As a home craftsman, you should know what to do if a faucet leaks in the bathroom or in the kitchen. It is important to determine the cause of the malfunction first. Due to a minor malfunction, it is simply ridiculous to call plumbing and splurge in this case.
What needs to be prepared
The mixer repair tool kit will consist of a set of open-end wrenches, screwdrivers, a fum tape and an adjustable wrench. This list will need to be supplemented with seals and accessories, then any person will be able to cope with most of the problems that led to the leakage of the tap.
You must know how to diagnose valves, adjacent water supply elements and mixing devices. If you are an independent master, you can use one of the options for repair work.
Leak Causes
If a faucet drips in the bathroom or kitchen, what to do, you must know. First, determine the cause of the malfunction. If the leak is quite strong, then you should completely shut off the water supply of the room, only then you can begin to deal with the causes of the breakdown.
To diagnose a leak, open the supply tap to determine where the water is oozing. Faucets today are presented in different designs. Having dealt with them, you can classify why a hot water tap is dripping and what to do. Sometimes water drips from a gander, in some cases, a leak occurs from under a flywheel or valve. In other cases, water flows where the hose or pipe is attached to the mixer body. You may notice a leak at the base of the spout tube.
Specialist recommendations
When diagnosing a leak source, you should know that the tap is a sealed hollow device. The only cause of the leak is the depressurization of its constituent parts. The cause of the leakage of the articulated mixer may be a grain of sand, which was in the gap between the moving parts. This case is the simplest and only requires cleaning.
Swivel Mixer Problems
If you notice that water is dripping from the tap, what to do in this case, everyone should know. When you have an articulated mixer underneath its lever, you need to find the plastic plug and remove it. Next you will see a screw that holds the lever. It is necessary to unscrew and remove the lever. The lever is separated from the body of the crane, then you can remove the casing, which is located above the cartridge.
If you do not know what to do so that the tap does not drip, then the first thing to do is determine what design the device has. If this is a single lever mixer, then cleaning it will most likely help. The design in the next step is assembled back. In order to avoid such situations, which are caused by the ingress of dirt into the device, mud filters should be placed in front of the hinged mixer. When the breakdown is quite serious, and the repair does not lead to the desired results, you can fix the problem by replacing the mixer.
Spruce dripping water from a gander
When you notice that the tap is dripping, what to do, it is important to decide as soon as possible. Most often, the outflow of water from the gander is determined at night, when in complete silence the sound of a drop falling does not let the household fall asleep. Pulling the repair in this case is not worth it. In addition, the work is not difficult.
The cause of the leak may be a worn gasket or cartridge. If the valve is a valve, then work must begin with replacing the control head. Preliminarily shut off the water. The leakage of the crane in this case will be expressed in the defect or deterioration of the gasket, which is adjacent to the seat of the housing.
To replace, unscrew and remove the housing. The flywheel is usually fastened with a bolt that hides under the decorative cap. It should be pry off, and this can be done using an ordinary awl or a flat screwdriver. The head is unscrewed with an open-end wrench. The old worn rubber gasket must be removed to replace a new one. Gum will cost a mere penny, but it will provide peace of mind to your nerves. The product is best obtained from a reliable manufacturer.
Methodology
Before installing the gasket, its lower surface should be checked for smoothness. If there are defects, protruding parts are cut off. From the bottom side around the circumference, it is necessary to cut off the chamfer so that the gasket is pressed more tightly against the saddle and the crane does not hum. If a tap is dripping, what to do should be known to every home master. At the next stage, it is necessary to dry and scrape the saddle on the body with a metal washcloth. You can use other abrasive material. The surface is wiped clean. The head is screwed into place. The valve must be closed with a decorative body. After all the above steps have been completed, you must make sure that the tap does not leak.
Repair of the rod locking mechanism
If you have a rod locking mechanism in your house, then it has a rubber gasket, as in a valve device. This part is the most wear part. If a battery tap is dripping, what you should do is decide as quickly as possible. Because it’s possible to flood the neighbors. It is necessary to act on the technology described below. The locking mechanism is almost never found in urban conditions, but is still actively used in summer residences.
Repair Algorithm
Before starting work, you should familiarize yourself with the sequence of manipulations to replace the sealing valve, which is necessary to block the flow of water. If a tap is dripping, what to do is important to decide as quickly as possible. In the described case, it is necessary to remove the working mechanism from the crane body. Inside it, the rod moves when spinning and unscrewing the flywheel. After the working mechanism of the crane is removed, it is necessary to examine the O-ring. Now you can remove the valve gasket and replace it. The final step will be reassembly.
Swivel mixer leak elimination
Swivel mixers are also called single lever mixers. They are common because of their ergonomics. Too long to unscrew the valve is not necessary. This is especially true when in the kitchen you have to turn on the tap with greasy hands. Such cranes have an elegant shape and are distinguished by external simplicity, but the algorithm for their operation is rather complicated.
