Mixers oras DIY repair

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 causes the tap 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 that 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.

The forum was created for beginners and experienced plumbers, welders, locksmiths, electricians and construction workers. Share your experience and get expert answers.

Bath mixer ORAS.
We disassemble the mechanism for switching to the shower.
Disassembly of the cartridge is in the pictures in this thread,
therefore did not bother.

Colleagues.
Put a smiley.
pictures at a time do not fit all.

Dismantling the ORAS table mixer to replace the spout gaskets.
__________________________

In the body of the mixer, apparently of the 1930f brand, one more removable part was accidentally discovered; when trying to polish one of the threads with a rag passed through it, the detail unexpectedly detached from the body and ended up in the hand

The Finnish idea is good, what can you say here, a torn thread in the mixer will not be a terrible disaster if you have the right spare part and the chances of finding a suitable eyeliner have increased, there was an opportunity to freely twist-twist the liners that do not have an internal hexagon.

I vaguely imagine why the drills were made, when assembled, these two holes are located opposite the studs. At first I thought that for pushing out the part in question, but it turned out that the thread for the studs is not complete, and in the inverted form, the stud with its threadless end, although it crawls out a little on the surface, is of no use.

Putting the part back in place is much more convenient if you screw in the flexible liners first. In the end, when the piece shrinks into place, if there is not enough finger effort, you can tap it with a piece of wood.

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 simple, 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 gland packing. 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 slightly scroll the deformed area with a cutter. 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 to mix 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, this part is held 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 must immediately screw the branch pipe into its proper 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, malfunctions often 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, 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. Often this noise is 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: