Mixer cartridge repair

The water supply system in houses consists of many elements, the name and meaning of which is far from everyone knows, but the final element is a mixer. Just like any devices, it has the property of being damaged. Repairing the mixer cartridge is a fairly simple and accessible procedure for everyone, but before you begin, you should know how the mixer works, what are the causes of the breakdown. We will deal with this in this article.

to contents ↑

How to disassemble, repair the mixer with a cartridge?

Now the most common faucets with a single control knob, that is, single-lever, in which the adjustable part is made in the form of a single cartridge.

If you notice that a water leak is occurring or if water is coming from under the tap handle itself, it means that the ceramic element is out of order. This part cannot be repaired and must be changed.

Important! Parts of standard sizes as spare parts are freely available at stores.

to contents ↑

Reasons for Breakdown

Ceramic cartridges tend to break due to a variety of abrasive particles in the water. Hard grains wade through ceramic plates, leaving small scratches on them. Gradually, the ceramics wear out, resulting in a leak.

Important! In order for the ceramic parts to be safe for a long time, it is necessary to install filters for the treatment of incoming water on the highways entering the house. With very contaminated water, repair of an ordinary cartridge in the mixer will be needed after a few months.

to contents ↑

How is water quantity calibrated?

The ceramic cartridge is made of two plates in which there are through holes. The upper plate may well be shifted in different directions relative to the lower one, along with this there is a complete or partial overlapping of the holes or their mutual combination. The plate is shifted using the control handle through the stem. As a result of this, the flow of water and the level of prevalence of water from any inlet hose, hot or cold water are regulated.

You can also find a mixer with water control using a ball element, as well as with several control knobs, with which ceramic axles are regulated in different parts of the tap.

Important! Faucets, together with metal faucet-boxes and rubber seals - today, models of this type are practically not installed, and where they still are, they are decisively changing to more modern systems.

to contents ↑

How to repair a ceramic cartridge?

The design of such cranes may vary slightly. But most of them are still made according to the scheme: the control knob tightens the nut that holds the ceramic cartridge itself.

That is why the disassembly of such mixers begins directly with the removal of the handle. The bolt that secures the control knob is usually hidden behind the hot-cold badges or behind the company logo. At the first stage of repair of the mixer together with the cartridge - remove the specified plastic plug with a screwdriver. After that, proceed as follows:

1. Remove the handle bolt directly to the cartridge control rod. Most likely, the bolt will be made under a 2.5 mm hexagon.Such a tool is not difficult to purchase in any hardware store. But you can also try to unscrew this bolt with a thin screwdriver.
2. After that, remove the valve handle from the stem or unscrew the additional nut.
3. Then you will have access to the nut, which clamps the cartridge inside the housing, that is, presses it with seals directly to the holes in the valve body through which water enters.
4. Then, using an adjustable wrench or a suitable open-end wrench, unscrew the large clamping nut from the body of the mixer itself. Now you can freely get out the ceramic cartridge and replace it with a new one.
5. When installing a new element, orient it correctly according to the coincidence of the holes in the case.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

As you can see, a seemingly complicated crane is not difficult to repair with your own hands. You just need to stock up on the most minimal set of tools: screwdrivers, small hexagons, adjustable wrenches of a large size, and act in order.