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Repairing the kitchen sink under the faucet. Repairing a single-lever mixer with your own hands: stages of work

Repairing the kitchen sink under the faucet. Repairing a single-lever mixer with your own hands: stages of work

The sound of dripping water is not only annoying, but also increases your utility bills. The cause of this sound is a faulty faucet. To repair a kitchen faucet, you don’t always need to invite plumbers to do it. Some breakdowns can be easily fixed with your own hands, saving money and gaining good experience.

Diagram of a kitchen faucet.

Kitchen faucet repair: when is it necessary?

Any faucets can break. This is especially true for kitchen faucets, since they are used more often than bathroom faucets.

Repairing a kitchen faucet is not very difficult; you just need to identify the cause of the breakdown.

Kitchen faucet repair is necessary if:

leaks from under the flywheel;
flows through the spout nut;
flows between the valve head and the male thread.

Mixer assembly diagram.

Most often, kitchen faucets have a high spout. It’s not for nothing that housewives consider this type of kitchen faucet the most convenient of all: it allows you to fill even deep containers with water. Such a mixer can be of a single-lever ball or two-valve type. The convenience of a ball kitchen faucet is that you can turn the water on and off with one hand. These faucets have fewer parts, so doing their own repairs is much easier. Most often, the need to repair a kitchen ball mixer arises due to the fragility of the shut-off valve.

Repairing a kitchen faucet requires the availability of appropriate tools and materials, the list of which may vary depending on the nature of the malfunction. A complete set that will allow you to quickly and efficiently repair the faucet in your kitchen with your own hands includes the following tools:

Hexagons.
Gas keys.
Screwdriver Set.
Large pliers.
A regular wrench.
FUM tape for sealing threaded connections.
Vinyl tape (it will need to be wrapped around the jaws of the keys in 2-3 layers to prevent scratches on the surface of the faucet).

The procedure for repairing a ball mixer for the kitchen with your own hands

Installation of a kitchen faucet (useful tips).

You can prevent the annoying sound of dripping water from appearing while installing the faucet in the kitchen, or rather, even before installing it. The likelihood of a quick failure of the ball mixer will be significantly reduced if you install filters for cleaning on the cold and hot water pipes. After all, during repair work, as a rule, it is necessary to change the entire ball module, and this work is more expensive and labor-intensive than installing filters. A ball faucet can leak for a variety of reasons. The most common of them are wear of the internal gasket and mechanical damage to the mixer body, which leads to the appearance of a chip or crack.

As already mentioned, you can repair the faucet in the kitchen yourself. Before starting work, you must turn off the water supply and prepare a shallow container to drain the water remaining in the kitchen tap. If the product was purchased in a good store, you should have the manufacturer’s instructions describing the technical characteristics of this model; perhaps this information will be useful to you.

A small chip or crack can be sealed with sealant. If the crack is large enough, it is better to replace the valve completely. If no visible damage is found, but the faucet still leaks, then the reason is most likely a worn gasket. To replace it, you must first remove the faucet.

Disassembling the mixer

DIY faucet repair.

You need to carefully unscrew the nuts on the main body of the product. In many models, the nuts are hidden under an additional housing for a more beautiful appearance. The housing can be moved with little effort, gaining access to the fasteners. It is precisely because of the additional housing that the ball mixer at first glance looks non-separable. However, its handle has a hole for a hex key. This is where dismantling the crane begins. If you don't have a special wrench, gently tap with a hammer through a screwdriver. The top ball seal is located directly under the nut. Inspect the gasket and ball. Particular attention should be paid to its upper part, because... This is where the valve holes are located. The surface of the ball should be shiny and one color.

The ball body has 3 holes with rubber seals. These holes are supported by springs that need to be removed using a screwdriver. Failure of these springs can also cause leakage. In this case, the springs need to be replaced.

Replacing the ball mixer gasket

If you disassemble the product in order to replace the gasket, be sure to first buy a new one. Gaskets are sold in all hardware stores. The faucet gasket is a rubber ring whose main function is to seal the connection. The diameter of the ring should be slightly larger than the diameter of the socket in which you discovered a leak.

After replacing the gasket, you need to tighten the nuts very carefully, because the causes of gasket wear include not only long-term use, but also excessive tightening of the connection. For rubbing parts you need to use a small amount of silicone non-toxic lubricant. With it, the mixer will last 1.5-2 times longer than without it.

