Replacing faucet boxes in the mixer

Any bathroom and modern kitchen cannot exist without a water supply system, one of the main devices of which is a mixer. It provides the desired temperature and pressure of the flowing water, which gives the necessary amenities and comfort when using water in the house. In case of violation of these functions, replacement of the axle box crane is required, this is the name of the special device installed in the mixer body and ensuring its uninterrupted operation.

Types of devices

• With rubber inserts.

Faucets of the old design use a axle box with rubber gaskets to shut off the water flow. rise or fall by means of a screw rod, thereby ensuring the flow of the right amount of water from the tap. The advantage of this device is its low cost and ease of repair, and the disadvantage is the rapid wear of rubber gaskets.

• Ceramic.

Instead of rapidly wearing rubber, these products use ceramics made from powder metals sintered at high temperatures. This technology allows you to get ceramic material, many times greater in durability rubber used previously. The main advantage of such a axle box crane is its strength and durability. It is necessary to take into account the fact that ceramic parts do not tolerate contact with sand particles that may be present in water, and therefore require additional water treatment. The disadvantage is the rather high cost.

Regardless of who installed and repaired the faucets in the bathroom or the kitchen, it is not a pleasant day, and you notice that water is constantly dripping from the mixer, it does not shut off water well, an extraneous sound is heard when opening and closing, the stock scrolls or completely fails.

Reasons for the malfunction

The axle box crane has a rod with a worm gear, during rotation of which, a rubber gasket attached to its end closes the valve that lets water through, which regulates its amount. During operation, the rubber is deformed, loses its properties and begins to let water through even when closed. Often, such a defect causes a rumor that is unpleasant for hearing in the supply pipes. With prolonged use, the worm gear of the rod may fail, which does not completely block the device.

Ceramic axle boxes made of ceramics consist of two parts having identical openings overlapping during the rotation of one of them, and in contrast to valves with a rubber gasket, ceramic ones are closed when the handwheel is turned just half a turn. Such products last long enough, they fail less often than devices with rubber gasket, but require additional purification of water from solid particles that adversely affect it working capacity.

You can repair the axle box crane with your own hands, having a simple set of tools that almost everyone has. A screwdriver, a wrench of the required size or an adjustable wrench are needed, maybe you need a drill and pliers if the faucet has been in operation for a long time and the seat nest is rusted and dirty, which will interfere dismantling.

Repair crane axle boxes

• With rubber gasket

Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to completely shut off the water entering the mixer. We have already identified the cause and object of the malfunction and can proceed to disassemble it. Remove the decorative caps from the flywheel, unscrew the screw that secures the flywheel to the stem and unscrew the axle box. When disassembling, there may be a problem with loosening the screw or the axle box itself due to the fact that they are strongly oxidized or rusted. The screw head must be drilled, and the threaded connection of the faucet and mixer should be lubricated with a rust solvent and, after waiting 15 minutes, it is easy to unscrew the axle box. After dismantling, inspect the mixer and decide what to do next. If the rubber gasket fails, then simply replace it with a new one. If the worm gear stem is defective, then the axle box crane must be replaced.

• Ceramic

In the same way, the ceramic axle box is dismantled. If it turns out that the problem arose due to poor adherence of the plates to each other when solid particles entered the space between them, it is necessary to completely disassemble the valve.

Often, it is enough to simply clean the ceramic plates of dirt and rust, grease them with a high-viscosity waterproof grease and reassemble the axle box crane. Do not forget that the plates are rubbed together by a certain side and they cannot be turned over, as this will only worsen its work. If the ceramic parts are damaged, then you must try to purchase the same, which is usually very difficult. It’s easier to just buy the necessary mixer.

Installation of axle boxes

If you need to buy a new crane, you need to consider where the product was manufactured. Imported cranes have a rod with slots for installing the flywheel, and ours with a square to which the flywheel is attached. Installation thread of two types - 1/5 and 3/8 inches. This must be taken into account when buying a new crane. The easiest way is to bring the removed crane to the store, and the consultants will select the necessary one. Replacing the axle box crane is done after the seat has been cleaned of dirt and rust. In the case of installing a repaired crane, it is also cleaned with a rough metal brush. After similar processing of the seat and the axle box itself, a thin layer of waterproof grease is applied to the threaded joint, which will make it possible in the future, if necessary, to easily replace the product. To improve insulation on the thread, you can wrap several turns of sealing fum tape.

The axle box crane is screwed into place by hand, and then tightened with a wrench to the desired state, being careful not to damage the gasket on the valve seat.

Now you can open the shut-off valves and check the work done.