DIY single lever mixer repair: step-by-step instruction

Single lever, or as it is also called joystick the mixer confidently takes the place of obsolete valve devices. It is simple, easy to operate and reliable enough. You can repair it yourself, without resorting to plumbing for help.

After reading the article we presented, you can repair the single lever mixer with your own hands. We list all types of breakdowns characteristic of this type of plumbing fixtures. We have described in detail how to fix breakdowns. Based on our recommendations, you can easily fix a device with one lever.

The advantages of a single lever mixer

Like any mechanism, the mixer sometimes breaks. The failure of a plumbing fixture in the bathroom or in the kitchen is the most common breakdown, which cannot be overlooked - puddles on the floor and the annoying sounds of falling drops that do not stop day or night will not leave anyone indifferent.

The above troubles can be quite simply and quickly eliminated on their own. Of course, for this it is necessary, at least theoretically, to get acquainted with the internal structure of the mixer, to know the reason for its failure and how to eliminate it.

The single-lever mixer is a plumbing fixture that is distinguished by its simplicity of design, excellent functionality, durability and - most importantly - ease of use

All of these issues will be discussed in detail below.

However, first, consider the advantages of this plumbing fixture, to which it owes its popularity:

• Simplicity and maintainability. This has already been mentioned above - due to its simplicity, the single-lever mixer lasts a long time, and this period can be extended by timely repair of the product.
• Ease of operation. No need to twist the valves, just raise the joystick of the mixer in one motion to let the water run.To adjust the temperature, the lever is turned left and right, and the pressure is regulated by vertical movement of the lever.
• Durability. The simpler the design, the less often it breaks down - a single lever mixer consists of a small number of parts, and if it is handled with care, install a filter on the water, then the product is guaranteed to last more than 10 years. Of course, this applies only to high-quality mixers.

On sale you can often find products from fragile, short-lived, but very cheap silumin. In the best case, such a mixer will work for two years.

It is worth mentioning a simple repair. Simply put, any smart housewife will be able to make a simple repair of a single lever mixer with her own hands. Basically, it all comes down to the banal replacement of a disk cartridge or ball - depending on the design of the device. But let's not get ahead of ourselves and consider the internal structure of the mixer.

Single handle device

We repeat again: single lever mixer simple enough. There are no constantly breaking crane axles here.

If you do not take into account the presence of nozzles, shower heads, all kinds of switches, then the device consists of only two main parts: a monolithic metal case and a cartridge with a locking device of two disks or a ball. They are "responsible" for controlling the flow of water and adjusting its temperature.

The device of a single lever cartridge mixer is simple and has a minimum of parts: the cartridge is a consumable; the remaining parts are permanent, but with the possibility of replacement

The cartridge is placed in the housing and securely fastened inside with just one nut, which is neatly hidden under the decorative cap. The cartridge control joystick is mounted directly on its lever. It's simple, no tricky elements, therefore - no serious damage.

The internal structure of a single-lever mixer may differ - a disk cartridge and a ball can open / close the water and adjust its temperature. Consider the device of both designs.

Disk design options

As the name implies, inside such a device there is a special flask cartridge with a locking and adjusting mechanism. In expensive faucets, the cartridge is made of high-quality ceramic; in budget options, it is usually plastic.

Inexpensive cartridge model whose case is made of plastic. The shutter of the disk mixer is a pair of disks with holes for cold, hot and mixed water in the cartridge. When the surfaces of both disks are combined, the movement of flow through the device stops

Cartridge the mixer is very easy to operate, but for those people who are used to the valve mixer, at first it will be necessary to practice a little, as the joystick turns very easily.

But you get used to the good quickly: the desired temperature and water pressure can be adjusted in one easy motion.Partial or full alignment of disks creates a stream with the characteristics required by the user.

Cartridge The mixer consists of:

• Spout, or, as it is also called, "gander".
• Switch equipped with a fixing screw.
• Lock nut.
• Actually, a cartridge.
• Cases with cartridge seat.
• Gaskets, studs, nuts - parts to ensure tightness.

Disks of the locking mechanism are most often made of ceramics, less often of steel alloy. There are protrusions on the top, nor the bottom of the hole, their shape is complementary to each other. With full alignment, the protrusions overlap the holes, as a result, a tight connection is formed.

With partial overlap, water enters the spout. The smaller the protrusions of the upper cartridge cover the openings of the lower shutter part, the stronger the jet.

A rod is attached to the upper disk, the position of which can be changed to move the plates relative to each other. Thus, the amount of water passing through the cartridge plates is adjusted.

