The mixer in the shower stall fails more often than other elements. In some cases, it can be repaired without resorting to the services of professionals. Since a malfunction can cause water leakage and flooding of neighbors below, shower faucet repair should not be put off.
Procedure for repair work
As with any plumbing repair, before working on the shower stall, you need to turn off the water in the apartment. All work will take place within an hour. If the bathroom has a collector type wiring, it will be enough to turn off the valves responsible for supplying water directly to the shower stall. Then the rest of the plumbing can be used as usual.
Remove the plug that hides the lever device fasteners (it is located on its front part). Unscrew the screw behind the plug and you will have full access to the lever. Next, you need to dismantle the lever itself. Sometimes this can be difficult due to scale accumulated on its surface. To make the process easier, pour boiling water from a kettle over the jammed lever. Hot water will cause the metal to expand and the part will come off easily. After this, all that remains is to unscrew the clamping nut securing the cartridge and dismantle it.
At this stage it is useful to carry out a little maintenance on the faucet. Take a good look at it. If necessary, clean off accumulated scale and limescale. Check the condition of the sealing gaskets. If they are jammed or damaged, replace them immediately with new ones, otherwise after a while you will have to repair the shower faucet again with your own hands.
And only after making sure that everything is normal, start installing a new cassette:
- screw a new cartridge onto the holder;
- secure it with a clamping nut;
- reinstall the faucet lever;
- secure the front panel with a screw;
- mask the fastener with a plug.
After finishing the work, connect the water and test the shower cabin in all possible modes. Check the tightness of the mixer connections. If leaks are detected, try to tighten the existing nuts to the maximum. Actually, if everything is done correctly, no problems should arise.
How to replace the entire faucet?
There are situations when replacing the cartridge does not help resolve the problem.
Most often this happens due to failed threads of the mixer elements. This can be discovered either after disassembling the lever valve or after replacing the cartridge. In the first case, the problem will be visible visually. In the second, it will be discovered that replacing the element did not help restore the shower stall to functionality. Only installing a new mixer can help here. It is worth taking on it yourself only if the owner of the bathroom has already dealt with similar work before. If experience is not enough, it is better to invite a specialist.
Before starting the process, you also need to turn off the water supply to the shower stall. If the plumbing fixtures are installed close to the wall, it is worth moving it slightly before starting work. This will ensure access to the main elements.
Then remove the covers that hide the fasteners of the front panels of the device and unscrew the fasteners. When you remove the front panel, access to the mixer itself opens. You need to disconnect the water supply hoses from it, then remove the product from its mounts, install a new one and reassemble the shower in the reverse order. You also need to remember to check the tightness of all connections and the integrity of the sealing gaskets.
The most difficult thing in replacing a mixer is disassembling the hydrobox. Sometimes it has to be dismantled almost completely just to get to the desired part. If the cabin has a complex structure, it would be best to involve a specialist in this operation.
If the shower cabin was purchased relatively recently, it is worth contacting the company that sold and installed it. Even if the warranty on the plumbing has already passed, there is a high probability that the owner of the bathroom will be recommended a competent specialist who will fix the problem.
Mechanism structure
A shower faucet is a plumbing mechanism that regulates water flow. Manufacturers offer various modifications with a more complicated design. Innovative models are produced with a temperature sensor built into the body, which allows you to set the required temperature regime.
Before disassembling the mixer, study the information about the device.
The basic package looks like this:
- The body is made of galvanized metal.
- The cartridge is the main part responsible for the uninterrupted supply of water. Can be stationary or replaceable.
- Holder – cartridge holder. Performs the function of a kind of fastening element. Using a thread on the inner wall, the component is screwed onto the housing. The partition acts as a retainer, and the thread on the outside is necessary for fixing the faucet axle to the facade of the shower stall structure.
- A diverter is a part that helps change the direction of flow. The distribution cartridge is an intermediary link between the main cartridge and the tap.
- Handwheels, colloquially called handles. Made from metal alloys. Less often - with the use of plastic compounds.
Please pay attention to the type of cartridge purchased for replacement. Some modifications are not collapsible!
Scanservice spare parts for plumbing equipment
- Plumbing and spare parts Gustavsberg Faucets and shower stands Gustavsberg
- Spare parts for Gustavsberg faucets
- Spare parts for toilets Gustavsberg
- Toilet seats and covers Gustavsberg
- Toilets and installations Gustavsberg
- Spare parts for shower cabins Ido Showerama
- Spare parts for Ifo shower cabins
- Spare parts for Roca faucets
- Spare parts for Jacob Delafon faucets
- Parts for Vitra faucets and basins
- Spare parts for toilets, installations, bathtubs, sinks Villeroy Boch
Why faucets fail - 4 main reasons
Cartridge failures are caused by various reasons. Let's highlight a few of the most common:
- Improper installation of the crane and gross violations during its operation.
- Poor water quality. Perhaps the most common reason why the cartridge in the mixer is replaced. It is no secret that domestic water supply systems supply poorly purified liquid. It destroys elements of plumbing fixtures. Because of it, salt deposits appear, which disable the equipment in question.
