Disassembling a single lever kitchen faucet + Photo and Video

Disassembling a single-lever kitchen faucet + photos and videos.
If the water pressure in the kitchen or bathroom has become much less than it was before, you cannot turn off the water tap tightly, which means you need to repair the plumbing. To do this, it is not necessary to involve specialists, since you can disassemble a single-lever kitchen faucet with your own hands. Let's find out how to disassemble the faucet and repair it.

Device and types

Before you begin renovation work, you first need to understand the structure of the faucet in the kitchen. Such a faucet, as a rule, has one adjustment handle, which is secured with linings using one screw. It can be with a cartridge or a ball. The main element of such faucets is the cartridge. Inside it, cold and hot water are mixed. It is located in the case and there are 3 perforated ceramic discs inside. Thanks to a special production technology, it is possible to ensure a tight fit of the discs, and they do not allow water to pass through.

During operation of the system, both disks remain stationary, and the third, movable disk, is connected to the shift lever. When the position of the handle changes, the hole shifts, and a certain amount of hot and cold water is supplied, which is mixed in the body. Let's take a closer look at what a ball mixer consists of. Its name comes precisely from its design feature. The device contains a hollow ball, which is made of stainless steel and placed in the faucet body. When you turn the handle, the ball begins to move due to a special pin, and water begins to flow. The presence of special rubber gaskets helps ensure the tightness of the system.

Crane dismantling

This procedure is simple and does not require any special skills or abilities. It will be enough to have the necessary tools with you and want to do the work yourself. Disassembly of a two-valve type mixer should be done when the first leaks appear, a thin stream of water flows, or the valves are poorly adjusted.

Attention! A faucet malfunction requires immediate repair. Otherwise, an accident may occur and the water pressure may tear out the hose.

Before disassembling the faucet, lay a cloth or any other protective covering on the bottom of the bathtub. It will protect the surface from possible chips as a result of falling tools or parts of the mixer.

Any owner can repair a two-valve faucet.

To dismantle you will need a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. This work is familiar to many men, but those who have not yet encountered the disassembly of a faucet need to carefully read the instructions and follow them. You will definitely succeed. Pay attention to the work and do not rush under any circumstances.

The first stage of any plumbing work is to turn off the water supply.
Drain any remaining water from the faucet hose.
Cover the bathtub drain with a rag to prevent small parts from getting in there.
Using a screwdriver, pry up the decorative plastic covers on the valves that indicate hot and cold water.
There will be screws underneath them. You need to unscrew them with the same screwdriver.
Then, using an adjustable wrench, carefully unscrew the faucet axle boxes, disassemble the remaining parts of the faucet and check for breakdowns, blockages, deposits and other causes of malfunctions.

We disassemble the faucet with our own hands

Tools and accessories

Before you start studying the material on fixing a faucet, you need to prepare all the tools that will be needed for the job:

Small screwdriver.
Hexagon (key).
Pliers.
Adjustable wrench.
Lubrication.

You will also need a small piece of fabric, which will make it possible to protect the chrome elements when removed. To protect your hands, use gloves.

How to disassemble the mixer

In order not to damage the elements when disassembling a single-lever kitchen faucet, we suggest considering how to disassemble it correctly. The sequence in which the actions will be performed will depend on the design features of the crane. Let's look at each type separately.

With cartridge

You can disassemble the faucet with a cartridge according to the sequence shown in the video at the end of this article.

How to disassemble a ball-type mixer

Despite the fact that cartridge models are much more popular, ball models are also in demand. He is shown in this video

Main causes of malfunctions

The kitchen faucet, as well as in the bathroom, is actively used by households many times a day. Not everyone treats it properly. For example, the flywheel is often spun in sudden movements with excessive use of force. This leads to the rubber gasket being pressed through, and then to failure of the device.

It is also susceptible to the penetration of abrasive materials (sand or other hard small particles), which settle on the surfaces and make it difficult to rotate, and in the worst case, lead to the destruction of the ceramic ring.

Sticky crane axle box

Most often, single-lever kitchen faucets break. This is due to the fact that they are under pressure with redoubled force. Such actions lead to the fact that the brass part is crushed, and it will not be easy to repair such a crane axle box.

There are three options to solve the problem:

Replace the mixer with a new one;
Replace the broken element;
Repair the failed part.

How to fix a single lever faucet

The order of actions that should be performed will depend on the malfunction that has appeared. Let's figure out how to fix the faucet depending on the problem that arises.

Removing the blockage

It is very easy to understand that you have a blockage - there will be weak water pressure. To remove the blockage you need:

Disassemble the single lever kitchen faucet by removing the nut from the spout.
Take out and rinse the mesh well, remove all abrasive substances.
Install everything back.