For models built into the sink, the cause of the leak may be wear and tear on the ceramic cartridge built into the faucet. The procedure for replacing it is no more complicated than replacing the gasket. You just need to remove the cartridge from the case and install a new one in its place.

Do-it-yourself repair of a two-valve mixer

No less common are two-valve mixers. The weak point of such products is the rubber gasket. This is especially true for hot water taps: due to constant heating, the gasket is destroyed much faster.

Buy a new gasket. Turn off the water supply, then unscrew the handwheel of the valve to be repaired and leave it in the open position to protect the valve parts from excess pressure. Remove the decorative caps (red and blue) from the valves and remove the screw holding the flywheel using a screwdriver. After this, use an adjustable wrench to unscrew the fastening nut. Once the head is removed, you will be able to see the problem - a deformed head on the valve. Remove the contents and install a new gasket. There are models of taps in which the gaskets are secured with special nuts. If there is one on your faucet, then it needs to be removed and after installing a new gasket, returned to its place.

Oil seal leakage is a common problem.

Another fairly common malfunction of valve kitchen mixers is oil seal leakage, which occurs due to wear of the oil seal packing. To understand what repair work needs to be done, you need to disassemble the mixer in the manner described above. Sometimes it is enough to simply seal the stuffing box, and in some cases it has to be completely changed.

After disassembling the product, try to tighten the stuffing box more firmly. If the leak stops after this, you can reassemble the faucet. If the leak continues, you will have to replace the packing. Ordinary twine soaked in machine oil, a piece of rubber tube, or a thread of burlap are suitable as padding. However, this is only if your kitchen has an old Soviet-made mixer installed. If the faucet is new, then simply buy suitable spare parts at a plumbing store.

The packing should be laid clockwise. Compact each subsequent layer with a screwdriver. Here it is necessary to find a middle ground, avoiding gaps and over-compaction. The bushing should be tightened by 2-3 threads. After completing the DIY kitchen faucet repair, check its functionality. Before turning on the main water supply valve, both taps must be returned to the closed position.

Repairing a cartridge faucet

Most often, a ball valve is installed in the kitchen. It is convenient and simple, works flawlessly. Turning one knob is much more pleasant than turning two valves. In addition, the design of the ball valve also determines its reliability - it is simple and devoid of unnecessary parts that can fail at the wrong time.

The ball type mixer is very simple and easy to use.

Before repairing the faucet with your own hands, it is important to know its structure

The faucet must be disassembled with extreme care to avoid damaging anything.

However, the ball valve breaks sooner or later and begins to leak. And here you have to deal with an unpleasant thing - a design feature of the ball valve that determines its reliability at the same time and makes it difficult to repair it yourself. The fact is that the mixer mechanism is non-separable and the most important mechanisms are included in a cartridge that cannot be disassembled. If one part fails, the entire cartridge will have to be replaced.

Let us now take a closer look at other ball valve failures:

Hull cracks;
Failure of gaskets;
Cartridge clogged.

Case cracks can be repaired with your own hands only if the crack is small. In this case, you can use a sealant. This will stop the leak for a while.

If the gaskets are worn out, they must be replaced:

Shut off the water supply;
Remove the mixer by unscrewing the inlets and the nut securing it;
Replace the gasket;
Reassemble the mixer.

If the cartridge is clogged, there is nothing you can do about it yourself - you will have to replace the entire cartridge. To do this, after shutting off the water and draining the water, remove the mixer. Next, the decorative plug is removed, the lever is removed and the cartridge is removed. The old cartridge is thrown away and a new one is installed in its place. Next, the crane is put back together.

If the mixer body bursts, its replacement is inevitable.

Sometimes the cause of malfunction and difficult water supply is a clogged aerator. Repairing such a malfunction with your own hands is not at all difficult. You need to unscrew the aerator and open the tap - if the water starts flowing with the same force, then the problem is definitely in the aerator. In this case, the aerator is washed, freed from debris and put back on. Sometimes the aerator is already completely destroyed. Then it is replaced with a new one.

If water stops flowing from the shower, but flows fine from the tap, then the spool gaskets are most likely worn out. If the top gasket fails, you don’t even need to remove the mixer. Simply remove the shower hose and change the gasket. If the problem persists, then the problem is in the bottom gasket and you will have to remove the mixer yourself.

Before removing any tap, the water supply must be interrupted.