It should be noted that the plates are ground together very tightly - this is a necessary condition for the normal operation of the mixer. For this reason cartridge models really do not like dirty water with extraneous mechanical suspensions, as tiny particles fall between the plates and cause them to wear quickly, resulting in premature shutter failure.

To extend the life of the product, some manufacturers immediately install a mixer in front of the inlet coarse water filter. It is recommended to follow their example: to independently install a good filter on the water main and safely supply purified water to all plumbing fixtures.

What is a ball mixer made of?

As in the case of the disk model, the name indicates the design features of the shutter mechanism of the device. In the spherical model of the mixer, the water pressure and its temperature are regulated by a special ball.

The item is made of metal, inside the ball is hollow. The outside is perfectly polished. The ball has three holes - two for cold and hot water, the third for mixed.

A rod is rigidly attached to the part; its other end is attached to the mixer control handle. Thus, when the handle is pressed, the rod rotates the ball, opens / blocks access to water and adjusts the temperature of the jet.

Scheme of ball mixer. The principle of operation is the same as that of the disk counterpart, but the design differs in some details

It is much simpler and more convenient to operate the ball mixer than disk, since the details are smooth, perfectly fitted, the joystick moves very smoothly and gently. The ball is installed in a kind of cartridge cartridge, which can be easily removed from the device in case of repair or replacement.

Similar to a disk device ball mixer very demanding on water quality, does not respond well to hard water and high iron content.

Most leakage of ball valves is due to the penetration of specks in the gaps between the ball and its holding saddles made of rubber. Installing a water filter in front of the mixer in this case is also considered a mandatory procedure.

General troubleshooting

A puddle flows under the sink - the first thing you need to inspect the spout. If it is completely dry, then the problem lies in the violation of the tightness of the water supply. Have to climb under the sink and look for a leak. To make it easier to do this, you need to wipe the pipes dry with a cloth, and then see where the water oozes. Most often, the problem is eliminated by tightening the nut.

If tightening the nut does not help, shut off the water, remove the pipe, inspect it, inspect the thread on the pipe itself and the internal thread on the mixer

If the thread on the nozzle is damaged, the part must be replaced.With a damaged internal thread in the mixer housing, the problem becomes much more serious. You can try to eliminate the leak by wrapping the pipe thread with sealing tape or tow with sealant, but this is a temporary solution, most likely, you will have to change the entire mixer.

Dripping from spout although pthe lever is completely blocked - the cause may be damage to the locking mechanism, as abrasion of sealing parts practically does not affect the operation of single lever devices. If there are cracks in the body, the mixer needs to be changed - it will not work to fix it.

A pool of water on the sink near the base of the mixer body. The reason is a crack in the housing or wear of the gasket in the rotary part spout.

We have sorted out the gaskets of a single lever mixer. It remains to assemble the device and install on the workplace:

About what to do if the tap is flowing, described in detail in our proposed article.

Repairs disk instrument

Immediately make a reservation that “repair” in this case is not an entirely appropriate word, since, most likely, you only have to replace the cartridge, or, in a particularly difficult case, the entire mixer.

Rubbish is constantly accumulating on rubber o-rings and salts are deposited, which are abundantly contained in city tap water. Gradually, the tightness begins to break and a leak forms. To eliminate it, the device must be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled in the reverse order.

If the seals are damaged, it is good to use a warm solution of laundry soap for cleaning, then rinse, dry, assemble and reinstall

Before starting to disassemble the mixer, it is necessary to shut off the water supply. Next, the algorithm is as follows.

First of all, remove the decorative plug on the side of the case. It is removed very easily, you need to pick it with a knife or a screwdriver. After the plug is removed, access to a small mounting screw will open, which is unscrewed either with an Allen key or with a screwdriver.

The screw must be completely unscrewed and pulled out, after which you can remove the lever of the mixer, gently pulling it up.

A decorative washer is usually screwed or loosely mounted on the mixer body. It must be removed, then unscrew the clamping nut that secures the mixer to the sink.

The nut has a large diameter - you will need an adjustable wrench or a spanner of a suitable size. After that, the cartridge can be removed from the housing and examined for damage.

When disassembling the mixer, it is necessary to remember the exact location of all fixtures and parts. You can photograph the entire disassembly process on the phone so as not to be mistaken, since sometimes it is even important which side the part is installed

At this disassembly of the mixer can be considered complete. There are very few details, and there shouldn’t be any "extra" ones when reassembling.

For the cartridge inside the mixer body there is a so-called “saddle” with a rubber seal - in other words, an ordinary rubber gasket that can clog or lose elasticity over time.

