DIY crane repair

In detail: do-it-yourself crane repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The monotonous murmur of a leaking tap violates the comfort of home comfort and is a great irritant to the nervous system. Uncontrollably falling water can cause a lot of harm, which will subsequently lead to unnecessary financial costs. In addition, the total water consumption increases significantly, which also adversely affects the family budget. Repairing the mixer will help to avoid such situations.

Initially, care should be taken to prepare a set of appropriate tools, which includes:

Pipe wrench;
Screwdrivers (flat and Phillips);
Open-end wrenches (12 - 19 mm);
Allen key (for lever valve);
Sealant or rags;
Pliers.

Next, you should find out the place of the leak and determine the damaged unit. This is done visually. If water flows from the gander, it means that the valve will need to be repaired - axle boxes. Leakage in the places of threaded connections is eliminated by replacing the gasket or using seals (winding). If there is mechanical damage to the body or gander, the corresponding units will need to be replaced.

After identifying the problem, turn off the hot and cold water supply with taps that precede the mixer to be repaired. If the equipment has not been used for a long time, its valves may not be able to turn. They should be designed carefully using a lubricant.

Attention! The use of large forces or all kinds of tools (hammer, chisel, etc.) to turn the blocked valves can lead to their failure and the emergence of additional problems.

The main unit of most mixers is a crane - axle box. This device performs the function of opening / closing the water flow and regulating its supply. In modern mixers, two types of crane-boxes are used: "worm" (with a rubber cuff) and ceramic.

The main breakdown of the former is the wear of the gasket, as a result of which the valve has to be clamped harder and harder each time. It is not difficult to make a gasket and replace it on your own. To do this, you need to perform a number of the following actions:

Video (click to play).

Pry with something sharp and remove the plastic plug from the valve, then unscrew the bolt located inside.
Remove the valve.
With the help of suitable open-end wrenches, remove the valve - axle box.
Cut and install a new cuff following the pattern of the old thick rubber or leather gasket.
Install the repaired device on the mixer. In this case, it is important to check the presence of the O-ring.
Assemble the removed parts.

The failure of the rubber cuff may also be indicated by the presence of a hum in the pipes at high pressure in the water supply system. Noises are caused by the resonance of a worn gasket.

The disadvantage of ceramic faucets - axle boxes - high sensitivity to water clogging. In the absence of high-quality cleaning filters in the system, their service life is significantly reduced. Most of the problems with such devices are caused by the wear of the gasket, which presses the rotating ceramic pair. As a result of the weakening of the pressure between the plates, a blockage accumulates through which flow occurs. In this situation, "build-up" will help. To do this, it is necessary to stick two layers of electrical tape on the gasket, while not forgetting to make holes for the movement of water.

In cases where the repair of a ceramic crane - axlebox turns out to be ineffective or impractical, you can replace it with a new one. When choosing a device, it is worth considering the diameter of its body and threads.

Advice! When purchasing a new crane - axle box, it is best to have an old one with you as an example.

The main unit of such cranes is a non-separable cartridge, which in some cases has to be replaced entirely. Another possible cause of a single lever valve leak is gasket wear. Its replacement is carried out according to the following scheme.

By unscrewing the fastening nuts, the mixer is dismantled and disassembled. Some types of lever cranes have problems with the removal of the lever. To avoid them, unscrew the fixing screw with a hex wrench, then loosen it with blows on the body (using a wooden guide).

For replacement, a gasket with a diameter slightly larger than the socket intended for it is selected. The gasket should snap into place with little effort. After that, the mixer is reassembled.

Attention! It is not recommended to tighten the connections with great force. Such actions can only harm.

There are several other reasons why faucets can leak. Quite often, water seeps out from under the hoses, gander, adjusting rod, etc.

In most cases, the reason is the wear of the oil seals and gaskets on these elements.
Sometimes valve leaks are caused by damage to the body or hoses.

In such cases, temporary repairs will help. Cracks in the metal body can be sealed with cold welding or silicone. Hose defects are eliminated with electrical tape or tape (the leakage flow is partially reduced).

A clogged aerator may be the cause of a low head. You should look for it at the end of the gander. It is better to replace a very rusty aerator, and if it is slightly clogged, it is enough to simply rinse it, directing a stream of water to its outside.