Repairing faucets in the kitchen and bathroom yourself is not difficult. And it doesn’t even require experience in plumbing work or special knowledge of mechanisms. All work can be done quickly using the most accessible tool available in any home - a knife and a screwdriver.

What a mixer is in general, no one needs to be told; everyone knows for sure that this is a device with which cold water is mixed with hot water and supplied for various needs in the kitchen or bathroom. Over its history, humanity has experienced many types and types, as well as models of faucets. Today, the most popular and in demand are faucets with a single control lever, which can be used to set the desired pressure and required water temperature.

When asking for similar devices in a store, or planning to repair a single-lever kitchen faucet with your own hands, you may find that they also have other names. Such plumbing equipment can also be called mono-command, and in everyday life many people generally call it a joystick. Such joysticks owe their popularity to their reliability and long service life, since their internal parts practically do not rub against each other, they are made of metal and ceramics, and the rubber gaskets that are there are easily replaceable.

A single-lever device consists of several parts fastened together. In order to figure out how to repair a mixer tap with one handle, you will have to become a little more familiar with its design.

Regulator (knob, lever) for water pressure and temperature.
Nut or washer for fixing the main rod.
A cartridge or a special ball-shaped valve with holes and grooves that provides mixing of water flows.
Rubber gaskets (seats) to prevent leaks.
The tap tube is threaded on one side and with a screwed-on aerator filter (mesh) on the other.
Various cuffs and washers for screwing to the sink or sink and an adjustment ring to hold the structure together.

The principle of operation of such mixers is quite simple and understandable, if you look at it. There is already an article on our website about how it works, as well as exactly how to disassemble a single-lever mixer. In a nutshell, water enters the cartridge through two holes, after which it pours out, already mixed together. By moving the internal element (ball or cartridge) using the lever, you can select different positions of the holes and grooves that are responsible for supplying colder or hotter water.

It happens that faucets fail, then there is no way to do without repairs. The easiest way is to turn to a real professional plumber, who, just by looking at the problem, most often can make a “diagnosis”, name the cause of the breakdown and methods for resolving it. But such services are not available to everyone and not always.

The cartridge system is considered more reliable because this element is made of ceramics or a special polymer, which very rarely fails, and even then due to manufacturing defects. However, it is more expensive and tends to become clogged with solid particles, for example, sand, clay or rust from the water supply.
The ball mechanism will be cheaper, but is made of metal, so it is susceptible to some corrosive phenomena, oxidizes, and due to its shape, it can accumulate limescale on the surface, which will have to be cleaned regularly.
Ball or cartridge seats, which are rubber gaskets, can also fail due to solid impurities in the water or substances dissolved in it. Then the gaskets can become deformed and even harden, which will certainly lead to failure of the entire mixer.
Overtightened nuts and washers can also lead to damage, and the mixer may jam or even jam. But loose twists also do not bring anything good, since they also have a detrimental effect on the performance and durability of the system.
Cracks, chips or manufacturing defects on the mixer body usually lead to leaks; this is a fairly common breakdown that should never be forgotten about, otherwise it’s no wonder you’ll flood your neighbors.

But the most important, main cause of breakdowns of all types of faucets, both single-lever and other, is hard water, which is present in our water supply. Over time, various substances settle on gaskets and internal surfaces, “sticking” to nuts, screws and washers, preventing them from functioning properly.

We have already figured out the basic structure, as well as the cause of possible breakdowns of the faucet; all that remains is to find out exactly what “symptoms” of breakdowns can cause a quick response, after which it is already possible and necessary to repair a single-lever kitchen faucet. There may be many signs that it’s time to pick up a screwdriver and wrench, but it doesn’t hurt to study the main ones and keep them in mind.

When the faucet leaks or drips or flows from under the lever.
If the lever is in the closed position and water is still dripping or flowing from the spout.
When the stream of water is excessively thin, but there are no visible reasons for this, and the pressure in the water supply system remains good.
If the control lever does not move smoothly, jerks, sticks, or does not reach its extreme points, then you should think about repairs as soon as possible.
If when you open the tap you hear a strange, somewhat whistling hum, then it definitely smells like kerosene and you need to think about prevention and repair.

Before you start repairing a single-lever kitchen faucet, you need to take care to completely cut off the possibility of leakage and flooding of neighbors. To do this, you need to turn off the common taps in the apartment or house, if any. If there are none, then you will have to connect the housing office, asking to turn off the entire riser, otherwise trouble cannot be avoided.

