Any owner may experience a breakdown of the faucet, so everyone should know how to disassemble the faucet. This is the only way to identify and establish existing defects. Anyone, even not related to plumbing, can disassemble the mixer.
First you need to prepare the necessary tools. Take a wrench, a few screwdrivers (including a flat one), pliers, and store-bought rubber pads. Be sure to turn off the water supply and get to work.
Ball mixer device
Before you understand how to disassemble a ball valve, you need to learn about its device.
Reliability and durability of the named mixer provides a non-separable ceramic cartridge. There are no seals in the design - this is due to the accuracy of the located parts. Classic ball valve consists of:
- stubs;
- stock;
- screw;
- adjustment ring;
- rubber seat;
- hollow ball (required for water mixing);
- aerator;
- inletwater;
- steam and control cuff;
- ball sleeve.
Ball Mixer Disassembly
So, how to disassemble the ball valve? To dismantle the lever of a single-lever faucet, remove the decorative trim and unscrew the screw located directly below it. Do not be afraid to use force: in most cases, the screw is securely fixed. Some models may have a lever on the stem, then you do not need to unscrew anything, just move the lever to the top position and everything can be easily removed.
After you have removed the lever, open the faucet body cover. You will see carvings on it. Take a screwdriver and remove the cover. If you did everything right, the clamp nut will show. Take a wrench, choosing the correct diameter. Remove the nut to expose the cartridge. It contains a ball, under which there is a rubber gasket. The breakdown of the crane occurs due to its deformation and wear. To fix the problem, you need to replace this item.
Two-valve mixer device
Currently, two types of double-valve faucet can be purchased. The first contains a bushing crane as an elastic gasket. The second has a locking mechanism, which is a ceramic plate. Disassembling the bathroom faucet is not difficult in both cases. The two-valve mixer is also equipped with:
- water spray aerator;
- spout spout;
- body and mount.
Two-valve mixer disassembly
Are you interested in how to disassemble a faucet with multiple valves? The design of this faucet is simple, so you can easily handle this task.
First of all, remove the plugs on the taps. After you have removed them, you can see the screws. Pry them out with a screwdriver. You'll see the rubber pads, but it's hard to tell if they're damaged from the outside. Most likely, they need to be replaced or all connections must be tightened so that the tap does not hang out.
Another reason for the unstable operation of the mixer is the scale that forms on it. To remove it, use a flathead screwdriver. A similar method, by the way, is used in disassembling a ball valve with two levers.
Single lever mixer device
Different devices can be equipped with ceramic or ball cartridges. In the first case, the model will be equipped with a hollow ball, in the second case, with two tightly ground ceramic washers that are displaced when the handle is turned. It is thanks to this that the mixing of water and its direct supply occurs. This faucet comes with:
- case;
- cap;
- rotary handle;
- replaceable mechanical cleaning cartridge;
- gaskets.
Disassembly of single lever mixer
To understand how to disassemble a faucet with one handle, you just need to use our tips. Such mixers have a core and a hollow ball made of stainless steel. Ball equippedthree holes: two of them supply liquid, and one brings it into the pipe. The device is located in a ball sleeve in which rubber saddles are located. Water creates pressure, the ball is in close contact with the seats, as a result of which the device moves. The replacement of pressure and the supply of fluid is regulated using this particular element.
The described mechanism cannot be repaired, if a breakdown occurs, most likely, the mixer will have to be replaced. You can only eliminate the weakening of the jet at the outlet, which occurs due to clogging of the aerator. For this, you need to disassemble the crane.
First, unscrew the nut, which is located in the faucet spout itself. Take out the mesh, blow it out and rinse well. Then put back and tighten the nut. Now you know how to disassemble a single-lever faucet.
The nuances of parsing mixers
Plumbing stores offer us a wide selection of various modern models of faucets that are installed in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Some of them may be equipped with a timer or sensitive parts. So, how to disassemble the faucet in the kitchen or bathroom in another way:
- Turn off the electricity with the water.
- Get rid of the battery cover.
- Disconnect sensor wire from control.
- Remove the gasket (you can find it between the control box and the mixing tube).
- Disconnect all nipples, remove springs and clips. The same must be done when disassembling products with a thermostat and timer.
- If yousure that everything was done correctly, proceed with the repair. If the problem is in the control unit, the best way out is to contact the specialists - inside the unit there may be fragile parts that are easy to damage.
Helpful tips
Single lever faucets boast a long service life. If you want to buy the right one or want to increase the running time of the faucet, follow these tips.
- If you chose a faucet with a cartridge, take out the old disc before buying. This will save you from problems with the exchange of the product: cartridges are different, and therefore you can mix up the sizes.
- When repairing a ball mixer, seal each threaded connection with PTFE tape. Before disassembling, purchase a thread sealer in cassettes.
- Purchase products from trusted companies.
- Change gaskets and cartridges for prevention.
- Install high quality filters on the pipes.
- When cleaning the faucet, choose a product in the form of a gel or cream. You can also use a powder designed for metal.
- Do not use metal brushes or alkaline/acetic cleaners.
Installing the faucet
Now you know how to disassemble the faucet. The mixer after the necessary repair should be installed back. To do this, you will need a Phillips screwdriver, a level, an adjustable wrench, a tape measure and a mounting kit. If the faucet has a hard fit, it must have eccentrics toin order to adjust the landing distance between the nozzles. If the faucet was supplied with metal sheathed flexible hoses, no calculation is needed.
Before tightening the nuts, coat the internal threads with technical Vaseline. Tighten the nuts slowly, carefully, use your hands - good quality parts should give in easily. After that, you can use the key (but no more than 2-3 turns). When installing the faucet, you can use a level - make sure that the product is installed evenly, without distortions, otherwise the faucet body may crack.
Check that each threaded connection is wrapped with sealant and that the tape is wound evenly along the threads. After you install the faucet, turn on the water and check the connection to make sure there are no leaks. If you find it, do not be discouraged, but try again. Turn off the water and replace the seals.
Like any plumbing product, a faucet can become unusable over time. Do not rush to throw it away and buy a new one, first disassemble the faucet and determine the cause of the breakdown.
We hope we have helped you figure out how to take apart a bathroom or kitchen faucet so you can do it with ease.
