Probably, each person faced a situation when he found a puddle of unknown origin on the bathroom floor. An attentive person immediately found a small trickle of water flowing from the mixer.
All you need to do is call a plumber...
Or try to repair the faucet yourself.
With a mixer, which is in the kitchen, everything is more or less clear. This is the simplest kind of mixer.
You can replace it in the following way.
The last action will avoid leaks in the kitchen faucet along the thread.
It is more difficult to troubleshoot a bathroom faucet.
Let's try to understand this issue.
Each type of mixer has its own advantages, disadvantages, and, therefore, its own special defects.
Let's start with breakdowns of single-lever mixers.
Most often, the cause of this malfunction is a small mote that ended up in the mixer mechanism. Mote can be between the ball and the ball sleeve or between the valve discs.
In this case, you need to replace the cartridge.
The cause of this malfunction may be a blockage of the aerator.
There may be several reasons for this malfunction, but the main one is most often the wear of the gaskets in the spool switch.
This malfunction can only be eliminated by replacing the gaskets and rings.
The only problem with such a repair - rubber rings for the spool - are rarely found on the open market. A spare kit is usually sold with the mixer. But, if it is not preserved, then as a temporary measure, you can cut out such rings yourself. For this purpose, any dense rubber will do. But such rings will not serve for a long time.
The cause of this malfunction is a broken spring. So, in order to eliminate this malfunction, it is enough to replace the spring. The diameter of the new spring must be selected slightly smaller.
The cause of the malfunction is a damaged oil seal. It just needs to be replaced. You can buy seals at any hardware store. The manual for the faucet usually describes the standard procedure for such a replacement.
As you can see, repairing a bathroom faucet is not such a difficult operation. Even if the mixer is single-lever.
This defect is eliminated by replacing the sealing gasket.
Both causes can be eliminated by disassembling the mixer and replacing the damaged elements.
Faucet repair will not take a thinking person much time. You just need to turn on the logic, open the instructions and work a little with your hands. It's not as difficult as it seems.
VIDEO
Faucet leakage problems are relevant for bathrooms that we use several times a day. Small droplets dripping slowly and continuously from the faucet are the first signal that an urgent repair is needed.
It is not difficult to eliminate the breakdown, having an idea about the structure of the mechanism of the device. As they say, repairing a mixer with your own hands is a worldly affair.
Typical faucet problems are leaks caused by:
a malfunction of the soul;
conical plug defects;
crane box wear.
But most often the rubber gasket wears out, the condition of the crane depends on the integrity and strength of which.
Most often, a leak from a valve is due to wear of the rubber gasket in it. This is the most common situation. Both mixer taps can leak.
You will need the tools shown in the photo:
The thickness of the new gasket is from 4 mm. You can make it from a piece of sheet rubber. The process of cutting it is the simplest, but if there are doubts about the quality of hand-made production, then in the future it is advisable to change the home-made gasket to a factory product.
As a template for cutting the gasket, the one that is to be replaced is suitable. If it is too deformed, then it should be taken into account that the manufactured part of the seal must be 1 mm larger in diameter than the previous one.
The edge resulting from the increase in Ø should be modified: cut along the circumference from the side adjacent to the seat at an angle of 45º so that this sealant tightly “enters” the hole to be closed and the valve with the new gasket does not buzz.
After replacing the gasket, everything must be returned to its place. We insert the crane box back. Usually, when removing a crane box, it is always advised to treat the internal cavity from plaque. This plaque is usually the result of water hardness. In the reverse assembly of the mixer, a plumbing adjustable wrench is used.
In most cases, mixers have problems with valves, especially with half-turn valves. The valve can be replaced or repaired. There are no particular difficulties in how to repair a broken faucet in the bathroom yourself.
In a conventional valve, which is unscrewed in a circular motion, it is most often necessary to change the gasket or gland packing. Brief instructions for replacing the gasket are posted above, and in case of problems with the gland packing, they usually try to tighten the gland.
A small nut located at the base of the crane box will be involved here. The cross section of this nut is square. In a clockwise direction, tighten the nut until it stops.
