Repair shower mixer do it yourself. device built-in models,

03-06-2018
Mixers

How can repair the faucet in the shower? We have to get acquainted with the typical malfunctions of these plumbing devices and how to eliminate them. The task is complicated by the fact that, in addition to hydroboxes with built-in mixers, we need to familiarize ourselves with the problems of conventional wall-mounted mixers with a shower, which are massively used in shower enclosures and open cabins.

Disassembly of the mixer for the booth.

Built-in mixer

Device

The absolute majority of mixers built into closed shower cubicles are arranged according to a single scheme:

  • Head and temperature controls cartridge with single lever. Raising / lowering the lever changes the water pressure (in the lower position it overlaps completely); turning left / right adjusts the temperature.
  • Switching the shower mode (tropical, jacuzzi, watering can, hydromassage, etc.) is provided by another ceramic cartridge. In it, the mutual rotation of ground ceramic plates with through slots directs the mixture of hot and cold water to the desired set of nozzles.

Curiously: the number of modes can vary from two to five.

The main elements of the design.

Faults

Virtually all the problems that these plumbing fixtures can create to their owner are related to:

  1. With the failure of one of the cartridges. Ceramic plates are cleaved into them, the plate holders break, or silicone lubricant is produced between adjacent ceramic surfaces, which leads to tangible resistance when the handle changes position.

Please note: chipping of the plates and breaking of the holders are possible only due to the application of large forces to the lever when the plates are stuck with foreign objects (sand, pieces of dross). Filters at the entrance of the plumbing into a house or apartment completely solve this problem.

Filters at the entrance to the apartment will relieve water from suspensions.
  1. With the destruction of the rubber core of the shower hose. Rubber eventually lime and starts to crack.
  2. With overgrowing of nozzles with lime deposits.

Elimination

Cartridge failure

How to fix the mixer in the shower when the failure of one of the cartridges?

  1. Shut off the water on the liner.
  2. We find on the lever a plastic cap and extract it.
  3. Unscrew the locking lever screw under the cap.

The important point: his head can be either a regular flat screwdriver or a hex.

  1. Remove the handle.
  2. We unscrew the decorative chrome nut under it (exclusively with our own hands, without using keys that deform the nut or damage the chrome plating).
  3. Turn off the cartridge fixing nut (already with an open-end wrench, wrench or gas wrench).
  4. We take out the old cartridge and put in its place a new one.

When producing lubricant (the lever moves with great effort), you can extend the life of the cartridge by disassembling it and re-lubricating the plate.

However, the expediency of this venture is a big question:

  • The price of a pack of high-quality grease from Grohe is higher than the cost of the cartridge (approximately 400 rubles against 200-300).
Silicone grease for ceramics from Grohe.
  • When removing the plates there are very real chances to break the plastic retainers.

Shower hose leak

In this case, the repair manual is simple to ridiculous:

  1. Turn off the nut of the hose from the body of the mixer and watering can.
  2. We hook plastic or metal inserts under the nuts with a knife and take them out along with the remains of the dead core.
  3. Stretch the core on one of the liners.
  4. We insert it into the armor, threading through the core.
  5. We are stretching the core, which is protruding from the opposite end of the armor, onto the second liner.
  6. We press the inserts into the armor.
  7. Put the hose in place.
To remove the core, simply move the captive nuts and remove liners.

Note! When clogged nozzles repair comes to cleaning them with a bent paper clip.

A special case

When the body cracks (for example, when the nut fixing the cartridge is tightened), it may be necessary to replace the mixer in the shower cabin. Alas, it will have to get access to the back wall of the hydrobox, pushing it away from the wall.

How to disassemble the mixer in the shower to replace it? All actions are identical to disassembly to replace the cartridge; however, in this case, both the pressure regulator and the mode switch are disassembled. The case is fixed on the back panel with overlays, which, in turn, are usually pressed by the same nuts that hold the cartridge in place.

Note: the faucet body for a shower cabin may have a different distance between the seats under the cartridges. When buying a new device, it is better to take along an old mixer as a sample.

Cabin mixer: view from the hull side.

Wall mounted mixer

In this case, spare parts for shower faucets are much easier to find on sale: we have ordinary wall faucets for the bathroom.

Let us analyze the most simple in terms of troubleshooting.

Malfunction Cause Elimination
Leaking on the crane rod Rubber seal or gland production Seal Replacement, Gland Packing
Cranked screw kranbuksa Worn thread of stem or housing Cranbooks replacement
Ceramic Kranbuksa does not block the water, it turns freely Broken ledges ceramic plates Replacing kranbuksy or plates (if available in stores repair kit)
Single lever mixer does not block water or does not regulate temperature Chipped plates / cartridge clips broken Cartridge replacement
Pushbutton switch does not completely block the water Worn rubber valve Switch replacement, valve replacement (if available)
Pushbutton switch spontaneously transfers water flow to the gander with a small head Too tight return spring 2-3 turns of the spring is bitten off
Lever switch does not switch water, stuck in intermediate positions Worn guides in the housing Replacing the entire mixer
The photo shows the device of a modern lever switch.

Conclusion

We hope that our small review of typical faults and methods of their elimination will help the reader in solving everyday household problems. More information can be obtained by reading the video in this article. Successes!