The subtleties of replacing the cartridge in the mixer

Each supermarket has a plumbing department that sells faucets and related parts for kitchen and bathroom equipment. Particular attention is attracted to lever mixers, diverse in form and elegance of performance. Under the glittering surfaces of the external parts of the mixer, the internal parts that carry the main functional load are hidden.

The ancient Greek mathematician and mechanic Geron invented the mixer, which outwardly quite unlike the modern taps, but in functional actions differs little from them. The Roman history of mixer taps says that the taps of the Roman inventors repeated the principles of Heron in action, but were more comfortable.In the Middle Ages, cranes were out of the question, personal hygiene was low, which caused the spread of epidemics to millions of victims in Europe. Then I had to remember about sanitation, water and, naturally, cranes.

Since taps for water supply for personal needs were available only to wealthy people, the main attention in the manufacture was paid to their appearance. At the end of the 18th century, the Englishman Joseph Bram created a new faucet of 3 taps: the first supplied hot water, the second cold, the third mixed. Such cranes existed until the beginning of the twentieth century, when William Thomson refined the ideas of Brahm to a two-valve crane.

In the recent past, most mixers were driven by crane boxes. Although they have not disappeared, they often reappear in the style of luxurious retro, yet in mass consumption lever faucets have firmly taken their positions, which are easy to manage and quickly change the flow rates and water temperature. The main element carrying the main functional load is the cartridge that performs the mixing and supply of water. It is controlled by light movements of the lever, which ensures the desired temperature and water supply.

Features of the cartridges are associated with their design, especially noticeable on the mechanism of mixing water. In a ball cartridge, the movement of water defines a hollow metal ball with a regular round surface and several holes. The coincidence of the holes of the ball with the holes of the cartridge socket allows water to exit at different temperatures. The device is original, but a harmful plaque quickly forms on the surface of the ball. This and other shortcomings have led to a reduction in their use and production.

In the single-lever mixer with a lamellar cartridge, the control element is a movable cermet plate with holesthat fits snugly on another plate fixed to the bottom of the cartridge. When the lever is turned up or down, the water supply is regulated with the help of plates, while turning the lever left and right, the plates open access to hot or cold water. Cartridges are not recommended to be disassembled, and in case of need for repair, simply replace the defective cartridge with a new one.

In addition to the single-lever cartridge, no other types have been created for modern mixers yet.The cartridge system can be spherical, lamellar, with ceramic or plastic elements. In a single-lever mixer, the elements may be similar, but differ in the size of the seats. Mixers can vary depending on the place of use. If the length and the shape of the lever do not matter for a simple faucet mixer, then when installing the shower faucet, this data can affect the state of comfort. This is especially true of the size of the shower cabin budget option.

Of course, the ceramic plates of the cartridge serve much longer, but they can also be the cause of the poor performance of the mixer, or even its complete failure. Repair cartridges is impossible - you need to know how to change them.

There are several external manifestations of a cartridge malfunction:

• there is no mixing of hot and cold water: at the exit - only one of them;
• there is no water supply at all in any position of the lever of the crane;
• outlet water temperature is not fixed, often changes;
• the tap does not supply full water;
• after opening the tap, the water from the mixer cannot be shut off;
• water constantly leaks from under the lever;
• It is possible to turn the lever, only having made considerable efforts.

The work and the state of the mixer are largely affected by insoluble particles of rust, lime, sand and other impurities in the water. The use of various water purification filters prolongs the reliable operation of the cartridge, and hence the mixer as a whole.

The cartridge faucet not only wears out, but sometimes breaks due to a number of reasons:

• in the manufacture of manufacturing used poor quality materials;
• frequent sharp or shock effects on the mixer lever;
• water hammer system;
• poor water quality;
• bad filters or lack thereof.

As you can see, it is not necessary to count on the eternal operation of the devices for mixing and supplying water, especially cartridges, and the time will come when the old cartridge will have to be removed and replaced with a new one.Experienced plumbers can be invited for repairs, but if you have the necessary skills and desire, you can carry out these works yourself.

