opened, the holes in them coincide, and water flows into the spout.

Crane boxes with ceramic plates

The cost of faucets is low, they are always available in plumbing stores, and their replacement is extremely simple.

More modern and practical are faucet models with one handle (lever) that regulates pressure and temperature. Mixing of water in them is carried out in a hollow ball with three holes or in a special cartridge.

The mixing element in spherical models has three holes, two of which are inlet - designed to enter this miniature container of hot and cold water, and one outlet - to supply water of a given temperature to the sink.

Ball mixer device

The ball itself is located on two "saddles" of rubber. Its displacement relative to them, carried out when the lever moves, and allows you to adjust the pressure, the temperature of the poured water. From above, the ball is fixed with a sealing cuff and a lock nut.

Schematic arrangement of a spherical model of a kitchen faucet

The principle of operation of a mixer with a cartridge that replaces the ball is similar. At the same time, their internal structure is fundamentally different. All the same three functional holes are available, but inside the cartridge there is not a cavity, but special discs made of cermet. Due to their displacement relative to each other and the degree of overlap of the supply holes, when the lever is turned, the water supply is adjusted.

Replaceable ceramic cartridges

To repair a kitchen faucet you will need:

knife with a sharp end;
hex and adjustable wrench;
screwdrivers;
a new cartridge, a crane box, a rubber gasket, etc. - depends on which part you will be changing;
WD40 is a technical aerosol that will come in handy if the parts are “sticky” to each other. However, you can get by with the traditional tapping of a hammer on a screwdriver, but there is a high risk of damage to the mixer.

Regardless of which faucet you have installed, before starting repairs, you must turn off the water supply in the system and drain its remnants into a sink or a separate container. To do this, just open the tap. Then you can begin to repair it, taking into account the design features.

To repair a single-lever faucet, you will need a hex wrench

The main principles of repair are the sequence of actions and accuracy.

Using a thin screwdriver or a knife, pry and remove the decorative cap on the faucet body.
In the resulting hole, you will see a screw connecting the lever and the adjusting rod. Unscrew it with a hex wrench.
Remove the lever from the body and unscrew the decorative cover. This can be done even by hand, if the parts are not stuck to each other.

Removing the decorative cover

A locking (clamping) nut will be located under it. Carefully unscrew it with an adjustable wrench or by tapping a screwdriver with a hammer.
If you disassemble the ball mixer, you will see a sealing cuff under the nut. Inspect it for dirt, deformations and breaks. Pull out the ball. Inspect its surface - it should be smooth and clean. It is necessary to remove the seals and supporting springs - their poor condition can cause the tap to leak.
If you are disassembling a faucet with a cartridge, then remove it and subject it to a thorough inspection.
Replace the failed part.
Reassemble the faucet in reverse order.

It is important! Do not tighten the nuts too tight, as this can lead to deformation of the sealing rubber and disruption of the normal operation of the mixer.

Installing a new cartridge

To extend the life of the product and ensure smooth running of its rubbing parts, you can use a special silicone lubricant.

Removing the mixer flywheel

What to do if you have a two-valve faucet dripping in your kitchen? Almost everything is the same.

On the valve flywheel, pry off and remove the decorative cap.
Using a screwdriver, unscrew the screw that secures the flywheel.
Take off the flywheel. In front of you will be a crane box.
Unscrew it counterclockwise and inspect it.

If this is a worm-type axle box and the gasket is damaged, replace it separately - buy it in a store (it costs a penny) or cut it yourself from rubber of suitable thickness. The axle box with ceramic discs is changed entirely.
Assemble the faucet in reverse order.

The general scheme of work on the repair of the mixer

Everything is as simple as possible and slightly resembles a designer. But a faucet leak is not the only problem you may encounter while using it in the kitchen.

The quality of water in many cities leaves much to be desired, so over time, the aerator in the tap can become dirty. From the inside, solid deposits “grow” on it. When there are too many of them, the pressure and quality of the water deteriorate significantly. The solution to the problem is to replace the aerator. Ideally, it can be easily unscrewed with an adjustable wrench, but for a stuck part, you will need WD40 or tapping with a hammer.

It is important! Perform all work carefully, otherwise the mixer will have to be changed completely.

The faucet is leaking, and during the inspection you found a crack in it? Then it's time to go for a new product. For a short time, silicone sealant can become an assistant.

You can extend the life of the mixer if you install a water filter and use the device carefully, without twisting the valves too much and without moving the lever sharply and all the way.

