What to do if a faucet flows in the kitchen? DIY repair

Water hardness, intensive use and wear of gaskets periodically lead to the failure of kitchen faucets and their leaks. In order to understand how to fix the faucet in the kitchen, if it started to leak, you need to find out its type and features of the device. Let's deal with the problem of disassembling it in the kitchen and replacing failed parts.

Varieties of faucet designs in the kitchen

Lever cranes have become popular due to ease of operation, high reliability and durability. With the help of the lever it is quite convenient to control the temperature of the water and its pressure. But everything ever fails. So, you find that a faucet is flowing in the kitchen. How to fix it? Let's proceed to the repair. But first, it is advisable to prepare all the necessary tools and materials for this:

• adjustable wrench;
• Phillips screwdriver and flat blade screwdriver with a thin sting;
• spanners;
• pieces of leather and rubber for the manufacture of pads;
• rags.

It is better to protect the surface of the sink with something soft (sponge or rag) to avoid possible damage to the coating. The main part of the lever crane is a cartridge. There are two types of cartridges: ball; disk.

Ball cartridge: how to eliminate leaks

The device of the mixer with a cartridge type ball is a hollow ball with three holes, two of which are designed for entering hot and cold water into the ball, and the third hole serves to discharge mixed to the required temperature water.

The ball is located inside the body and is adjacent to its two holes with seals - saddles. With the help of a lever that displaces the holes of the ball relative to the seats, the amount of water entering the ball is regulated.

The most common malfunction is a violation of the tightness of the ball to the seat, because of which it begins to drip and leak. This happens due to the ingress of scale and any debris contained in the water. As a result of this, we notice that the mixer is leaking in the kitchen.

Such a malfunction can be eliminated by disassembling the mixer and removing the cause of clogging. If the reason is not in clogging, but in wear, then repairs will be required.

Disassembly sequence for a kitchen lever faucet with a ball cartridge:

• shut off the water supply;
• to unscrew the screw of fastening of the lever of the mixer located under a cap which needs to be removed previously;
• remove the lever, loosening it a little;
• remove the trim and unscrew the nut;
• remove the cartridge;
• make a visual diagnosis of the seals and replace if necessary;
• reassemble in the reverse order.

Disc cartridge started to drip: how to fix it?

This type of cartridge consists of two metal-ceramic plates with polished surfaces that fit tightly against one another, holding the flow of water between them. Under the influence of the lever, the upper disk is shifted relative to the lower one and the holes on them open partially or completely. Due to this, the flow of cold and hot water for mixing to the desired temperature is regulated.

If it drips, it means that the rubber seals in the saddles of the body have become unusable and require replacement. Repairing a kitchen mixer with a disk cartridge is similar to repairing a ball type. Ball cartridge with ball cartridge not interchangeable! Despite some external similarity, they have a fundamental difference in their design.

Leaking two-valve mixer

The well-known two-valve mixers are designed very simply. The flywheel, which we rotate during operation, is bolted to the so-called crane-axle box - the locking mechanism that blocks the water supply. If for complete opening of the crane it is necessary to make several turns of the flywheel, it means that we are dealing with a worm-type crane.

It is arranged as follows: as a result of rotational-translational movements, the rubber gasket presses against the so-called saddle or moves away from it to open a path for water into the body, and then into its spout. In the event of wear or damage to the gasket, the mixer begins to leak.

If for a complete water supply it is enough to make only half a turn of the flywheel, then this is a ceramic type axle box. When opening it, the holes in the plates are combined, opening up the flow of water into the spout (spout).

Valve views are less durable than lever ones, but repairing them is simpler and cheaper. When a kitchen faucet with a valve system leaks, some replacement parts can even be made by yourself. If necessary, a gasket can be cut out of rubber.

Often two-valve taps are equipped with a rotary spout, which is quite convenient when working in the kitchen. If water began to run out from under the rotary spout, then there is no difficulty in eliminating the leak.

What should be done in this case? It is necessary to unscrew the fixing nut and, rotating and rocking, remove the spout from the body. Check the condition of the rubber gasket and retaining ring and, if necessary, replace them.

To repair a two-valve mixer with a rubber seal, you must perform the following actions:

• Turn off the water supply.
• Carefully, trying not to damage, pry off the screw plug with a thin screwdriver or knife and remove it.
• Release retaining screw and, swaying, remove flywheel. If the screw is stuck and cannot be unscrewed, you need to drip a little WD-40 or vinegar essence and wait.
• Unscrew the crane box and remove it from the housing.
• Remove stem from faucet box.
• Inspect the valve seat inside the mixer body for possible sinks, deposits and other flaws. Thoroughly clean the saddle.
• Replace rubber gasket.
• Install everything in reverse order.
• Open water.
• Tighten gaskets if necessary.

When repairing a ceramic-type axle-box crane, it is necessary to replace the internal parts and the rubber seal located in the repair kit, which can be purchased at any specialized store.

Ceramic axle boxes are interchangeable with cranes having a rubber seal. It is only necessary to pick up a part of the same diameter.

Do not use excessive force when tightening or tightening parts so as not to damage the threads.

Conclusion

All issues related to the elimination of damage to the kitchen faucet, we have considered. Now we learn how to maintain it in working condition and extend its service life.

Choosing a faucet when buying, do not chase cheapness. Cheap products are often made of alloys that are rapidly oxidized, rusting and degrading. In the event of failure, they will most likely be impossible to repair.

It is advisable to install water purification filters in the water supply system in the apartment. This will prevent mechanical particles from entering not only the mixer, but also the system. When installing an additional filter for cleaning hard salts, your mixer, as well as a washing and the dishwasher will be reliably protected from exposure to lime deposits, which will significantly increase their service life.

Video: what to do if a kitchen faucet starts to leak