This is the simplest of all possible faults.

How to replace rubber seals

If the elements are not tightly sealed, the faucet will begin to leak. In this situation, you should replace the rubber seals with new ones (gaskets). This can be done as follows, as shown in the video:

How to troubleshoot a switch

If difficulties arise when switching the operating mode of the faucet, you can fix the problem this way. When choosing a lubricant, pay attention to universal-type formulations, which are offered by many manufacturers and about which there are positive reviews.

How to replace rubber seals with spools

When the rubber seals are ready, you can start working:

Move the valve lever to the “closed” position.
Disassemble the structure, disconnect the shower hose.
Remove the decorative cap and unscrew the screw fastening. Take out the switch button.
Carefully remove the spool.
Replace the seals and lubricate them with a special paste for additional tightness.
Reassemble the switch in reverse order.

Helpful advice! To avoid problems with installing the spool, first moisten the rubber seals with water.

How to Replace Switch Springs

If you have difficulty returning the switch to its original position, the spring may need to be replaced. For repairs, it is worth choosing a spring with a smaller diameter and with an additional protective coating.

Repairs should be carried out in the following sequence:

Disassemble the faucet.
Take out the rod on which the spring is screwed and remove it.
Using pliers, screw the new spring onto the rod.
Assemble and install the switch.

As you can see, this is not difficult at all.

Valve repair

Replacing the gasket

As mentioned above, the most common malfunction of a valve mixer is a failure of the gasket. Based on this, first of all, as an example, let’s look at how to disassemble a two-valve type bathroom faucet.

So, the instructions look like this:

If a two-valve sink faucet begins to drip, then first of all you need to find out which locking mechanism has failed . To do this, you need to alternately shut off the supply of cold and warm water using ball valves installed in front of the mixer. It must be stated that in some cases, instead of a ball valve, a 1 2x1 2 valve is used to connect the mixer, but, in any case, when turning off the water one by one, it is necessary to note at what point the valve stops dripping. It goes without saying that it is better not to wait until the second valve “leaks” and replace both gaskets. Under such conditions, before disassembling the two-valve mixer, it is necessary to shut off the supply of cold and warm water.
Then you need to carefully pry out the plastic flywheel plug . On some models, the decorative cap can be unscrewed.
After this, use a screwdriver to unscrew the bolt that holds the flywheel.

Then you need to use a spanner and unscrew the valve axle . If the head has not been dismantled in the distant past, then perhaps before removing the valve from the mixer it will be useful to apply a special product to the threads - “WD-40”. Along with this, you should clean the threads on the head and body of the faucet.
Once the locking mechanism is dismantled, it is necessary to remove the gasket . It can be attached to the tip of the rod or fixed with a bolt.
Then you need to cut it out or buy the same gasket and install it in place.
After this, the valve plans in reverse order.
In addition to this, this operation is also performed on the second valve.
At the end of the work, you must turn on the water supply and make sure that the two-valve mixer is working properly.

It must be stated that if a ceramic valve leaks, it is unlikely to be repaired. Based on this, you will have to completely replace the valve head.

Note! The valve may be made of stainless steel or brass. When choosing between them, it is better to give preference to the second option, since less sediment accumulates on brass parts.

Replacing oil seals

In some cases, water begins to leak not from the spout, but from under the valve, and much more often this malfunction occurs when the tap is open. This phenomenon indicates a malfunction of the seals.

Fixing a leak is very simple - you need to dismantle the valve flywheel and unscrew the stuffing box nut. Then you need to replace the old oil seal with a new one. It is possible to do it yourself, but in order not to return to faucet repair in the near future, it is better to purchase a seal in a specialized store.

Let us emphasize that valve heads, although they can be repaired, still do not last forever. Based on this, over time, replacing oil seals or gaskets may not help eliminate the problem. Under such conditions, the locking mechanism must be completely replaced.

Note! The valve head can have different threads, and vary in diameter and other parameters. Based on this, before purchasing a new part, you should dismantle the old one and bring it to the store.

These are, perhaps, all the main points that you need to know in order to independently repair, for example, a two-valve mixer for a kitchen or bathroom.

Cartridges

Replacing sealing gaskets does not always solve all problems, and in this case it may be necessary to replace the faucet cartridge. You can do the repair work yourself, the main thing is that you buy the necessary tools and a suitable replacement part.

How to replace a cartridge

Let's take a closer look at how to replace the cartridge in a faucet so you can do it yourself. The work should be performed in the same way as shown in the video:

Please note that the new cartridge must be the same as the old one. It is better to buy a new element if you have an old one on hand.

To ensure that your new cartridge lasts as long as possible, choose products only from trusted manufacturers.