Now you know what to do if the faucet drips in the kitchen. In most cases, the considered repair schemes are also suitable for eliminating breakdowns of faucets in bathrooms. This is a good savings for the family budget. But if you are not confident in your abilities or you simply do not have time, a competent plumber will do all the work in a matter of minutes.Any faucet installed in the kitchen has certain requirements - the softness of the water pressure, simple temperature control and, most importantly,.The sound of dripping water in the kitchen is no doubt annoying. In some cases, it can even cause insomnia. This sound is caused by a faulty mixer. .Getting high-quality drinking water in a private house or apartment has ceased to be a problem with the advent of various filters and even entire systems.A faucet with a high twist in the kitchen flows at the turning point. How to remove the spout and change the rings. if there is no cap nut. The spout is simply inserted into the faucet body. Didn't find an answer anywhere.The kitchen faucet is one of the most frequently used plumbing fixtures in an apartment or house, so it is not surprising that it often fails.A rotary one-handed faucet in this case needs preventive maintenance with the replacement of components, sometimes the malfunction cannot be fixed and the plumbing fixture has to be completely changed.Almost every homeowner can do this at-home job without calling in a paid plumber. To do this, you need to know how to disassemble a kitchen faucet with one handle and have a simple construction tool available.Single lever kitchen mixerIn modern kitchens, the main type of faucets are single-handled types, which have practically replaced the inconvenient two-valve designs and are more practical than touch devices.The device of a single-lever faucet for the kitchen is not complicated, the main nodes are the body (it has a low tide, seats for installation in the sink and water supply) and a built-in adjustment unit.In the event of failure, the repair of a single-lever mixer in most situations consists in a simple change of a unified switching unit or its parts.The manufacturer supplies the market with single-lever models for mixing liquids with only two types of control units: ball and plate ceramic cartridges.It can be noted that ceramic cartridges, due to their high technical characteristics and performance, have practically ousted spherical models from the market.A high-quality ceramic block can regulate the water supply for up to 10 years without loss of operational properties, budget Chinese crafts can fail the next day and need to be replaced much more often.Appearance of structural elements of ceramic cartridgesA ceramic cartridge is a prefabricated connection of parts installed in a plastic cylindrical body, at the top of which there is a lever on which a rotary handle is attached. Three holes are located in its lower part: water enters into two of them, and from the third the mixed liquid is directed to the ebb and flows out.The main components of the cartridge are two slotted ceramic plates that fit snugly together. When one of them rotates around its axis, the inlets through which cold and hot water enters overlap to varying degrees - thus, the temperature regime is adjusted.If the movable plate is displaced along its axis, both inlets are simultaneously blocked - this is how the pressure is regulated.The main advantage of equipping a kitchen faucet with a cartridge is its ease of replacement and high maintainability - its cylindrical body can be easily disassembled.The principle of operation of the ceramic blockBall control units consist of one main part - a metal ball with three holes for water and a rod for installing a rotary handle. During operation, the ball rotates in a spherical body seat, which has three holes: two for water inlet and the third for pouring out the mixed liquid.Adjustment of the temperature regime and pressure occurs similarly to moving the handle in ceramic models; spring-loaded rubber rings are inserted into the area of the inlets for sealing.The advantage of one-handed ball valves is the simplicity of design, long service life and excellent maintainability - the metal ball itself theoretically cannot fail, so the repair of the mixing device consists only in installing new gaskets.Features of the device of ball nodesTo avoid risks during the purchase and operation, it is better to purchase sanitary equipment from well-established manufacturers in the market - this ensures that it will last a long time without breakdowns and malfunctions.Usually, the control unit is already installed in the plumbing fixture upon purchase, and given that all their models are unified, the right decision would be to purchase exactly such a device right away. This will allow, if the old node breaks down, immediately replace it with a new one, and if the situation repeats, assemble a working device from two faulty devices with further use of the repaired one.When operating a kitchen faucet, in most cases, water is supplied using flexible reinforced hoses, which are not always of high quality. To avoid flooding of the premises in case of damage to the water hoses, you can install an Aquastop valve at the outlet of the pipes.It should be borne in mind that the principle of operation of the valve is to shut off the water flow at high pressure, that is, it is effective if the water hose falls off the mixing body or pipe. In other situations, with a leak, the apartment can be successfully flooded with Aquastop protection.

To carry out repair work, you will have to disassemble the faucet without removing it from the sink, sometimes it may be necessary to repair the kitchen spout, which in one-handed models can be carried out without disassembly operations.When dismantling the crane, you have to remove the handle, unscrew the fixing nuts and hoses - this requires the right tool, consumables and accessories.Tools and supplies for plumbing repairsFor repair work, you will need the following tool:

Adjustable wrench for unscrewing the nut from the body of the mixer and dismantling the flexible hoses.

Socket wrench or flat wrench for tightening and removing bolts on mounting studs.

Phillips screwdriver or hex wrench for dismantling the crane handle.