If these manipulations turn out to be useless, then it will be necessary to unscrew the gland ring. After unscrewing, a special gland packing is wound around the valve stem. Then the ring will need to be screwed back well. All of the above actions help stop the leak.
Repair of the valve seat - the cavity into which the faucet box is screwed - is necessary if, after replacing the gasket or the faucet box, water has not stopped flowing from the tap. With prolonged use of the mixer, it is often deformed, this causes leakage.
The appeared notches and scratches can be removed by milling. It is necessary to scroll the deformed area with a cutter a little. After such a scroll, the mixer is assembled, and if the seat is properly polished, there will be no leakage.
To solve this problem, you need to do the following:
buy a switch;
disassemble the crane;
replace the broken part.
If deformations are found in the conical plug used to mix water from hot and cold water pipes, it must be replaced.When eliminating any breakdown, the flow of water is always blocked. The following photo shows how the switch is removed:
When eliminating the above described malfunctions, it is not necessary to remove the mixer from the mount. But there are more global problems with the valve mixer, which are also completely solvable.
Read more about some malfunctions of plug-in mixers and how to fix them.
It is possible to repair the shower-spout switching mechanism without replacement. Consider the original way of fixing the switch flywheel on the stem:
Now it remains for us to drill a hole on the switch stem and assemble the mixer:
Eliminate the leak, following a certain algorithm, and then change the mixer.
Initially, in this situation, the water is turned off. Special taps for shutting off are located on the water supply pipes.
After shutting off for verification, the valves are rotated in the direction of opening to the maximum.
Then the connecting nuts are very carefully unscrewed. In modern mixer designs, they break easily. Regular brass nuts are easier to unscrew. They won't crack or break. A broken nut needs to look for an analogue in shape.
Next, remove the mixer.
When removing the mixer, the branch pipe is turned out, at the border of which a leak is detected with the coupling. The edges of the pipe when turning out are held with a key or by a shoulder. A nut is screwed onto the removed pipe. You need to screw it in correctly, until the end. The new nut is taken from the old mixer. The reliability of the installation of the nut is determined in comparison with its original position.
When it comes to replacing the mixer, be sure to determine the size of the nozzles. The mixer is always sold complete with them. If differences are found between the old and new pipes, both are changed, and not just the one that flows. If they are identical, then only one can be changed.
To understand how the leak is removed in this case, consider the diagram:
During the installation of the pipe, there may be nuances. When screwing in, this part is held by the collar. In this case, the thread for two turns should remain free. All the rest are wound with sealing threads. Usually, this seal is advised to be impregnated with drying oil or oil paint. After such wetting, you must immediately screw the pipe into its proper place - this serves as a guarantee against re-formation of a leak.
Having shut off the water, they first try to simply tighten the nut, and then, after supplying water, check for leaks. If the leakage persists, the nut is unscrewed, and the mixer moves along the nozzle closer to the wall. Then you need to remove the hose attached to the bracket.
This is necessary to control the position of the mixer. When moving the mixer, look at the end of the pipe, because it is relative to it that the location of the device is changed.
This is done until it becomes possible to remove the old gasket, which is adjacent to the nut and ensures tightness. An attempt can be made to remove the gasket without touching the faucet. Often this fails. The reason for this is the gasket sticking to the pipe (to its end).
It is also impossible to pull out the pressed gasket. Then the shower is detached from the wall. This will help rotate the mixer. To facilitate rotation, all nuts on the mixer are loosened.
The gasket for replacement is simply cut out of rubberized sheets. In thickness, it should be from three to five millimeters. On the nut, it is prudent to leave free space for two threads of thread. After replacing the gasket, everything falls into place easily.
Sometimes there is a leak between the body and the sidewall. The mixer is separated from the piping, then from the shower. Take off the nose. The sidewall turns out. Then smeared with putty. You can use paint instead of putty. Do not use the mixer until the lubricant is completely dry.