As a result, water begins to ooze from under the base of the mixer. If the problem persists after cleaning or replacing the gasket, then it is most likely the cartridge itself and it will have to be replaced. Cartridge replacement This article is devoted.

Please note: discs in cartridges do not have standard sizes. They may also differ in the location of the water inlet and outlet openings.

Therefore, if it is decided to replace them, the old parts must be removed from the case and taken with you to the store, where you must show the seller for comparison. You need to buy the same cartridge, without any differences.

The new part is installed in its place in the mixer body, while the cartridge must be turned with a little effort until it fits tightly into the slot. After that, you can assemble the mixer in the reverse order.

After the clamping nut is clamped, you can connect flexible eyeliner, turn on the water and check the new cartridge for operability. To regulate the pressure of water and its temperature without a handle you need a stock. However, for convenience, you can immediately put a handle on the rod.

How to fix a ball mixer?

Ball The mixer was invented almost half a century ago, and since then its design, in fact, has not changed. It is very simple and reliable enough - there is nothing to break.

If any problems arise, most often they are associated either with poor-quality materials of which the plumbing fixture is made, or with bad water. As with disk with a mixer, the gaskets must be removed, carefully examined for damage, and then either replaced, or cleaned of dirt, washed, dried and put in place.

The most common type of malfunction of a ball valve mixer is a lean jet. Most often due to blockage of the ball mechanism

For models with ball valves, the disassembly and repair process is similar to the above. The only difference is in the position of the ball, which rotates relatively tightly pressed against the rubber saddles. The contact density of the parts is provided by the bursting mechanism of water.

The lever itself, which transfers the movement to the regulating rod, is removed in the same way as in disk models: you need to uncork the decorative plug, unscrew the screw, remove it, and then remove the mixer lever.

Next, unscrew the clamping nut and remove the washer that is under it. This opens access to the ball. The ball itself is easy to remove - you just need to pull the rod.

Internal view of the ball mixer. The ball shutter mechanism is located inside the cartridge, made in the form of a sleeve. The ball inside it is held by saddles, the cuff and springs provide strength of the sleeve itself

At this, the disassembly of the mixer can be considered complete and proceed to the inspection of parts, their replacement or cleaning from contamination.

As noted above, the most common problem is the deposition of salt and grains of sand on rotating parts and the mixer elements in contact with them. All dirt must be carefully removed and be sure to inspect the springs - they can also be dirty. In addition, the springs may lose their elasticity and need to be replaced.

The cause of the breakdown of the mixer may also lie in the ball itself. Ideally, it should be made of high quality stainless steel grades. In this case, it only needs to be cleaned of dirt.

In fact, manufacturers, especially Chinese, save on expensive materials and produce parts from low-quality metal. Over time, the surface of such a ball begins to peel off, rust, water holes become clogged with rust particles and the mixer fails.

In this case, cleaning the surface will not help, the ball will have to be replaced. The old part, as in the case of a disk cartridge, you need to take with you to the store for comparison.

Collect ball the mixer needs to be reversed, work very carefully and center the details. An incorrectly installed element will wear out quickly and can cause another malfunction.

A separate point should be mentioned the most common and, at the same time, a minor problem - clogging aerator mixer. This small part is a regular mesh and is designed to prevent splashes. The mesh cells become clogged over time with salt deposits and tiny debris.

It is very simple to remove the aerator - you need to unscrew the washer at the end of the spout and pull out the part. If the net is not completely unusable, but just clogged, it needs to be cleaned and replaced.

The aerator can be replaced if it is possible to find a suitable analogue in size, or, in extreme cases, use a mixer without it.

Another problem is the clogging of the flexible mixer leads.

Flexible leads - rather thin tubes - have a small diameter and may well become clogged. Especially prone to clogging of the pipe joints with other parts

Given the state of modern water pipes and the quality of city water, there is nothing unusual here. In this case, it is necessary to shut off the water, unscrew the inlets, clean them, inspect for damage to the threads and install them back.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

After watching the training video, you better imagine the process of disassembling / assembling a single lever mixer.

How to disassemble the device and replace the cartridge:

Thus, in fact, repairing a single lever mixer is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You can solve it yourself if there is a desire and a minimum set of tools.

We hope that the material presented in this publication will help readers save some money, since most people at the very first problems with a faucet simply buy a new one or call plumbing, and buying a high-quality faucet and professional replacement services is not an expensive pleasure.

Want to talk about how you hand-repaired a single-lever mixer? Is there any useful information for us and site visitors? Please write comments in the block below, ask questions, share the intricacies of the repair process, photos, and tips on the topic that are not covered in the article.