When removing the mixing body from the kitchen sink, removing the underwater hoses, one often encounters difficulties associated with the contamination of the dismantled parts with limescale or their corrosion. Before carrying out work, it is better to treat their surface with household chemicals to remove rust and limescale - this will simplify the dismantling and further installation of equipment.The presence of gaskets in the underwater hoses and the mixing body eliminates the use of various types of additional seals in the form of synthetic and linen tape, rubber rings.During repair work, it is often necessary to change underwater hoses that have become unusable; for replacement, it is better to purchase types with a stainless steel braid and a union nut with fittings made of non-ferrous metals (copper, brass).The internal structure of a single-lever cartridge mixerRepairing a faucet with a built-in cartridge, depending on its malfunction, requires a different approach. If the tap does not close well or constantly flows, in most cases the cartridge needs to be replaced. When the shell or ebb is damaged, you will have to remove the mixing device and purchase a new faucet with subsequent installation.The main components that most often fail during operation are the adjustment unit and spout. The control assembly can be damaged as a result of long-term operation with poor quality or from the ingress of contaminated water with sand into the plumbing system. The main reason for its malfunction is the breakdown of the built-in plastic parts and the stem on which the handle is attached.The ebb most often fails as a result of clogging of the filter nozzles at its outlet - in this case, the water pressure breaks its thin-walled tube and a leak forms.When carrying out repair work, it is often necessary to disassemble a single-lever mixer, the process consists of the following steps:

Using a knife or a flat screwdriver, remove the plastic plug in the side of the handle, the fixing screw can have a head for a Phillips screwdriver or a hex key. Unscrew the fixing screw with a suitable tool; before work, it may be necessary to pre-treat it with household chemicals against limescale and rust.

After removing the handle, unscrew the decorative nozzle. It is designed for manual removal, but in the process of long work, water gets into the thread and plaque prevents twisting. To facilitate removal, you can use an adjustable wrench, after placing a soft cloth under its lips to prevent scratches on the chrome surface. When carrying out work on dismantling the cap, excessive efforts should be avoided - this can lead to deformation of the thin-walled lining.

Under the cap is a clamping nut with a hex ring in the upper part - it is simply unscrewed counterclockwise with an adjustable wrench. Removing the cartridge is easy - it is removed from the mounting slot with your fingers by the lever.

Dismantling a faucet with a ceramic cartridgeBefore changing the cartridge in the mixer, the internal parts of the mixer body are cleaned of plaque and dirt with a rag and household chemicals. Replacing the cartridge with a new one is quite simple - during installation, the body protrusions are combined with the recesses in the mounting socket.It often happens that after a seemingly correct assembly, the cartridge does not work correctly. This happens due to the fact that the protruding rubber gasket in the lower part during installation prevents the two fixing protrusions on its body from getting into the mounting sockets. The crane will have to be completely dismantled again, set the block in the correct position and press down harder with your hand when tightening the clamping nut.During installation, it is important not to pinch the clamping nut - this can lead to a tight joystick movement and compression of the body shell, causing rapid wear of internal parts and, in extreme cases, their cracking - if the joystick moves tightly, you should immediately loosen the clamp.How to disassemble a faucet in a ball-type kitchenThe main repair of a ball mixer in the kitchen with your own hands is the replacement of gaskets, with significant damage to the ebb or body shell, leading to leaks, the plumbing will have to be changed.Before repairing a ball valve, prepare ordinary tools and consumables in the form of rubber cylindrical gaskets and a dome washer. Household chemicals may be needed for the preliminary treatment of parts covered with plaque and corrosion.The main malfunctions of ball types include:

wear of the upper dome gasket;

hollow metal ball defects;

abrasion of saddle valves;

weakening of the springs.

If we repair the mixer with our own hands, then, unlike cartridge types, to accurately determine the faulty part, it requires preliminary disassembly.When disassembling a single-lever ball-type mixer, the following operations are performed:

Remove the decorative trim on the handle, completely unscrew the fixing screw and remove the handle.

Unscrew the top cap with an adjustable wrench, installing it in the outer slots.

A plastic washer with a domed rubber ring and a ball are removed from the body, the seat gaskets with springs are removed with a screwdriver.

How to disassemble a ball mixer - replacing sealsIn self-repair, the instructions for connecting the crane can help, having studied which it will be much easier to repair it.But even in its absence, the repair is not particularly difficult, mainly perform the following operations:

Most often, valve seats are changed. To do this, they are inserted into the body recesses along with the springs.

If the ball is damaged, any ball repair is ineffective - it is replaced with a new one.

Wear of the upper dome washer is very rare, when abrasion is needed, replacement is necessary.

To speed up the repair time without conducting a preliminary examination of the ball valve with its disassembly, it is better to purchase a standard repair kit from the distribution network in advance.Before installing the ball, it is useful to use silicone grease, which is coated on its surface to better seal and reduce abrasion of rubber parts.Repairing single-lever models of kitchen faucets with your own hands is a fairly simple task even for an untrained homeowner. The main types of faucets - ball and cartridge, have similar disassembly and assembly processes using the same plumbing and household tools.