Usually the problem is associated with blockages in the piping to the faucet. Pipes and sidewalls may be clogged.To correct the situation, you will need to clear the blockage. To do this, the valve head is turned out. Then a steel wire is pushed into the resulting hole. We take out all the garbage, sand. After that, you can clean the cavity with a solution of vinegar from plaque.
A similar nuisance is a sharp decrease in the pressure of water from the spout. Usually the cause of the problem lies in the blockage of the aerator. It is solved by unscrewing it and cleaning the nets. They are blown and then washed. You can use a needle to remove sand from the mesh.
What to do if the water flows, but the spout falls? This is due to the fact that the locking ring has broken. Until a new part is purchased, there is a temporary solution.
After closing the valves, you need to make an expansion ring. It is usually made from copper wire. The diameter of the material for the ring must match the diameter of the old product. After a ring is made with a soldering iron, it is advisable to treat it with liquid oil. This will prevent rust formation.
This situation is associated with the loss or breakage of the limiter. Knowing exactly where this part is located, it is easy to return it to its place. To do this, disassemble the mixer, find a malfunction and return the element to its place, applying light blows to the protruding part of the limiter with a hammer. Also, the limiter can be replaced with a small piece of brass wire - this will solve the problem of leakage at least for a while.
Sometimes troubles happen with a shower hose and a watering can, more often due to wear of individual elements or poor water quality.
Usually, water does not pass well through the mesh when there are blockages in its holes. Here, after removing the mesh, it is easy to clean it with an ordinary awl or needle.
After screwing the mesh back, the water supply and the direction of the streams are restored. And the plastic panel with holes, and the rest of the shower and faucet, can be wiped with a solution of vinegar from plaque and stains.
If the leak appeared due to wear of the inner part or winding, it does not make sense to repair the hose, it is easier to buy a new one. Its cost is low, and the service life of new modifications is much longer.
If both the drain and the shower are leaking at the same time, the point is a loose joint between the cork and the body. To correct the situation, the locking screw is first turned out. The next step is to tighten the union nut. This reduces leakage, but switching water from the drain to the shower is somewhat difficult.
To completely eliminate the leak, you need to grind the plug to the mixer body using special lapping paste compositions. They are sold in many stores.
Most people have preferred lever joystick mixers. It is very convenient to use them, since only the handle of the mixer is turned to achieve the desired water temperature. It is also very easy to create the desired water pressure by moving the lever up and down.
To understand how to fix a single-lever mixer yourself, you need to have an idea about its device.
Instead of valves with gaskets that close the channels with water, there are special cartridges here. They are usually spherical or disc. They do not need to be changed as often as the same gaskets. You cannot replace a disc cartridge with a ball cartridge. Only their cartridges are suitable for a ball lever mixer, and their own for a disk mixer.
Articulated, they are also single-lever or joystick, mixers are extremely sensitive to the quality of tap water. Therefore, malfunctions often occur not due to a breakdown or failure of the locking device, but due to the appearance of sediment and clogging of the interfaces of moving parts.
Consider how the Grohe Eurosmart 3300001 bathtub model was cleaned with the 08915 mechanism located on the spout, which switches the shower to the spout. This device did not work, the water went into both the shower head and the gander at the same time.Note that the master did not have to replace parts and seals, it was enough just to remove rust and calcium build-up.
After cleaning and washing the switching mechanism, it remains to "deal" with the pressure. As it turned out, for this it is enough to clean the spout aerator:
After the traditional water shut-off, unscrew the mixer mount. Then you will need to remove the lever as carefully as possible, and you need to do this carefully, slowly loosening it. Raise and pull out the lever only when no resistance is felt. To continue working, you need to unscrew the thread connection.
After dismantling the dome of the mixer, the plastic component will be visible. Behind it, a seal is usually visible, which needs to be cleaned or replaced. It is just a normal rubber gasket. If the ball element is damaged, it must also be replaced.
The ball is fixed with seals, the suitability of which must be monitored.
Faucets with a lever (joystick) need careful handling, they need to be used easily and smoothly.
When installing any cartridge, you need to make sure that the protrusions on it are identical to the protrusions on the mixer.