In order to repair a single-lever faucet, you will most likely have to purchase the necessary spare parts. Ball systems most often require replacement of gaskets and seats (rubber or silicone), on which the ball mechanism sits. In cartridge designs, gaskets, couplings and cuffs can also fail, but more often the entire internal ceramic element needs to be replaced, or at least washed and cleaned. But in addition to storerooms and consumables, you will also need tools, otherwise you won’t be able to do anything.

Wrenches, adjustable wrenches, sockets and hexagons.
The screwdriver is shaped and flat, powerful, with a fairly long handle.
Pliers or pliers.
An ordinary knife with a sharp edge.
Hammer.

Remove the mixer handle. It's not much different from a cartridge faucet.
After removing it, we take out the cam with the washer. You can immediately clean it of all rubbish. It won't be redundant.
Next we take out the ball itself and inspect it carefully. First, let's look at the top washer; you just need to clean it. If the ball itself looks worn out, then only replacement will help. If the springs do not press the seats against the valves well, then it is worth replacing both. It's not very difficult. You hook them with a screwdriver and take them out.
Well, that’s basically it. The problem may also be due to limescale deposits or wear of mechanical components.
Weak pressure? The gaskets on the supply lines may be pinched, or there may be poor passage of pipes or hoses. It’s also worth mentioning the aerator, this is a mesh at the end of the tap. If something is not very good with the flow of water, then you should remove this mesh and clean it, this is done very simply, you can use a needle, or you can use strong pressure of water. If anything, then it can be changed, their price is low, so you can afford to replace them sometimes. However, if a similar situation occurs often, then this makes you think that it makes sense to install at least mechanical filters. This will greatly extend the operation of the device and the life of the sink.

How to understand that a faucet needs repair

As a rule, each of us opens and closes the water in the kitchen several dozen times during the day, but almost no one counts these times. Such movements place a very heavy load on the mixer, which on average is designed for a million such movements, but with frequent opening and closing it is also prone to breakage.

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 2 minutes

There are not so many plumbing fixtures in an ordinary apartment. Typically, taps and sinks are installed in bathrooms and kitchen areas. Sooner or later, such devices need repair or replacement. To carry out this procedure, most residents prefer to call representatives of the housing office (this is their diocese). However, you can carry out repairs and replacements on your own. This approach allows you to save money (the plumber will not work for free) and gain confidence in the quality of the work performed. So, how do you repair a faucet yourself?

Symptoms of a problem

How to change a faucet in the kitchen? To answer this question, you need to firmly know that it is replacement that is needed, and not minor repairs. The following signs indicate problems with the mixer:

Dampness near the sink, small puddles may form. This is an alarming signal that residents rarely pay attention to, attributing the appearance of moisture to their own carelessness. Reason: depressurization of flexible hose connections.
The faucet is leaking. Water constantly drips from the faucet nozzle, even when closed. Reason: wear of rubber seals.

Water flows from under the lever or valves. Reason: failure of the valve axlebox or cartridge.
Weak pressure, difficulty regulating water temperature. It is likely that the supply hoses are clogged or there is poor passage of the common house pipes.

In any of the situations described above, you can disassemble and repair the mixer yourself. The exception is the repair of modern models, stuffed with electronics and touch controls. Even the housing office plumbers will not help here: you will need to call the manufacturer’s service representatives.

It is worth noting that three types of faucets are used in the kitchen: single-lever, two-valve with a worm or ceramic faucet axle. Let's consider the repair of each structure separately.

Preparing for work

Before disassembling the faucet in the kitchen, you need to carry out preparatory work. In particular, shut off the water supply: we close the shut-off elements on the main house pipes leading into the apartment. Considering that shut-off valves are rarely closed, the procedure can cause certain difficulties. Lubricant applied to the threads will help turn the tap. You should not use hammers or other impact tools: you can break the threaded connection and flood the neighbors below.

HELPFUL INFORMATION: How to connect a gas stove in an apartment

The right thing to do is to prepare your tools in advance. In particular:

Screwdriver: flat and Phillips.
Pliers.
Set of hexagons.
A set of wrenches, including an adjustable one.

In addition, you may need FUM tape, rubber for making seals, or flax thread.

So, how to properly repair a faucet?

Single lever

This is the most common design found in most kitchens. This is a rotary mechanism where the water pressure and temperature are regulated by lifting or turning the handle.

A faucet of this design leaks for three reasons:

Deformation or damage to the rubber gasket.
Mechanical damage to the housing.
Cartridge failure.

