Mixer: main varieties, device and principle of operation

Today, in most plumbing stores you can buy a faucet for the bath, for the bathroom and even for the toilet. The range of these devices is different in design, size, feature set, degree of automation, appearance, installation method and, of course, cost.

Main characteristics

Decided to equip a bathroom and do not know the difference between the mixer for the pool from a similar device designed for bathrooms? In this article we will look at the currently relevant types of mixers, the features of their operation, as well as the advantages and disadvantages. As a result, you can make a decision about the advisability of buying a particular instrument.

The mixer for wood speakers, as well as its counterpart, intended for installation in the bathroom, is a kind of sanitary equipment, through which you can control the flow rate and temperature parameters of water. In fact, the design of the device is a tap of cold and hot water, combined in a single package.

Curiously: in England, Scotland and Ireland it is customary to use separate taps, spaced on opposite sides of the shell.

But, despite such examples, it is the mixers that are easy to assemble by hand; they provide comfort and convenience of operation. Moreover, for comfort of use, high-tech, fanless modifications that react to movement appear on the market.

So, what kinds of mixers can be purchased on the market today?

Classification according to design features

In accordance with the design features, mixers on the market can be divided into the following modifications:

• Equipment with separate cranes, located on the same package is a traditional configuration that has been used universally for over a hundred years.

The work of two independent taps can be controlled by separate flywheels, as in devices intended for kitchen sink and for a washbasin, or by separate flywheels and a common gander as in devices intended for bathrooms.

The main advantages of such structures is a simple instruction manual affordable price and high maintainability.

• Single-lever modifications are equipped with a unified governing body with two degrees of freedom. The advantage of this solution is the possibility of using water with initially specified temperature parameters.

For comparison, using a conventional two-valve mixer for giving or an ordinary kitchen, each time you need to adjust the temperature by twisting the handwheel of hot and cold water.

Among the disadvantages of a single-lever crane, we note a more complicated structure to be repaired and a higher cost in comparison with the price of the previous modification.

• Modifications equipped with an integrated thermostat allow you to effectively control a single set temperature, regardless of the intensity of pressure. A thermostat is a mechanical device that is able to "determine" when it is necessary to increase the flow of hot water, and when to increase the flow of cold water so that the flow from the mixer spout meets the initially set parameters.

• Electronic modifications are presented on the market by sanitary equipment, equipped with a sensor for automatic activation of the water supply. Moreover, electronic mixers can be equipped with control units with a memory of several fixed temperature settings.

Of course, the functionality of these devices is not limited to the listed possibilities, but the price of electronic mixers is quite high.

Single lever faucet device

Single lever faucets in accordance with the features of the device are divided into two main types:

• Ball mixers are devices in which the head is adjusted by means of a polished metal ball with three through holes. The movement of the lever moves the ball relative to several axes, with the result that some holes on the ball coincide with the holes on the body. In order to ensure the integrity of the entire structure, the ball contacts the body through rubber gaskets. As a result, the movement of the crane with the new gaskets may be hampered by friction, which somewhat reduces the smoothness of the adjustment.
• Ceramic mixers are a type of water shutoff valves, in which plates made of metal-ceramic are used as a gate. The plates have a polished surface, thanks to which they literally attract each other. As a result, through the displacement of the plates is achieved tight shutter. Among the disadvantages of such mixers, we note the low maintainability, since the ceramic cartridge of the mixer cannot be repaired, but can only be completely replaced with a serviceable counterpart.

Important: In order to extend the service life of the ceramic cartridge, it is recommended to install a coarse filter in front of the mixer, which delays large particles that can get stuck between the plates.

Automated Mixer Device

• Mixer thermostats externally is a sanitary equipment with two handles. One of the handles can adjust the temperature, and the other - water pressure. By adjusting the temperature at your discretion, you can later not resort to the settings, since the thermostat will cope with this task for you. The thermostat in this case is based on the use of a low-melting substance, such as wax. When the water temperature rises, the wax melts and expands, thereby turning on the flow of cold water and the temperature at the spout leveling off.
• Electronic counterparts of plumbing equipment are equipped with microcontrollers and sensors that monitor the flow temperature. Despite the higher cost, electronic devices provide a more stable temperature level.

Differences mixer for sinks and baths

The mixer-shower for wood speakers, unlike the analogs intended for use with sinks and wash basins, is characterized by a wall arrangement. In addition, in addition to the flywheels, which are responsible for adjusting the pressure and water temperature, there is a gander on the body.

The choice of production material

When choosing a household plumbing mixer for a wood column for titanium or for a regular sink, you need to pay attention to the type of production material. As a rule, brass, silumin and less often stainless steel are used as production materials.

Products made of brass are the most durable, as the alloying component in this alloy is zinc. As a result, the brass body, spout and other structural elements, demonstrate increased resistance to corrosion.

Products from silumin are distinguished by low weight and insufficient strength. Acquire these mixers should be in the most extreme case.

Conclusion

Now that you know what plumbing faucets are, in particular, a faucet for a toilet or a urinal, you can choose the equipment that will best suit your needs and the budget allocated for the arrangement of plumbing. More useful information can be found by watching the video in this article.