In order for the mixer to serve as long as possible, you should adhere to a few simple rules:

The valves must be tightened sensitively, without the use of excessive force;
Do not push hard on the taps or hit them with heavy objects in the event of any kind of leakage;
It is necessary to replace oil seals and gaskets at the first signs of their failure;
It is advisable to use purification filters in the water supply system.

In case of replacement of any kind of assemblies and parts, only high-quality materials should be used. Then the repairs will be effective, and the annoying murmur of falling water will become a very rare occurrence.

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 named so 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.

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. If foreign fragments enter between the plates, 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.

How to disassemble a single lever ball mixer

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.

In the kitchen, the mixer is used much more actively than in the bathroom, therefore it breaks down much more often. In rare cases, the only solution to the problem that has arisen is to buy a new device and invite a plumber, in the rest you can handle it yourself. Having decided to repair the mixer 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.

The kitchen faucet needs repair if you observe the following "symptoms":

Leakage from under the nut at the water outlet, from under the handle (lever) or faucet valves in working order.
The correct movement of the lever or valves is violated (seize, scroll, do not fix in the desired position, etc.).
At normal water pressure in the system, the jet is not powerful enough.
Water drips from a closed tap.

Please note: the detected problem must be resolved 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.

Most of the questions are caused by the problem of the leakage of the faucet. And here you need to know the "enemy" not only by sight, but also from within. We are talking about the device of mixers.

Delicacies such as thermostatic and touchless faucets are great 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, gaskets. Otherwise, they differ significantly.

The two-valve taps familiar to the eye are quite simple. Under the flywheel, which you turn during the operation of the structure, there is a crane-axle box - its locking element. Below is the device of such a kitchen faucet in pictures.

Axleboxes in a two-valve mixer (cutaway)

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 inner cavity of the mixer, and then into its spout (spout).

Worm gear valve for mixer

In models where it is enough to make only half a turn to supply water, axle boxes with ceramic plates are installed. When you open the tap, the holes in them coincide, and water enters the spout.

Crane axles with ceramic plates

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

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

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

Ball mixer device

The ball itself is located on two "saddles" made of rubber. Its displacement relative to them, carried out by the movement of the lever, and allows you to adjust the pressure, the temperature of the poured water. At the top, the ball is fixed with a sealing collar and a lock nut.

Schematic device of a spherical model of a kitchen faucet

The principle of operation of a mixer with a cartridge that replaces the ball is similar. Moreover, their internal structure is fundamentally different. There are all the same three functional holes, 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, valve box, 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 "stuck" to each other. However, you can get by with the traditional tapping of a hammer on a screwdriver, but there is a great risk of damage to the mixer.

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

To repair a single lever mixer, you need a hex wrench

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

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

Removing the decorative cover

A locking (clamping) nut will be located under it. Unscrew it carefully with an adjustable wrench or by tapping a screwdriver with a hammer.
If you are disassembling a ball mixer, you will see a sealing collar under the nut. Examine it for dirt, deformation, and tears. Take out the ball. Examine its surface - it should be flat and clean. It is necessary to remove the seals and supporting springs - their poor condition can leak the valve.
If you disassemble the faucet with a cartridge, then remove it and subject it to a thorough inspection.
Replace the defective part.
Reassemble the tap in reverse order.

It is important! Do not tighten the nuts too tight, as this can deform the rubber bands and prevent the mixer from working properly.

Installing a new cartridge

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

Removing the mixer flywheel

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

Hook and remove the decorative plug on the valve flywheel.
Using a screwdriver, unscrew the screw securing the flywheel.
Take off the flywheel. There will be a crane box in front of you.
Unscrew it counterclockwise and examine it.

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

General scheme of work on repair of the mixer

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

The water quality in many cities is poor, so over time, the aerator in the tap can become dirty. On the inside, hard deposits "build up" 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 tap is leaking, and during the inspection did you find a crack in it? Then it's time to go for a new product. For a short time, a 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 turning the valves too tight or moving the lever suddenly and all the way.