Disc cartridges rarely need to be changed as they last up to 10 years. But mixers with such a flow rate are not cheap, although they are fully justified.
A little about how to postpone the repair of the mixer for a long time. One of the simple solutions is to monitor the quality of the water supplied to the mixer, using modern mechanical filters for this. Solid particles of sand and pebbles will not spoil the parts, and they will last much longer.
It is recommended to install coarse filters at the beginning of the fork in the water supply of the dwelling. Today, a self-cleaning filter is available to the consumer. All filtered deposits from it are sent straight to the sewer. It is not always possible to install a large filter. Where it is not available, the mixer itself is connected to connecting taps, where cleaning filters are already built in.
There are filters that help reduce water hardness. This is important for ceramic faucets, as they suffer more than others due to the presence of salt deposits in the water.
And finally, advice from experienced plumbers. If pipes hum when you turn on the mixer, you need to check how well they are fixed and, if necessary, fix them with clamps. In some cases, the buzz is due to high pressure in the pipes, then a special reducer will be required to reduce the pressure. Often this noise is caused by worn valve gaskets, after replacement it disappears.
Before the upcoming gasket replacement, it will be useful to watch the following video:
VIDEO
In some cases, problems with faucets are due to an incorrectly installed sink or the wrong choice of model. Most of the troubles can be solved on your own, but if difficulties arise, it is better to call a plumber - professional advice or repairs have not bothered anyone yet.
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.
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.
If you carefully study the device of the bathroom faucet with a shower, its repair will not be difficult. It is only important to know the causes of breakdowns:
Unsatisfactory product quality. This is typical for products of little-known manufacturers who use low-quality components and consumables in their work;
Use of old consumables. For example, paronite or silicone gaskets last much longer than rubber products. In addition, they are less deformed and do not collapse from drying out;
Dirty water in pipes;
Increased water hardness affects the internal parts of the device, provoking the formation of deposits and cracking of the seals.
Let us analyze in more detail what breakdowns can occur during the operation of a faucet with a shower, as well as how to fix a faucet in the bathroom on your own. Faults may be of the following nature:
This is the most common failure, as the gander constantly rotates in different directions, which leads to wear of the rounded rubber pad . This gasket is located in the groove of the gooseneck, so the gooseneck must be disconnected to replace it.
Actions are performed in the following sequence:
the fastening nut is unscrewed;
gander is removed;
the remnants of the old gasket are removed from the gander groove;
a new gasket is installed;
the goose is put in place;
the thread on which the fixing nut will be screwed is wrapped with 2-3 layers of FUM tape;
the gander fastening nut is tightened.
Such a failure is typical for single-lever mixers and is caused by a cartridge failure. The faucet needs to be disassembled and replace cartridge . In addition to this failure, there are several other signs of cartridge failure:
the lever became difficult to control;
the temperature of the supplied water changes spontaneously;
no supply of either hot or cold water;
The valve does not close completely or does not open completely.
In this case, the cartridge needs to be replaced. Do-it-yourself bathroom faucet repair is carried out in the following order:
A red-blue plug is removed from the mixer body.
Video (click to play).
Using a Phillips screwdriver with a small sting, the fixing screw is unscrewed or loosened.
The lever is removed and the decorative cover is unscrewed.
Using an adjustable wrench, the nut holding the cartridge inside the case is unscrewed.
The old cartridge is removed.
A new cartridge is inserted inside the body, after which the mixer is assembled.
Important: There are protrusions on the cartridge body that must align with the recesses inside the body. Align them carefully. If they don't match, the mixer will leak.
The reason for the leakage of a two-valve mixer is the wear or destruction of the sealing washer located on the crane box. The destruction of the crane box itself may also occur. If the faucet in the bathroom is leaking - how to fix it quickly and inexpensively? Only on my own replacing the crane box or the washer on it . There is nothing difficult in this.
All work is carried out with the water supply turned off:
the plug is removed from the leaking valve;
the screw is unscrewed with which the valve is attached to the mixer body;
with the help of an open-end or adjustable wrench, a crane box is unscrewed;
the crane box itself or the sealing ring on it is replaced;
a new or refurbished crane box is installed in the old place.