To increase the maintainability of such mixers, manufacturers began to use modular designs. A cartridge is installed inside the case, which has all the mechanical filling. Special knowledge to eliminate leaks in such a tap is not needed. For most breakdowns, the entire cartridge will need to be replaced.
If a faucet drips in the kitchen, what to do, everyone needs to know. Leakage when the valve is closed indicates a leakage between the plastic or ceramic regulatory parts and the seat. Some models require disassembly and cleaning, but the cartridges will not be able to return operability at the same time, as well as eliminate leakage.
In order to replace the internal filling of the crane, you need to do the following. At the first stage, the decorative cap is removed, which acts as a stub. It is necessary to cover the bolt and indicates the position of the lever when supplying water. It is important to remember the correct position of the cap, then to return it to its place. This will not confuse when turning on cold and hot water.
Wizard Tips
In the opening that opens, you will see a fixing bolt that secures the lever to the cartridge. The bolt is unscrewed with a screwdriver. If the grooves "converge", then there will be a chance that it will require sawing the lever and replacing it. The next step is to remove the crane handle. You will see that the cartridge is covered by a cover, which should be unscrewed by hand. Under the cover is a circular nut, which is a problem for those who want to change the cartridge with their own hands. To unscrew the nut, you will need an adjustable wrench. It may not be in your arsenal, so you should worry about the availability of tools in advance.
The removed parts are best placed on the surface in a certain order. It is recommended to photograph the disassembly process so as not to get confused in the details during assembly. The circular nut is narrow, so Soviet keys with smooth edges are not able to unscrew it. For removal, use a modern key with clear edges.
If a faucet drips in the kitchen, what to do, you can find out if you read the recommendations from the article. From them you can find out that at the next stage, after unscrewing the nut, the cartridge should be pulled out and replaced with a new one. The old part can be saved if the new analog is defective and quickly fails, because the leaking tap is better than its absence.
If you have packaging from an old tap, then you can buy a suitable cartridge model. When the type of mixer is unknown, you will have to repair the faucet at such a time so that after disassembly, you can have time to visit the store to purchase a similar part. On the bottom of the cartridge there are protrusions that correspond to the pits on the saddle. They are necessary for fixing parts in a clearly defined position.
After the cartridge is installed, the crane components must be reassembled in the reverse order. When the cause of water leakage is microcracks or grooves on the saddle, you can try to polish the hole with a metal drill with a small head. But large cracks can not be repaired and are a sign that you need to purchase a new mixer.
Ball Mixer Repair
If dripping from a faucet in the bathroom, what to do first? When the ball valve is in front of you, you must determine the location of the leak. If water appears from under the lever cap, then you can fix the problem by tightening the connection with a wrench. If this method is suitable, then we can conclude that the cause of the leak was concealed in a loose mount.
When water flows from under the housing and no cracks are found on the metal, the cause may be the wear of the gasket. To replace it, unscrew the housing nut and disconnect the mixer. First shut off the water supply.
A consumable that has served its age must be replaced with a new one. If the diameter of the gasket is correctly selected, it can be installed in the groove with effort. The crane is then assembled and tested for operability.
If a ball valve is dripping, what to do, you can find out if you read our article. When there is a crack on the body through which water passes, the tap will have to be completely replaced. An alternative solution is to cover the defects with a waterproof sealant. You can even use cold welding. But such a repair will solve the problem temporarily, because the leak in this way cannot be eliminated. When a crack is detected on the control lever, the problem can be solved by replacing the handle, which will be cheaper than acquiring a new mixer.
External damage to the case may be indistinguishable by the eye, but microscopic defects will leak, and they will cause the appearance of puddles at the crane. The metal should be examined with a magnifier. Defects with an increase will be easier to detect.
Features of disassembling a ball mixer
If the tap starts to drip, what to do, you can find out if you read the article. For example, as for the ball mixer, if it breaks, tightening the nut and cleaning the aerator may not help. In this case, it will be necessary to replace the gasket or ball. The mixing chamber cannot be partially repaired. She is not separable. To replace it, you will need to disassemble the mixer and check the safety of internal elements.
For work, you need to prepare the usual tools, namely:
- adjustable wrench;
- a screwdriver;
- pliers.
Depending on the screw that the crane is equipped with, you will need a hexagon or Phillips screwdriver. If a ceramic tap is dripping, what to do, you can find out if you read the instructions from the article. The first step is to shut off the water supply and open the tap to drain the remaining liquid. Use a screwdriver or a knife to pry off the decorative plug on the case. The screw under the plug is loosened.
Now you can remove the lever handle and cap. After the ring is disconnected and removed, you will see the part in the form of a dome. It will need to be picked up with pliers and removed, and then rinsed to remove dirt and deposits. At this point you can remove the ball from the mixer and rinse it. After that, the rubber seal is removed. Then you can inspect the lifting springs. The internal cavity of the mixer is flushed. Insert the springs into the seats. Now the plastic parts are being returned.