- Defects (factory) in the design of the crane, its poor quality assembly. Most often, such problems occur in cheap Chinese-made faucets.
- Wear of plates and moving elements as a result of prolonged use of the cartridge.
It is not difficult to understand that the faucet needs replacement or repair. This need is indicated by a cartridge leak. At the junctions of sanitary construction elements, water begins to appear. If you do not immediately replace the cassette in such cases, very soon the faucet body will collapse, and you will have to purchase and install a new device.
Repair is also required in cases where the standard operating modes of the mixer are violated - it is difficult (and sometimes even impossible) to adjust the flow and its temperature, hot water is supplied instead of cold water, and so on. Often, when the cassette of a lever faucet breaks down, it is not possible to close or open the water. Any of these breakdowns should be repaired immediately by removing the old cartridge and installing a new one.
Cartridge replacement process
To do this, you need to prepare the necessary tools in advance: you will need a set of screwdrivers, as well as a gas wrench (you can use an adjustable wrench as a replacement).
By and large, repairing such mixers is impossible. Even professionals simply replace a broken part with a new one. In other words, anyone who has a set of tools and a spare part can repair a shower faucet.
Install the mixer and assemble the shower cabin in the reverse order.
Prices for faucets on the website www.mirsant.com.ua reflect real average market prices. A wide range will allow you to choose the ideal option, both in style and functionality.
The video will demonstrate the process of repairing a shower faucet:
A shower stall with all its contents usually seems like an extremely complex unit. Therefore, whenever it breaks down, the first thing that comes to mind is calling a specialist for repairs. In reality, everything is not so scary at all. For example, any householder who has ever dealt with plumbing in general can repair a shower faucet with his own hands. We'll tell you how to do this.
Possible defects
Upper distributor defects
- Leaks in the switch area are a consequence of cracks in the housing. The mixer cannot be repaired. The faucet in the shower stall needs to be replaced.
- Visual diagnostics can also reveal an insufficiently tightened nut or worn sealing collar. Simple actions of replacing the ring and tightening the fastening nut are not enough. To correct the defect, remove the mixer from the shower panel.
Lower distributor
The following signs indicate problems with the lower cartridge:
- it is impossible to shut off the water supply;
- The supply of cold and hot jets is not regulated;
- valve movement is difficult.
Partitions
The weakest link in the structure. Damaged due to failure of the threaded connection. For owners of shower cabins, such an incident threatens serious emergencies - up to and including complete dismantling of the structure. To solve the problem, replace the old mechanism.
How to understand that repairs are needed
Most often, the following malfunctions occur in hydroboxes:
- leaks at the joints of the mixer parts;
- violation of the order of water supply (ice instead of hot and vice versa);
- the control handle is broken, making it impossible to turn the water on or off.
All these breakdowns can occur both on cabins that have been in use for some time, and on new devices. The reasons are usually errors in installing the device, increased water hardness or violation of operating rules. But it is quite possible that the problem was caused by a normal manufacturing defect. This, unfortunately, is not uncommon. In any case, the occurrence of such symptoms clearly indicates the need to repair the lever faucet.
Why does it break?
The most common cause is poor water quality. This includes an abundance of salts and the presence of unknown impurities. And, of course, rust. That is why a coarse filter must be installed at the entrance to the apartment; it is advisable to equip the entrance with a flow-through fine filter (but it is expensive and large in size).
Protect your pallet before you begin repairs. Or stand there with your bare feet. Handle the pallet coating with care because the restoration process is difficult.
Design features of the shower mixer
Before you start repairing a shower mixer or, as it is also called, a lever faucet, it is worth understanding its design. It is quite simple: a plastic cartridge is installed in the device body, through which water is distributed. To fix this element in the case there is a cartridge holder - a part with internal and external threads. And the fourth main structural element is the diverter, screwed with a nut to the socket of the water distributor and responsible for the water supply.
How to choose a replacement cartridge?
You can purchase a replacement cartridge (cassette) at large plumbing stores or at companies that sell shower cabins. Professionals recommend repairing the mixer using original parts. But this is not critical. If you cannot find a cassette of the same brand, you can always choose an analogue from another company.
Main parameters to consider when choosing:
- distance between the axes of the part;
- number of modes (holes);
- overall diameter;
- stem height.
You can measure this data yourself using a ruler or look it up in the instructions for the shower stall. Or you can do it even simpler - take the damaged cartridge with you to the store and ask the consultants for help. Having a sample in front of you, a specialist will be able to select the appropriate part for you.
Crane selection criteria
Repairing a shower valve is a simple process and involves simply replacing the faucet cartridge. As a rule, most owners are looking for a faucet to replace the hydrobox with the exact same model that was equipped with the shower stall. But this is not at all necessary - it is enough that the dimensions match, that is, the distance between the valve stems.
They have standard values - 100, 125, 145 and 150 mm. The distance is measured from the mode control lever to the water supply fitting. The device can have from 1 to 5 modes.
Popular models and reviews on them
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