Now you know what to do if the faucet is dripping in the kitchen. In most cases, the considered repair schemes are also suitable for eliminating breakdowns of faucets in bathrooms. This is a good saving 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.Certain requirements are imposed on any mixer installed in the kitchen - the softness of the water pressure, simple temperature control and, most importantly,.The sound of dripping water in the kitchen is annoying, no doubt. In some cases, it can even cause insomnia. This sound is caused by a faulty mixer. ...Obtaining 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 mixer with a high twist is flowing in the kitchen at the turning point. How to remove spout and change rings. if there is no union nut. The spout is simply inserted into the mixer body. I couldn't find the answer anywhere.Faucet leakage problems are relevant to bathrooms, which we use several times a day. Small droplets dripping slowly and continuously from the mixer are the first signal that an urgent repair is needed.It is not difficult to eliminate the breakdown, having an understanding of the device mechanism of the device. As they say, repairing a mixer with your own hands is an everyday matter.Typical mixer problems are leaks caused by:

faulty shower;

defects of the conical plug;

wear of the crane axle box.

But most often the rubber gasket wears out, the condition of the crane depends on its integrity and strength.Most often, leakage from the valve is due to the 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 rubber sheet. 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 needs 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 reworked: cut along the circumference from the side of contact with the seat at an angle of 45º so that this seal “fits” tightly into the hole to be closed and the valve with a new gasket does not buzz.After replacing the gasket, everything must be returned to its place. Insert the crane-axle back. Usually, when removing the crane axle boxes, it is always advised to treat the internal cavity from plaque. This plaque is usually the result of the hardness of the water. A plumbing adjustable wrench is used in the reassembly of the mixer.In most cases, mixers have problems with valves, especially with half-turn ones. The valve can be changed or repaired. There are no particular difficulties in how to repair a broken mixer in the bathroom yourself.In a conventional valve, which is unscrewed in a circular motion, most often it is necessary to change the gasket or stuffing box. A brief instruction on replacing the gasket is posted above, and in case of problems with the gland packing, they usually try to tighten the gland.Here, a small nut will be involved, located at the base of the crane box. The cross section of this nut is square. In a clockwise direction, you need to tighten the nut until it stops.If these manipulations turn out to be useless, then it will be necessary to unscrew the oil seal 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 to stop the leak.Repair of the valve seat - the cavity into which the valve box is screwed in - is necessary if, after replacing the gasket or valve box, water does not stop flowing from the valve. With prolonged use of the mixer, it often deforms, and this causes leaks.Chips and scratches that appear can be removed by milling. It is necessary to scroll the deformed area a little with a mill.After this scrolling, the mixer is reassembled, 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 for mixing water from the hot and cold water supply pipes, it must be replaced. When eliminating any breakdown, the water supply is always shut off. 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 also more global problems with valve mixer, which are also quite solvable.Learn more about some malfunctions of plug-change mixers and how to fix them.The shower-spout switch mechanism can be repaired without replacement. Consider the original way of fixing the switch flywheel to the stem:Now we just have to drill a hole on the switch stem and assemble the mixer:Eliminate the leak, following a specific algorithm, and then change the mixer.

Initially, in this situation, the water is turned off. Special shut-off taps are located on the water supply pipes.

After closing, for testing, the valves are turned to the opening side to the maximum.

Then the connecting nuts are very carefully unscrewed. They break easily in modern mixer designs. Regular brass nuts are easier to unscrew. They will not crack or break. A broken nut needs to look for an analogue in shape.

Next, remove the mixer.