When replacing the cartridge, you will need the following set of tools:

• screwdrivers for different sizes;
• adjustable wrench;
• pipe wrench;
• pliers;

• hex key (small, for locking screw);
• clean rags;
• liquid WD-40.

A new cartridge purchased may not be suitable for the seats and sizes, so the best option would be to bring a removed old node to the store and buy a new one. The condition for this exchange should be the presence of other working water sources that compensate for the absence of a cartridge to be replaced. Dismantling a faulty cartridge is done without much difficulty — you need to take a few simple steps yourself.

Work should begin with the removal of a plastic decorative cap (blue / red) by simply prying it with a flat-head screwdriver. In the depth of the opened hole there is a small locking screw.You need to make sure what his head is, and prepare the appropriate screwdriver or Allen key. It is not necessary to completely remove the screw - just loosen it a little. Then lift up and remove the mixer lever. In case of difficulty, spray with WD-40 liquid or hot water. Under the action of heat, the metal will expand and the lever will come off. Manually loosen the spherical nut. There may also be sticking, so you can again use liquid or hot water. It is necessary to remove the part carefully, without applying great physical effort: the nut is fragile and can break. Further with the help of a wrench or a suitable tool, we twist the clamping nut and take the cartridge out of its socket.

We clean the place of landing of a cartridge from deposits, dirt, rust, sand. The cleaning operation must be approached seriously and carefully: if even small particles remain, the cartridge will not fit tightly into place even if the landing marks coincide. After that, the acquired new cartridge is installed in a carefully prepared landing slot. Once again, we check the coincidence of the protrusions on the cartridge with the grooves in the mixer socket and after landing tighten the clamping nut tightly enough, but without great effort.Then we twist the spherical nut manually, put the lever on the cartridge liner and loosely tighten the locking screw.

Turn on the water, check the work on all modes. In the event of a leakage, we disassemble the assembly in a known order and eliminate the malfunction. Now the locking screw can be screwed tight and the technological hole closed with a decorative plastic stopper (blue / red). Replacement of cartridges in a similar way is carried out in any places of installation of mixers: these units are almost identical in design and assembly and disassembly principles. The differences in faucets are mainly in their appearance.

Another thing, when the mixer is more complex design: with temperature controller, motion sensor or sensors. It is better to entrust the work of replacing parts in such devices to experienced professionals.

The demand for good mixers is constantly high, so the number of their manufacturers is growing.

Competition has identified several brands that stand out for their quality, reliability, design, and longevity of trouble-free operation:

• Hansgrohe - traditionally high quality and delicate style from Germany;
• Jacob Delafon - represents famous French refinement and high-level quality standards;
• Ideal Standard is a well-known company with a wide choice of different mixers;

• Roca is a successful manufacturer of sanitary ware of a special style and reliability;
• Teka - modern mixers for different tastes;
• Vidima - attractive design and comfortable price;

• Lemark is a popular brand from the Czech Republic with a long history;
• LKA - the harmony of price and quality from Russia;
• Blanco Daras, Frap, Oras, Am-Pm.

After replacing the cartridge and checking the faucet, it may appear that it is still flowing in the bathroom. In these cases, you will have to carefully disassemble the structure in the order shown above, pull out the cartridge and carefully check all the contact surfaces: maybe there were particles of sand, dirt, layers, which did not come out after the first tests, and then hit the lapped place. Another possible reason is an inaccurate fit of the cartridge into the mixer socket or insufficient clamping of the cartridge with a nut. Such a nut and you can spoil the knot with extra large clamping force.

During the operation of the mixer, it is necessary to avoid shock effects on the lever of the crane - All movements should be smooth. It is necessary to avoid strong pressure in the final positions of the lever. When connecting the mixer to the water supply network, it is necessary to check the compliance of the hot and cold water pointers on the plastic stopper with the supplied pipelines. Of course, it is better to change the position of the cork than the connection of the tubes.

How to replace the mixer cartridge, see the following video.