What to do in these situations? First, visually inspect the housing for chips or cracks. A detected crack clearly indicates that the mixer needs to be replaced. You can briefly cover the chip with sealant or “cold welding,” but this is a temporary measure. If the outer shell is in order, the faucet needs to be disassembled. This is done as follows:

Remove the decorative plug. This is a small plastic circle that is located under the rotary handle. It can be picked up with a flat screwdriver or a knife blade.
Unscrew the fixing bolt. To do this, you will need a hexagon of the appropriate diameter. It is not recommended to use a screwdriver: you can grind off the edges of the retainer.
Remove the swing arm.
Unscrew the control washer.

Having completed these manipulations, we gain access to the internal filling of the mixer. In particular, you can see the O-ring and the cartridge that is located under it. If the faucet leaks due to wear of the seal, we replace it. The new ring must be larger in diameter than the allocated connector and fit into place with noticeable effort.

If upon visual inspection the wear of the o-ring is not noticeable, the problem lies in the cartridge. This element cannot be repaired and must be replaced entirely. To ensure that the faucet is repaired and the leak is eliminated, you need to clean all the components from any deposits that have formed. The mixer is assembled in reverse order.

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With two worm-type crane axle boxes

In two valve models, water is mixed by alternating rotation of the “wings” responsible for supplying cold and hot water. The design is quite cheap, so it is in high demand. If the mixer is leaking due to a crack in the body, it is necessary to dismantle the faucet and install a new one. However, the most common failure is the wear of the rubber gaskets that hold back the flow of water. This problem is typical for the valve that supplies hot water. Regular exposure to high temperatures destroys rubber, which violates the tightness of the joint between the faucet axlebox and the mixer body. To eliminate the defect, you need to disassemble the faucet.

How to remove a worm-type valve?

Here's what to do:

We remove the decorative plug from the “lamb”.
Unscrew the fixing screw with a screwdriver.
We remove the valve.
We unscrew the axle box valve with an open-end wrench.
Remove the worn gasket.
We install a new seal.
We assemble the tap in the reverse order.

Please note that a worn element can be replaced with a factory gasket, or you can independently cut an analogue from dense rubber. Replacing the faucet axle box in the mixer is carried out in case of thread wear or mechanical damage to the part.

With ceramic faucet axle box

This is an analogue of the previous model, which has a longer service life. The reliability of the design is ensured by replacing the rubber gasket and ceramic plates. However, such faucet axle boxes are sensitive to water quality: the presence of sand or small debris has a detrimental effect on the ceramics. In particular, the plates are ground off, which leads to a violation of the tightness of the connections. If you use a faucet with ceramic faucet axle boxes, be sure to install a filter to purify the water.

Disassembling a model with a ceramic faucet axle box occurs according to the scheme described above, but you can repair the mixer differently. If the plates are worn, they must be replaced. You can purchase the necessary elements at a plumbing store, taking the faucet box with you. The problem may also lie in the wear of the gasket: it presses the plates, blocking the water. If the faucet is dripping, you can extend the gasket by gluing a layer of rubber on top or wrapping several turns of electrical tape. Don't forget to make holes for water! The valve axle box in the mixer is replaced if routine repairs are not possible.

HELPFUL INFORMATION: Why does hot water flow from a cold tap?

Replacement

How to change a faucet in the kitchen? All of the above models of kitchen faucets are changed according to the same scheme: remove the fastening bolts connecting the mixer and sink, disconnect the flexible hoses. Then you can completely remove the sink and check the condition of the hoses and siphon. After this, the installation of a new faucet is carried out: we hang the sink in place, connect the mixer with a flexible hose, and install the fasteners.

Repairing the mixer is not difficult, the main thing is to carefully perform all the steps and not to use excessive force when tightening the threaded connections.

If a kitchen faucet is leaking, how to fix it is an important question. Surely many have noticed that water drips from the tap, and this happens even when the lever or screw is closed. In this case, you can quickly fix the problem by knowing the source. However, what to do if it is not clear why the tap is dripping and what to do about it? Today we will talk in detail about how to find the cause of the leak and how to get rid of it. In addition, do not forget that from time to time preventive measures will be an excellent addition to avoiding leaks.

Leaking is the most well-known problematic situation that occurs with plumbing. And it doesn’t matter whether it is in the kitchen or bathroom. A faucet leak can occur for many reasons.