VIDEO
There is another gasket between the faucet-shower switch and the body, which can be damaged. How to fix a bathroom faucet whose switch is leaking? Just disassembling the switch itself:
the button (switch) is removed, for which the stem is held in a fixed position with pliers;
the valve with the stem is removed;
the damaged seal is removed;
in his place new seal installed ;
the switch is put together.
Repair of a faucet with a flag switch is shown in the video.
VIDEO If the button does not return after being turned off, then its spring is faulty. It is necessary to disassemble the switch as described above, and then remove the broken spring. In her place new spring installed .
If the switch does not work, and water flows from the shower and from the tap at the same time, then the cause is cracked oil seal located on the switch stem . Necessary:
remove the button (switch);
remove the stem;
replace the seal;
assemble the switch.
This problem occurs due to damage to the hose gasket. If the bath faucet is leaking, a do-it-yourself repair will consist in replacing this gasket. To do this, simply unscrew the hose nut by hand, and then remove the worn washer. In her place a new paronite washer is installed . Before tightening the nut, it is advisable to wrap a couple of layers of FUM tape on the thread.
Do you know how to remove limescale in the toilet? The problem is quite common, and there are several ways to solve it.
Main water filters help extend the life of plumbing. We talked about their types here.
How to fix a faucet in the bathroom if there is a water leak at the junction of the hose and the shower head? Very simple. Under the nut located on the hose there is a round insulating gasket. It is easily replaced even without the use of tools.
If the water pressure through the mixer has noticeably weakened, while the neighbors have remained the same, one should suspect, first of all, aerator filter clogged located at the tip of the gander. You should unscrew it with your hand or pliers, and then check the pressure. If the pressure increased without an aerator, then the reason lay in its pollution. You need to gently rinse it under running water, and then screw it back into place.
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Tip: It is often not the aerator itself that gets dirty, but the cleaning filter located at the entrance to the room. Therefore, if cleaning the aerator did nothing, then unscrew the filter and check the cleanliness of its mesh.
We found out how to repair a bathroom faucet with a shower with our own hands. If you use higher quality consumables, such problems will occur much less frequently.
VIDEO
It is always useful to know how to repair a bathroom faucet with a shower, do it yourself, without resorting to the services of specialists. After all, sooner or later any faucet in the bathroom stops working properly. The main causes of failures: wear of cartridges, gaskets, seals and fasteners. With simple instructions, anyone can figure out how to repair a bathroom faucet with a shower on their own.
In order to repair a bathroom faucet with a shower, it is not at all necessary to call a plumber. Any crane is easily disassembled into parts. If a person understands his device, then repairing a bath faucet with a shower will be quick and efficient.
To find out how to fix the mixer, you need to figure out which parts of a particular design are responsible for malfunctions.
There are three main categories of bathroom faucets with shower:
Valve. This type has been known for many decades. The design consists of a gander and two valves. In older models of two-valve mixers with a worm gear, rubber gaskets are installed, the deformation of which leads to leaks. The new models are equipped with a crane-box mechanism with ceramic discs. Holes are drilled in their center. When the valve is turned, the holes coincide - so the water enters the spout.
Bathroom faucets differ from others in the presence of a bath-shower switch, which are also divided into several types.
The part, the failure of which is typical for the repair of a faucet in the bathroom, is a shower switch. He is responsible for switching the water supply to the faucet spout or watering can. There are 4 main varieties:
Suberic. An outdated version of the switch, which few people produce today. It is characterized by a long handle located between two valves. Some modern bathroom faucets use similar handles, but they have a spool core instead of cork.
Cartridge. It is preferred by Russian manufacturers. There are two types of cartridges on the market: ball and ceramic. The ball cartridge can be repaired, the ceramic cartridge can only be replaced. However, the latter lasts longer and is less susceptible to hard water.
Do-it-yourself mixer repair will not take much time if you correctly determine the cause of the malfunction. Any device will eventually fail. The mixer is no exception.
