How to repair ball mixer

This type of plumbing appeared relatively recently, about 20 years ago and practically won a lot of fans at sazu. At the moment, such mechanisms occupy almost half of the entire market. The reason for this popularity lies in the reliability and simplicity of design. But nothing lasts forever, and sometimes the question arises how a ball mixer understands, because our people are often used to repairing everything with their own hands.

Preparatory activities

Initially, it should be noted that constructions of this type are far from always spherical. A ceramic cartridge can also be a regulator, but this topic is a completely different article, and now we will dwell on how to repair the ball mixer with our own hands.

How the system works

Any design of such a plan consists of several basic units, in shape and size they may differ slightly, but in any case, the design of a ball mixer for a kitchen or bathroom remains unchanged.

• First of all, it is an adjusting lever. It can still be called a butterfly or joystick.
• Next comes the stock, complete with a sealing washer and a locking nut, which actually regulate the tightness of the mechanism.
• Naturally the whole structure fits in a metal case. External forms do not play a role here, the quality of the metal and the accuracy of the fit of the internal mechanism are much more important.
• And of course the most important part is the hollow metal ball. It has 3 openings, two of which are intended for the intake of hot and cold water, and through the third mixed water in the hollow ball leaves the consumer. For mounting, rubber seats are used here.

Obviously, the simpler the design, the easier it is to adjust and maintain. In this sense, the repair of the ball valve of the mixer, for a person with a general knowledge of plumbing, is not difficult. But all the details here are quite “gentle” and it is not worth making excessive efforts.

The most common problems

• In the fully closed position, the faucet still continues to pass water. Here it does not matter if it drips or flows in a thin stream.
• At a time when throughout the apartment water flows with good pressure, the tap in the bathroom or kitchen produces a thin stream.
• Adjustment of pressure and water temperature is violated. In other words, the crane began to work according to its incomprehensible laws, and in its usual position it does not at all give what it wanted from it.

Tip: if the pressure in the faucet has fallen, then before disassembling the mixer, check the condition of the aerator, this is a mesh that is screwed into the spout. Often the reason is in it, you just have to clean it or replace it and the problem will be removed.

Causes of faults

• The most common cause is debris in the space between the ball itself and the rubber seats. If such a blockage is not eliminated in time, the rubber seat can be deformed and fail.
• Sometimes the shutter may clog, as a rule, the cause is hard water. In this case, a serious repair of a ball mixer for a bathroom or kitchen may not be necessary. Although you still have to disassemble and clean it.
• It happens that the cap at the lever becomes loose over time, the stem does not reach the stop and a leak occurs. In this case, the repair of the ball mixer in the kitchen with their own hands will end on the tightening of the hexagonal screw at the bottom of the cap.

• If water began to leak from under the body of the faucet, then most likely the rings responsible for the seal were worn out. Since it is impossible to repair them, the rings need to be replaced.
• If the disassembly of the ball mixer revealed a crack on the ball itself, then there are 2 options. First, change the ball and second, change the entire mixer.
• In the case when a crack is found on the case, there is nothing to repair, the crane needs to be completely replaced. As a temporary measure, you can cover the crack sealants, well, not for long.

Tip: if you have hard water or an old, rusty pipeline in the house, then the question of how to fix the faucet will come up regularly. A good way out would be to install filters for input, and they do not have to be complicated and expensive. It is enough to put a coarse filter, the price of which is quite affordable and every six months, to clean or change it.

We disassemble and repair

So, suppose that you have already performed all possible and not possible actions and came to the conclusion that repairing the ball mixer with your own hands is inevitable.

In this case, the first action that any locksmith will perform is to overlap the inlet tap and drain the remaining water.

• After that, you need to pull out of the joystick case a decorative plastic cap, it is located directly under the lever. Under it, you will open the presser screw under the hex head. Loosening it, you can remove the lever.

Important: if the crane has been in operation for a long time, then the lever can “stick to” the rod. To remove it, you will need to apply force, just remember, without fanaticism.

• Next we need to unscrew the sealing ring.. This is done with the help of a screwdriver, the screwdriver's tip rests at an angle on a special groove and with a slight pressure, counterclockwise, the ring is slowly unscrewed. If it doesn’t fall right away, you can knock a bit on the handle of the screwdriver with a hammer. Carefully check that only the ring is turned, if the mixer turns, the hoses can be damaged.
• After removing the ring, you will have access to the chrome dome, you need to pull it out with the help of pliers. This should be done carefully, so as not to damage the four-ring ring which is located directly under the dome. The level of tightening of this ring can cause the leakage of the crane.
• Next we have a plastic die with a tapered rubber seal.. During long-term operation, the cone-shaped form can be deformed and overgrown with rust. Sometimes it is enough just to clean it.
• Under the plate you will open the ball itself, you need to gently get it. The ball has a hole that is responsible for limiting the range of rotation, carefully examine it for dirt and sediment. In the case if there are chips or cracks, the ball needs to be changed.

Important: when installing the ball in its place, it is important that the groove, which is located on the right side of the part, coincides with the protrusion located in the upper part of the body.

• Under the seal are installed springs responsible for the tightness and tightness of the ball. Over time, they lose their elasticity, so perhaps it makes sense to change them.

Important: remember, any disassembly of the ball mixer must be accompanied by lubrication of all parts and assemblies with sanitary silicone grease. It not only reliably seals the entire structure, but also significantly extends its service life.

• The crane is going exactly the same, only all actions are performed in the reverse order. The more you tighten the o-rings, the harder the joystick will move, so measure your strength. It is better to seal all threaded connections with a fum-tape or special thread. Actually on this repair ball mixer do it yourself, you can open the inlet valves and test the faucet.

The video in this article shows some of the installation of the mixer.

Conclusion

In the end, I would like to note that the range of these products on the market is quite wide and some manufacturers make their own design innovations. We talked about the most common system. But do not be alarmed if an additional seal or another gasket is found in your mixer, the base, as a rule, remains unchanged.