Table No. 1. Causes of leaking faucets.

Cause	Solution
Poor quality faucet	Often, wanting to save some money, people prefer lower-cost faucets. But you should understand that cheap taps can leak water. It is unlikely that you will be able to avoid this problem if you have already purchased such a faucet. Therefore, when purchasing, always choose only tools from trusted manufacturers whose products you are confident in the quality of. It also happens that you buy a product from a well-known brand at a low cost. Here you need to be able to distinguish a fake from an original, because a common model is unlikely to be sold for pennies.
Incorrect installation of the faucet	This is the second most common reason. Most often it occurs in people who, without experience, install the mixer themselves. Also included here are cases of incorrect assembly of the faucet. With such errors, often even the most expensive faucets lose all their advantages, begin to drip, rust, and creak. To solve the problem, you need to trust the installation of faucets to people who have extensive experience in this and cannot make mistakes, even holding in his hands is a mixer with unfamiliar designs or fastening systems, etc. If you leave this work in the hands of a master, be sure to check the qualifications, otherwise you risk wasting time and money.
Incorrect use of the faucet	Although the mixer provides the ability to twist and move in the other direction, or rotate the screws, you still need to work with it with extreme caution. Problems in this direction can arise if you apply a lot of force when installing the mixer, turn the tap itself at the wrong angle, or lift up or pressed down, screws were unscrewed further than they should be. All this spoils the product and in the future can lead not only to leakage of the faucet, but also to a final breakdown. In this case, there is only one solution - buy another faucet and handle it with care.
Wear of parts	Few people think that the faucet is literally becoming obsolete. Constantly turning the lever on and off and moving parts wears out the materials over time. This happens especially often with rubber gaskets. It is not difficult to solve this when some materials have been damaged. Here it will be enough to replace them. This can be prevented by carrying out preventative maintenance on the cranes.
Equipment expiration date	Although this happens less often, even this reason can lead to a water leak. As a result, you will also have to buy a new faucet, which can last for several years if used properly.

What you need to repair a faucet

First you need to find the source of the problem. They are in different places:

Valve. Drops appear on the element that opens and closes the water.
The crane itself. Here the liquid flows in a small stream or drips. Naturally, water leaks out even when the lever is turned off.
The junction of the mixer and the spout.
There is a hole in the mixer, liquid is visible from this hole.
The junction of the faucet with plumbing systems or at the attachment to the countertop.

Before repairing the mixer, be sure to close the water supply at both temperatures. Then begin repair work. Moreover, many experts advise completely replacing the faucet.

Water from the valve

Often liquid can be seen directly under the valve. Here the problem lies in a worn-out crane axle box.

To organize the solution, look to see if there is any space around the faucet axle and the mixer itself. Replace the gaskets (they may not be worn out, but they need to be replaced), a preventive action will help improve the performance of the product.

Tap water

This situation proves that the crane axle box is no longer suitable. This often appears in economical models that are not particularly high quality.

To correct the situation, install another valve axle box and directly replace the valve itself.

Water between mixer and spout

This is not difficult to fix - you just need to install different gaskets. Another reason is sometimes a loose part, which appears when the product has been in operation for a long time. However, in the second case, replacing the gaskets will not hurt.

Video - Mixer repair

Water leaks from the pipe connection

This occurs when the product is installed incorrectly. Especially if the worker, when tightening the nuts, applies a lot of force, after which he tightens them. Hoses made from poor materials can also have an effect. The latter case requires replacing them, and at the same time replacing the gaskets.

Important. While working, make sure that the tap is firmly attached to the table. If it loosens easily, replace the gaskets. An excellent solution would be to install it on silicone, after which the leaks will stop completely. You can read about how to install a faucet in the kitchen in ours.

Water is leaking from the housing

The repair process in such a situation becomes difficult; the entire body will have to be removed. Below we offer step-by-step instructions for repairing a faucet when water leaks from its body

Step 1. Shut off the water supply to your house (if you live in a private sector), apartment or one branch.

Step 2. Unscrew the hoses and all fastenings of the product to the tabletop.

Step 3. Remove the retaining ring.

Step 4. Take the new O-rings and press them firmly into the grooves.

Step 5. Place the gander in its original place and secure the ring.

Step 6. Reinstall the hose. Don't touch the body itself yet. Turn on the water supply and make sure everything works. If yes, install the case. If not, then you made a mistake in the above points.

Prevention of leakage

Prevention is beneficial in everything, and faucet operation is no exception. In order for the faucet to continue to supply water without leaks, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures in a timely manner. This procedure may take several hours, but it will help prevent major breakdowns or unexpected mandatory replacement of the faucet.

You can do this in the following sequence:

The first step is to fill a bucket of water and turn off the water supply.
Then slightly unscrew the connection between the countertop and the drain. Sometimes you have to cut the sealant connecting the sink to the cabinet, and then lift the sink with a spatula. This is necessary for easy removal of the mixer. Don't forget to unscrew the bolts!
Remove the plug from the faucet lever and remove the screw from under it.
Now let's disassemble the mixer itself. Carefully inspect each element for damage and rust, rinse with water and a cleaning agent.
Inspect the rubber parts. Replace if they are dry or torn.
Then reassemble the structure and install the mixer.

You need to perform these steps at least once, and preferably two or three times a year.

Lever crane repair

A faucet that has a lever instead of screws is much easier to use: a small movement is enough to create the required temperature and jet pressure. But often this convenience comes at a price, often manifesting itself in a broken cartridge that will need to be replaced. The cartridges themselves were created in two varieties:

Disk. The main part here is plates made of ceramics that move in different directions when the lever rotates.
Ball. Here the working part is a ball that combines three small holes. By turning the mixer lever, the ball inside it rotates, and this changes the pressure of the flowing liquid and the temperature level.

How do you know if a faucet part needs to be replaced? You may notice one of the following reasons:

even with the lever closed, fluid leaks;
you have to press to move the lever from its place, since it is very tight;
fluid supply is slow or not at all;
liquid appears in the area of the lever itself.

To install another cartridge, you need to remove the tap, turning off the water first. Then disassemble and carefully examine all the elements of the cartridge. Among them you will probably find a part that has already worn out - this one needs to be replaced. After replacement, reassemble the entire structure in reverse order and put the faucet in place.

What are the risks when purchasing and using the product?

We talked about repairing this kitchen product. But in addition to this, you need to understand what risks exist during the purchase of a faucet and use associated with the breakdown of the mixer:

Don't buy cheap products. Often such faucets are made of unknown alloys, and not at all from steel, as they say on the packaging. Such products break down quickly. An important drawback is also the fact that you cannot repair this faucet; you will definitely have to go to a specialized store for a new one. The main thing is not to take the same faucet, hoping that it will work better. Therefore, an important rule: do not save on such things - you risk overpaying even more.
Buy products only from brands that have been known in the market for a long time. You can ask your friends what kind of faucet they use and how well it works. Also, do not hesitate to ask the advice of a consultant in the store - they will help you choose a product. Often these cranes have an average cost. There is no point in buying an expensive product (solely for the sake of design), but there is also no point in buying a faucet for 700 rubles.
Along with the tap, purchase and install a special filter that will thoroughly clean the water. This is usually required for those whose water contains grains of sand and other small components.
Install a device that will help protect the faucet from salts and hardness. At the same time, the sink will become much more attractive in appearance, and the mixer will work much longer.

Table No. 2. Names of mixers and their prices.

№	Mixer name	Price
1	Lemark Plus Strike	RUB 2,420
2	IDDIS Alborg	RUB 2,730
3	Rossinka Silvermix	RUB 2,190
4	Grohe Concetto	RUB 9,990
5	Kaiser Teka	4,950 rub.
6	Jacob Delafon Caraf	RUB 27,200
7	Omoikiri Tonami-C	RUB 11,790

Prices for different types of kitchen faucets

Kitchen faucets

How to replace the gasket inside the faucet

If liquid is leaking from a closed faucet, the source of this situation is usually a worn element. With prolonged use, the gasket loses its elasticity, begins to lag somewhat behind the seat, and liquid can flow even from the mixer that is turned off, because it finds other ways of penetration. In advanced situations, water not only drips, but flows in a trickle.

However, there is no need to be afraid of this, because it is easy to restore the correct operation of the mixer - you just need to buy a rubber gasket and install it instead of the old, worn one. For this, at most a certain key of the required size and a pair of spacers may be useful.

It has been noted many times that before starting any work, you need to turn off the water in the entire room. After this, it would be a good idea to check that the water is definitely turned off by turning on the tap, and only then start working.