How to repair a cartridge

Before you buy a new cartridge, make sure that the old one is definitely beyond repair. How to perform repairs, watch the video:

Design of two-valve mixers

The part of the mixer that regulates the flow of water (it is topped with a “wing”) is called the valve head. In everyday life, a more laconic name has been assigned to it - axle box crane.

Two-valve mixer device

Externally, all two-valve mixers are absolutely similar, but their internal structure can be very different. The fact is that there are two types of valve heads.

With rubber gasket

The valve-axlebox is a pair of “nut-screw”; a rubber gasket in the form of a thick disk is fixed at the end of the screw. When the flywheel rotates, the screw moves along its axis, which changes the position of the gasket relative to the seat.

The closer the gasket is to the seat, the smaller the flow area of the valve—the pressure drops. When the flywheel rotates in the opposite direction, the distance between the gasket and the seat, and accordingly the pressure, increases.

The design of the valve head with a rubber gasket is the oldest; it has a number of disadvantages:

adjustment requires several revolutions of the flywheel: the main inconvenience due to which many today refuse such mixers;
when worn, the gasket may produce a buzzing sound (deformations appear on it);
the “screw-nut” pair is difficult to manufacture, is subject to wear and requires the use of a stuffing box assembly (seals the hole for the rod);
relatively high cost (due to difficulty in manufacturing).

There are also advantages:

unpretentiousness to water quality: solid impurities do not have any effect on the gasket;
simplicity and low cost of repair: the gasket is easy to change, you can cut a new one yourself from a sheet of rubber or leather. True, if the oil seal leaks, the repair will be more difficult, and if the screw pair wears out, it will be completely impossible (replacement of the valve axlebox is required). But such breakdowns happen less frequently.

Ceramic (half-turn)

The regulating mechanism consists of two ceramic plates tightly adjacent to each other with holes (instead of holes there may be recesses on the edge). One plate is fixed motionless, the second is mounted on a rod rotating around its axis, topped with a flywheel. Water flows into the spout when the holes in the plates match.

Ceramic construction is more progressive because it has a number of advantages:

To supply water with maximum pressure, the flywheel rotates at an angle of only 90 degrees. Hence the name “half-turnover”. Because of this, such faucets are much more convenient to use than analogues with rubber gaskets;
in any condition the crane box does not make a buzz;
a simple device: instead of a screw, a rod without a thread is used (easy to manufacture). Since it only rotates (the screw also moves translationally), instead of the stuffing box, it is enough to install two rubber rings. Due to the absence of a movable threaded connection, there is nothing to wear out;
low cost (due to the simplicity of the device).

Flaws:

grains of sand and other solid impurities, falling between the plates, lead to leaks and simultaneously destroy the ceramics. Therefore, it is recommended to install mechanical cleaning filters (“oblique” or “mud filter”) in front of such mixers. It is known from practice that such damage is extremely rare;
gaskets, and especially ceramic plates, cannot be made independently. True, the entire repair kit costs less than 10 rubles.

Prevention

The problem is that repair work cannot always restore the functionality of the mixer, and then you have to buy a new one. To prevent this from happening ahead of time, you should first buy a good mixer model and carry out relatively simple preventive actions in a timely manner.

So, we recommend:

Buy a brass faucet. Such products have high strength characteristics and last much longer than products made from silumin.
Install a good water filter at the very beginning.
Read the instructions that come with each faucet, which describes what to do before installation and during repair work. Videos on disassembling a ball valve will help you avoid common mistakes.
Treat the joint with sealant. For threaded connections, it is better to use FUM tape.
Carry out preventive inspections on time and be sure to change seals.

How to remove a faucet handle

Determine the type of mixer . handle

which you have to remove. Removing the handle will depend on the type of device and how it is attached. Today, single-lever faucets are most often used in everyday life, but there may also be those that have two rotary handles on the corresponding valves.

Before you begin disassembling the mixer . turn off the water supply to the system by closing the valve on the pipe. In this case, it is important to follow the correct sequence of actions: first open the water, then close the valve on the pipe, and when the water stops flowing, close the mixer with the lever. Otherwise, unnecessary excess pressure may build up in the pipes.

Before removing the handle from the single lever faucet . examine it. In the front, under the handle, you will see a plug (usually it is of two colors, red and blue). Using a knife or screwdriver, remove the plug and set it aside.

There is a screw in the opened hole. Insert a screwdriver into its slot and turn it slightly counterclockwise. This will release the decorative handle of the mixer . Now remove the handle (usually this is not difficult). After this, proceed to disassembling the mixer . if this is part of your plans. Placing the handle in its rightful place is carried out in the reverse order.