How to repair a faucet in the kitchen with your own hands?

In an ordinary apartment there are not so many plumbing fixtures. Typically taps and sinks are installed in bathrooms and kitchens. Sooner or later, such devices need to be repaired or replaced. To perform this procedure, most residents prefer to call representatives of the housing office (this is their diocese). However, repairs and replacement can be done on their own. This approach allows you to save money (a plumber will not work for free) and gain confidence in the quality of work performed. So, how do you repair the mixer with your own hands?

Symptoms

How to change the faucet in the kitchen? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to know firmly that a replacement is necessary, and not minor repairs. The following symptoms indicate problems with the mixer:

• Dampness near the sink, the formation of small puddles. This is an alarming signal, which residents rarely pay attention to, attributing the appearance of moisture to their own sloppiness. Reason: Depressurization of flexible hose connections.
• Leaking tap. Water is constantly dripping from the nozzle of the mixer, even when closed. Reason: wear of rubber seals.

• Water flows from under the lever or valves. Reason: failure of the axlebox or cartridge cartridge.
• Weak head, difficulty adjusting the water temperature. Probably there was a clogging of the supply hoses or poor patency of the common house pipes.

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

It is worth noting that three types of faucets are used for the kitchen: single-lever, two-valve with a worm or ceramic crane axle box. Consider the repair of each structure separately.

Preparation for work

Before disassembling the mixer in the kitchen, you need to carry out preparatory work. In particular, shut off the water supply: we wrap shut-off elements on the supply of common house pipes to the apartment. Given that shut-off valves rarely overlap, the procedure can cause certain difficulties. The grease applied to the thread will help to turn the tap. Do not use hammers and other percussion instruments: you can break the threaded connection and flood the neighbors from below.

It will be correct to prepare tools in advance. In particular:

• Screwdriver: flat and cross-shaped.
• Pliers.
• A set of hexagons.
• Set of wrenches, including adjustable spanner.

In addition, FUM tape, rubber for the manufacture of gaskets, and linen thread may be required.

So, how to repair the crane?

Single lever

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

A crane of this design leaks for three reasons:

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

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

• We remove a decorative cap. This is a small plastic circle, which is located under the rotary handle. It can be picked up with a flat screwdriver or a knife blade.
• We unscrew the fixing bolt. To do this, you need a hexagon of the appropriate diameter. Using a screwdriver is not recommended: you can grind the edges of the latch.
• Remove the swing arm.
• Turn off the control washer.

Having completed these manipulations, we get access to the internal filling of the mixer. In particular, you can see the o-ring and the cartridge, which is located under it. If the valve leaks due to wear of the seal, we replace it. The new ring should exceed the allotted connector in diameter, and lie down in place with a noticeable effort.

If, during a visual inspection, the wear of the o-ring is not noticeable, the problem lies in the cartridge. This item is not repairable and is replaced in its entirety. In order to guaranteely repair the tap and eliminate the leak, it is necessary to clean all components from the formed plaque. The mixer is assembled in reverse order.

With two worm-type axle boxes

In two valve models, the water is mixed by rotating the “lamb” in turn, which are responsible for supplying cold and hot water. The design is quite cheap, so it is in high demand. If the mixer flows due to a crack in the body, it is necessary to dismantle the tap and install a new one. However, the most common malfunction is the wear of rubber gaskets that inhibit the flow of water. This problem is typical for a hot water valve. Regular exposure to high temperatures destroys the rubber, which violates the tightness of the junction of the axle box crane and the mixer body. To eliminate the defect, you need to disassemble the crane.

How to remove a worm-type valve?

Here's what you need to do:

• We remove the decorative plug from the "lamb".
• We unscrew the fixing screw with a screwdriver.
• Remove the valve.
• Unscrew the axle box crane with an open end wrench.
• Remove the worn gasket.
• Install a new seal.
• We assemble the crane in the reverse order.

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

With ceramic axle box

This is an analogue of the previous model, which has a longer service life. Reliability of the design is ensured by replacing the rubber gasket, ceramic plates. However, such axle boxes are sensitive to water quality: the presence of sand or fine litter has a detrimental effect on ceramics. In particular, the plates grind off, which leads to a violation of the tightness of the joints. If you are using a faucet with ceramic faucet boxes, you must install a filter for water treatment.

The disassembly of the model with a ceramic crane axle box occurs according to the scheme described above, but the mixer can be repaired otherwise. If the plates are worn, they must be replaced. You can buy the necessary items in a plumbing store, taking a crane with you axle box. The problem may lie in the wear of the gasket: it presses the plate, blocking the water. If the tap drips, you can build up the gasket by pasting a layer of rubber on top or by wrapping several turns of electrical tape. Do not forget to make water holes! Replacement of the axle box faucet in the mixer is carried out if current repair is not possible.

Replacement

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

It is not difficult to repair the mixer; the main thing is to carefully perform all the steps and not to exert excessive forces when tightening the threaded connections.