When removing the mixer, turn out the branch pipe, at the border of which a leak is detected with the coupling. When unscrewing, the edges of the branch pipe are held with a wrench or by the collar. A nut is screwed onto the removed branch pipe. You need to tighten it correctly, to 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. When differences are found between the old and new nozzles, both are changed, and not only 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 branch pipe, there may be nuances. When screwing in, hold this part by the collar. The thread must remain free by two turns. All others are wound with sealing threads. Usually this seal is advised to be impregnated with linseed oil or oil paint. After such wetting, you need to immediately screw the branch pipe into its place - this serves as a guarantee against repeated leakage.After cutting off the water, they first try to simply tighten the nut, and then, after supplying water, check for a leak. If the leak persists, the nut is unscrewed, and the mixer moves along the branch pipe closer to the wall. Then you need to remove the hose attached to the bracket.This is necessary to regulate the position of the mixer. Moving the mixer, they look at the end of the branch pipe, because it is with respect to it that the location of the device is changed.This is done until it becomes possible to remove the old gasket, which adjoins the nut and ensures tightness. You can try to remove the gasket without touching the mixer. This often fails. The reason for this is the adhesion of the gasket to the pipe (to its end).It is also not possible to pull out the pressed gasket. Then the shower is detached from the wall. This will help turn the mixer. All nuts on the mixer are loosened to facilitate turning.The replacement gasket is simply cut out of the rubberized sheets. In thickness, it should be from three to five millimeters. On the nut, you must prudently leave free space for two threads of thread. After replacing the gasket, everything easily falls into place.Sometimes there is a leak between the body and the sidewall.The mixer is separated from the piping, then from the shower. Remove the nose. The sidewall is turned inside out. Then it is 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 supply line to the mixer. The pipes and sidewalls can be clogged. To correct the situation, you will need to clear the blockage. For this, the valve head is turned out. Then a steel wire is pushed into the resulting hole. We take out all the garbage, sand. Then you can clean the cavity with a vinegar solution from plaque.A similar nuisance is a sharp decrease in the water pressure 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 meshes. They are purged and then washed. You can use a needle to remove sand from the mesh.What if the water flows, but the spout falls? This is due to the fact that the retaining ring broke. There is a temporary solution before purchasing a new part.After closing the valves, you need to make an expanding 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 the 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 loss or breakage of the limiter. Knowing where exactly this part is located, it is easy to put it back in place. To do this, disassemble the mixer, find a malfunction and return the element to its place, applying light blows with a hammer to the protruding part of the limiter. Also, the stopper can be replaced with a small piece of brass wire - this will at least temporarily solve the problem of leaks.Sometimes there are troubles with a shower hose and a watering can, more often due to wear of individual elements or poor water quality.Typically, water does not pass through the mesh well 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 jets are restored. Both the plastic panel with holes and the rest of the shower and mixer can be wiped with a vinegar solution to remove plaque and stains.If the leak appears due to wear of the inner part or the winding, it makes no 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 in the loosened joint between the cork and the body. To remedy the situation, first unscrew the locking screw. The next step is to tighten the union nut. This reduces leakage, but it is difficult to switch the water from the drain to the shower.To completely eliminate the leak, you need to grind the plug to the mixer body using special lapping pasty compounds. They are sold in many stores.Lever joystick mixers are preferred by most people. It is very convenient to use them, since only the mixer handle is turned to achieve the required water temperature. It is also very easy to create the required 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 of its device.Instead of valves with gaskets closing the channels with water, there are special cartridges here. They are usually ball or disc. They do not need to be changed as often as the same gaskets. The disc cartridge cannot be replaced with a ball cartridge. For a ball lever mixer, only their cartridges are suitable, and for a disc mixer - their own.Hinged, they are single-lever or joystick, mixers are extremely sensitive to the quality of tap water. Therefore, often malfunctions occur not due to breakdown or failure of the locking device, but due to the appearance of sediment and clogging of the mates of moving parts.Let's take a look at how the Grohe Eurosmart bathtub model 3300001 was cleaned with a spout 08915 that switches the shower to the spout. This device did not work; water was simultaneously flowing into the shower head and into the gander. 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 flushing the switching mechanism, it remains to "figure out" the pressure. As it turned out, for this it is enough to clean the spout aerator:After the traditional shut-off of the water, we unscrew the fixing of the mixer. Then you will need to remove the lever as carefully as possible, and this must be done carefully, slowly loosening it. Raise and pull the lever only when no resistance is felt. To continue working, you need to unscrew the thread connection.After dismantling the mixer dome, the plastic component will be visible. Behind it, a seal is usually visible, which needs to be cleaned or replaced. It is a regular 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.Lever (joystick) faucets need careful handling, easy and smooth operation.When installing any cartridge, be sure that the projections on it are identical to the projections on the mixer.Disk cartridges rarely need to be replaced as they last up to 10 years. But mixers with such a consumption are not cheap, although they fully justify themselves.A little about how to postpone the repair of the mixer for a long time. One of the simplest solutions is to monitor the quality of the water supplied to the mixer using modern mechanical filters. The hard 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 system of the dwelling. Today a self-cleaning filter is available to the consumer. All filtered sediments from it are sent straight to the sewer. It is not always possible to install a large filter. Where it is not there, the mixer itself is connected to the connecting taps, where cleaning filters are already built in.Filters are available to reduce water hardness. This is important for ceramic faucets, as they suffer the most from the presence of salt deposits in the water.And finally, some advice from experienced plumbers. If the 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 humming is due to high pressure in the pipes, then a special reducer will be required to reduce the pressure. This noise is often caused by worn valve gaskets; after replacement, it disappears.Before the upcoming replacement of the gasket, it will be useful to watch the following video: