Do-it-yourself kitchen faucet repair

A kitchen tap provides us with water dozens of times a day. Not surprisingly, it fails more often than in the bathroom. Before you call a plumber or buy a new mixer, you should try to repair it with your own hands.

If you are reading this article, it means that one of these breakdowns has occurred with your mixer:

• The tap leaks, water drips from under the handle;
• Water drips from the spout even when the valves are closed;
• When opening the mixer in the pipes there is a buzzing sound;
• The water jet is too thin;
• Single lever mixer works "jerks";
• Water flows from the cap nut on the spout;
• The lever of the crane is not fixed in the desired position;
• Leak around flywheel (valve structures).

What you need to repair

Before you begin to repair the kitchen faucet with your own hands, you need to prepare all the tools and necessary components of the crane.

You will need:

• Key for hexagons;
• The key to adjust;
• Knife-cutter;
• Screwdriver and hammer.

Also repair requires additional materials - dry rags, lubricants. And if the crane is leaking, you will have to purchase spare parts: a new cartridge or its parts (for a single-lever mixer), seal rings, a crane-box (for a two-component design).

We repair single-lever ball-type mixer

There are four reasons why a crane should be repaired:

• Cracks, chips, caused by mechanical damage to the body;
• A blockage in the cartridge between the seats and the ball;
• Worn gaskets;
• Clogged or rusty aerator.

What to do if there is a defect on the case? You can try to repair it with cold welding - sealant (putty). But this, nevertheless, is a temporary measure, and soon it will be necessary to change the mixer after all.

If the problem is a weak head of water, then most likely the reason for the blockage of the aerator. Then you need to get it, clean the mesh, for example, with a toothbrush, and then install it back.

Let's deal with faults more seriously.

When the valve flows without visible damage, the case is most likely in violation of the integrity of the gasket or in the breakdown of the cartridge. In this case, a complete disassembly of the kitchen single-lever mixer is required.

How to disassemble the faucet? First, turn off the water and let the remains of it from the tap. Then explore the device single lever kitchen tap in the photo.

Now we will begin repair step by step:

1. On the main body unscrew the screw. It is usually hidden behind a decorative cap, which must be disconnected with a screwdriver, as shown in the photo.

Tip! You can disassemble and repair the device, even if you do not have a hex key. To do this, gently knock the fastening nut with a hammer on a screwdriver.

2. The lever and cap are removed, and now we need to get a cartridge and inspect the entire device for defects. To do this, unscrew the cam with a wrench.

3. The disassembled valve is inspected for defects: the gasket is inspected, the surface of the ball and the springs supporting the rubber seals in the holes. Settled springs and worn out valve, if necessary, replace. At this stage, you need to clear all the details of the accumulated water deposits.
4. Most often, a leak from a valve arises due to a blockage between the ball and the valve seats in the cartridge. In this case, you just need to change it. The whole complexity of this task consists in the proper choice of the cartridge, and repairing the mixer with your own hands is completely simple.

Tip! Heading to the plumbing shop for a new cartridge, take the old one with you so that you don’t lose money with the size, because the cartridges are not standardized - they are manufactured in a wide variety of diameters and materials.

New cartridge is installed so that its holes are aligned with the holes inside the mixer body. Then we fasten the washer back (first with our hands, then tightly, but not too tightly with the key).

5. We check the quality of our work by water. If it does not leak, then proceed to install the cap, and then the lever - twist the screw in it and fasten the cap.

How to change the gasket in the mixer? It is also quite easy. It is necessary to remove the old sealing rings and change them to new ones, on which we first apply a little sanitary lubricant.

Tip! For all rubbing parts of the product, you should use a non-toxic silicone-based lubricant. This will increase the service life of structural elements in half.

Repair two valve valve - the main tips

How to fix this type of mixer? It is necessary to disassemble and replace worn elements - crane-bush and / or gasket.

The sequence of works in this case will be as follows:

1. The water completely overlaps, after which the valve flywheel is moved to the operating position so that the part is not affected by overpressure.
2. Next, you need to disassemble the structure - for this, the decorative caps are removed and the screw securing the flywheel is removed. This will require a screwdriver. Further, the old crane-box is replaced by a new suitable size, and the design is assembled back.

3. If the gasket is worn out, then it is simply removed, and a new one, lubricated with sanitary lubricant, is installed in its place.

Often valve faucets need to be repaired due to the fact that they have leaked the gland. Then it must be disassembled according to the same algorithm and replace the worn gasket.

And sometimes in order to adjust the valve, it is enough just to fix the stuffing box sleeve as shown in the video:

Tip! Replacing the packing is needed only when the sleeve is tightly tightened and the flow is still present. As packing, they are used (for old mixers):

• Rubber tube of appropriate dimensions;
• Burlap threads;
• Drying rope with impregnation of linseed oil.

If you see that the thread is worn out on the details, then it means that the time has come to update the plumbing.

Some Prevention Tips

The ability to repair a kitchen faucet yourself is a great way to save money. However, repair is not always able to fully restore the efficiency of the crane and it is often easier to simply change the mixer in the kitchen.

Keep in mind that:

• Designs of heavy metals (brass) are considered the most durable;
• The most substandard are Chinese or Turkish silumin products;
• The convenience of a single-lever device is obvious - it is opened with one free hand. It is also easier to repair, as there are fewer parts in the structure.
• Repair mixer can be prevented. Most often the main cause of malfunctions are pollution coming from the water mains. Therefore, installing special coarse water filters will help you keep the mixer intact longer.

(Rate the material! Already voted:61 average rating: 4,70 from 5)

Loading...

See also:

• Choosing a kitchen faucet
• 5 steps of mounting the mixer in the kitchen do it yourself
• Choosing a kitchen sink in 5 easy steps.
• Installing the kitchen sink - instructions, tips, video
• Corner kitchen sink - selection and installation