Remove the faucet using the wrench available. It is recommended to wrap the faucet with fabric to avoid damage. When you cover it with a rag, you can apply the key and unscrew it. After removing the head, remove the valve and remove the old gasket or valve, replacing the worn element with a new one. In this case, the valve can be pryed off with a knife, screwdriver, awl - anything.

When choosing gaskets, you need to pay attention to their sizes and other important components. For example, the edges must be beveled at an angle of about 45 degrees. If the angle is different, the faucet will make loud noises when dispensing water. If you don’t have such a gasket in the store, buy a regular one and cut it yourself.

Video - How to install a rubber gasket

Screw the housing to the tabletop. Modern products do not require winding. Moreover, it is even contraindicated in these faucets, because it often causes cracks to appear. The situation is different with cranes purchased in the USSR. Here you need to apply tow on the thread, lubricate it with a special paste and tighten it. Only after all these procedures can you try to turn on the water.

Often a different situation occurs - the liquid does not flow at all or flows in a thin stream. The decision here is not difficult. There is often only one reason for this - the gasket has come off the rod and does not allow water supply. You can try turning the tap on and off 10-15 times, thereby trying to move the gasket. If it doesn’t work, you need to remove the tap and put the rubber element in place. It is also recommended to install only the purchased one.

Video - Replace the gaskets correctly on the lever

The faucet drips for many reasons and in many places. However, often the reason is one of two things: either you have a low-quality product, or the gasket is already worn out. In the second case, you need to replace it with a new one. You can contact a plumber who will quickly fix the leak. To prevent this, you need to use only faucets produced by popular manufacturers, and not skimp on it.

Modern plumbing is constantly changing its appearance, using more advanced technologies and materials, so it is not just functional and convenient, but also durable. Thousands of companies around the world are developing durable products that are easy to use and maintain.

For example, double-valve faucets, in which it is difficult to set a comfortable temperature, have been replaced by single-lever models that can be easily opened even with one hand. In this article we will tell you what the device is, as well as how to repair a ball bathroom faucet with your own hands.

Design

A single-lever bath mixer is structurally different from a double-valve one. It has only one lever handle, with which you can regulate the temperature and water pressure in the tap. This type of faucet is also known as one-armed bandit, ball, joint, joystick. It performs three main functions: mixing water at the optimal temperature, forming a jet and changing its power. The mechanism of its action is quite simple:

Please note that a single-lever faucet consists of the following structural elements: a rotary handle, a faucet cover, a spout with a faucet body, an internal chamber or cartridge, as well as several gaskets and seals.

Kinds

Inside the mixer, as can be seen even from the name of this plumbing fixture, cold and hot water are mixed in order to obtain a stream of optimal temperature. This process is carried out using a ceramic cartridge or ball mechanism. Based on the design of the internal chamber of the mixer, there are 2 types of devices:

Important! Despite the differences in the internal structure, models with a ball mechanism and a ceramic cartridge look and function approximately the same. However, there are also differences: the cartridge is better protected from the accumulation of limescale, and the “ball” is resistant to impurities contained in tap water.

Advantages and disadvantages

Many homeowners pay attention to the single-lever mixer, because its design, repair, and installation are simple, but at the same time very effective and functional. These more modern devices differ from two-valve ones not only in their more aesthetic appearance. They are also very convenient to use; they allow you to more accurately and quickly adjust the water temperature and reduce its consumption. But they also have disadvantages:

Remember! To increase the service life of a single-lever mixer, you can improve the quality of tap water by installing a special filter, as well as perform timely preventive maintenance of the device.

Problems during operation

Even high-quality plumbing fixtures fail over time. The service life of the faucet depends on the material from which it is made, the quality of the tap water and the intensity of use. The most common problems that arise when using single-lever models are:

Important! No matter how high the quality of the mixer, it needs preventative maintenance. Even if no problems arise during operation, you need to disassemble the device once every 2 years, clean it, and replace the gaskets. After all, even a small speck that gets under the seal can cause a leak.

Repair

Many home craftsmen are interested in how to repair a single-lever ball mixer if it begins to work poorly. Experienced plumbers say: if the device becomes unusable, you can only completely replace the cartridge or clean it, as well as replace the gaskets. To do this you need to proceed as follows:

Please note that each plumbing fixture has its own service life, which depends on its quality and intensity of use. However, this period can be extended if you improve the quality of tap water using a purifying filter, as well as regularly carry out preventive maintenance of the device. For a single-lever mixer, maintenance consists of periodic disassembly and cleaning, as well as timely replacement of rubber seals.