Comfortable life in modern houses and apartments is provided by a variety of devices and devices that a person is so used to that he completely stopped paying attention to them. But if suddenly one of these devices stops working correctly, then they are immediately remembered. And even regret that they did not pay more attention to them. This also applies to one of the most important plumbing devices that everyone uses a hundred times a day - a bath or shower water faucet. The mixer tap is the heart of this device.
Bath and shower faucets - what is it?
Just twenty years ago, in our "Khrushchev" and "panels" water with a temperature comfortable for the body was supplied through Soviet-made bronze taps, which, if not flowing at full strength, then leaked constantly. And each owner knew the reason - the problem with the crane box - and could eliminate it. Replace the rubber band, stuff a new stuffing box and thatthis was not taught at school, but without this knowledge, it was unrealistic to ensure the normal operation of taps and faucets for baths and showers.
With the advent of a new generation of faucets, the life of the layman has completely changed. Now the faucet box for the mixer is not the subject of constant attention, but nevertheless, a little knowledge about it will not hurt anyone. The multitude of hot and cold water mixing devices, each capable of satisfying the most demanding taste of the consumer not only in ease of maintenance and reliability, but also in appearance, poses a difficult choice for customers. It is physically impossible to cover all the faucets in one article, so let's focus on two brands - Grohe and Vidima - the most popular on the plumbing market at the moment.
Grohe and VIidima bath faucets
Known for its high-quality sanitary ware, the German company Grohe offers faucets of various configurations - with one lever or with two valves, as well as various styles - from classic to modern. A wide range of sizes and types of connections to the water supply make Grohe products really in demand, although they are quite expensive.
Ideal Standard International, located in Bulgaria and having a well-deserved reputation as a quality and liberal supplier in terms of price, produces sanitary products under various brands, but today we will talk about Vidima faucets. As well asand Grohe products, the faucets of this company have a different configuration, a wide range of sizes and a stylish design, only their price is lower. And no matter how they differ from each other, all the products of these companies have one thing in common - a crane box for a mixer, which will be discussed further.
What is a bushing crane?
Crane box is a device that is screwed into the mixer body. In the case - box - by the assembly method, a mechanism for passing water is installed. When it is activated by turning around the axis of the central rod in one direction or another, the flow channel opens or, conversely, closes. In faucets that use two handles to mix water, two faucets are used, where there is only one lever - one.
Types of crane boxes
Crane box for mixer can be made, relatively speaking, in two forms. The first is a worm-driven crane box. It carries out the passage of water through several turns of the central rod, at which the gap between the bottom of the mixer body and the sealing rubber at the end of the rod increases. The second is a ceramic faucet box. Here, the passage of water is carried out by shifting two ceramic plates with identical holes relative to each other by means of a half-turn of the central rod, to the end of which one of the plates is attached.
The ceramic faucet box for the mixer is much more practical, although somewhat more expensive. It is durable, simple and easy to operate (only half a turn of the handle). Of the shortcomings, only one is demanding onthe purity of the water. Large mechanical particles can interfere with the movement of the plates.
Cartridges for Grohe and Vidima
The faucet box for the Grohe faucet (its other name is the cartridge) has two ceramic plates. They are coated with a special coating that increases the already decent service life. The stem rotation system of the device is “half-turn”, that is, the full opening of the passage channel is carried out in a turn of 180˚.
Crane box for Vidima mixer in its design is no different from the previous one. The same ceramic plates, the same half-turn to fully open the throughput channel. Only the forms of cartridges depend on the faucet bodies, their models, styles and purpose. It should be noted that not always ceramic plates suitable for cartridges of one company may work correctly in mixers of another. They have different thicknesses, and even tenths and hundredths of a millimeter are important in these devices.