It can break due to wear of the components. The lower the quality of the materials, the shorter the service life of the components and the more often you have to repair the faucet in the bathroom. How to repair a faucet in the bathroom with your own hands?
Usually caused by a broken cartridge in a single-lever faucet. The following signs will indicate that the cartridge is out of order:
the handle is difficult to rotate;
the water supply is not completely shut off;
the water temperature changes arbitrarily;
cold water flows from a hot faucet, and vice versa.
To replace the ceramic cartridge:
remove the plug, painted blue-red;
unscrew the fixing screw with a Phillips screwdriver or a hex wrench;
pulling the handle up, disconnect it from the body, after which the cover is unscrewed;
with an adjustable wrench, unscrew the nut that fixes the cartridge in the housing;
replace the damaged cartridge.
After replacing the defective element, you need to align the protrusions on the cartridge body with the grooves inside. If you lose sight of this, the faucet will leak.
VIDEO
In two-valve mixers, the sealing washer often wears out. Sometimes the crane box becomes unusable. Such breakdowns lead to leakage. To replace the faucet box or rubber ring:
remove the plug from the faulty valve;
unscrew the screw securing the valve to the mixer;
with an adjustable wrench, disconnect the crane box;
replace the crane box or ring.
Before repairing the bathroom faucet switch, be sure to turn off the water in the room. A leak from under the switch indicates that the gland between the repaired mixer and the switch has become inoperative. To replace it:
remove the button by clamping the stem with pliers;
remove the valve with the stem;
pull out the damaged seal.
If, after water procedures, the button cannot be returned to its original position, then its spring has broken. In this case, the switch is disassembled according to the algorithm described above, the faulty spring is taken out and a new one is put in its place.
Sometimes the shower switch does not work, and water flows into the shower head and faucet at the same time. This is due to a crack in the stuffing box, which is located on the stem. To fix this problem, you need:
remove switch;
get a stock;
replace the damaged seal.
Many apartments still use the old cork switches. Over time, the button moves away from the body, resulting in a leak. To eliminate it you need:
disconnect the screw;
remove the handle;
unscrew the nut;
remove the lock washer;
get a cork;
wipe the cork and the inside of the case with kerosene;
to grind the cork to the body, use abrasive paste, paraffin or petroleum jelly.
In spool switches, the gasket may wear out. To replace it, you should:
disconnect the hose;
remove the spout;
unscrew the adapter;
unscrew the valve;
get the gold plate;
replace rubber rings.
The repaired button will last a few more years.
VIDEO
Over time, the gasket at the attachment point of the hose to the faucet wears out. A leak is formed. The easiest way to fix such a breakdown: you just need to unscrew the shower hose nut, remove the damaged washer and insert a new one in its place.
To eliminate this malfunction in a mixer that has broken down, it is also not necessary to use tools. It is only necessary to unscrew the nut that secures the watering can to the hose and replace the insulating gasket.
When troubleshooting bathroom faucets, repairs are not limited to replacing gaskets and cartridges. With prolonged use, the holes in the shower head become clogged with sand, limestone and other hard deposits.
In order for the shower to work as expected again, the mesh must be disassembled and washed. In some models, the screw is located under a plastic cap in the center of the watering can. Sometimes, in order to disassemble the grid, it is necessary to turn it counterclockwise.
An aerator is attached to the end of the spout. It retains solids and increases water pressure. If the water flows in a thin stream, the reason lies in the blockage of the filter. To clean it, unscrew it with pliers, carefully disassemble it into its component parts and rinse them under running water.
Specialists also face other types of breakdowns:
A continuous flow of water indicates a breakdown of the brass valve or a clogged space between it and the gasket. The mixer can be restored if it is disassembled, the insides are cleaned and, if necessary, the valve is replaced.
If no water comes out when the valve is open, then the rubber gasket has dried up. To be sure of this for sure, they hit the open tap with a hard object.
Do-it-yourself bathroom faucet repair does not require special skills. This craft can be mastered not only by men, but also by women. Regardless of the type of faucet in the bathroom, repairing and replacing parts is not difficult.
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