In this article, you will learn what is needed to replace a faucet, as well as a step-by-step procedure for replacing it in the bathroom and kitchen. Video tutorials and advice. It is good when such an important component of plumbing equipment as a mixer works for a long time and reliably (if the plumbing fixture is of high quality). But nothing is eternal on earth. The day comes when it is necessary to repair the mixer or replace it with a new one, both in terms of technical parameters and appearance. How to do it yourself? It couldn't be easier! You will need a small set of tools and minimal working skills.
You can buy a new mixer both in specialized plumbing stores and in hardware stores. It is better to choose the one where they will explain to you which mixer is better and why, than to buy, albeit inexpensive, but "pig in a poke". Immediately you need to pay attention to how the mixer is connected to the hot and cold water supply network. Remember: the miser pays twice, so choose a crane that is close to the ideal in terms of price and quality. Here you will be helped by the advice of a specialist - a seller or a manager. You need to know that cheap mixers are made of less durable materials and are short-lived (brass with some impurities). Most often, this manifests itself precisely when installing or replacing the mixer in the form of cap nuts or other parts of the device that break from small efforts when unscrewing. The best faucet fittings are made of stainless steel or brass.
From the set of tools you will need: a hammer, wrenches - gas and adjustable, electrical tape, fum-tape or tow. If you change the faucet in the kitchen, then it is installed on the sink and comes with a pair of flexible hoses with fittings, on the one hand, which are screwed into the threaded holes of the faucet, and on the other hand, union nuts for connecting to hot and cold water pipes.
The process of replacing a faucet in a kitchen consists of the following steps
- It is necessary to close the water supply and carefully unscrew the nuts connecting the hoses to the pipes, unscrew the fittings from the mixer and unscrew the large nut that secures it to the sink, and remove the old device.
- Screw one hose union with a gasket into the new mixer. Place the O-ring on the threaded part of the mixer. Pass the flexible hose through the hole. Tighten the union of the second flexible hose from the bottom.
- Install a rubber ring on the threaded part of the mixer body from below. Tighten the large nut to secure the mixer to the sink. This is done by hand, but the body of the mixer must be fixed firmly so that it does not rotate. Connect the flexible hoses to the water supply pipes using the union nuts. When you work with rubber seals, do not tighten the nut or union with great force. It is better to unscrew the union or nut and tighten it again by hand, and then tighten it with a wrench. Then you need to open the water supply taps a little and check the mixer for leaks and the correct operation of the elements. With the taps fully open, there should be no leaks. This means that the mixer is installed correctly.
Video tutorial on assembling a new sink mixer, as well as installing it in the kitchen:
You need to replace the mixer in the bathroom according to the following plan
- Shut off the water in the pipes. In the bathroom, the mixer is fastened using couplings or union nuts, which must be unscrewed with an adjustable wrench, first shaking slightly. Sometimes, before this light blows of the hammer, the nut or coupling is tapped for easier unscrewing. It is not worth using very great efforts, so as not to damage the pipes.
- Further, the old mixer is removed, and the adapters - eccentrics are turned out. It is necessary to do this very carefully, since they are made of brass, which does not differ in strength. If the adapter breaks, you need to cut the fragment remaining in the pipe into three or four pieces with a piece of a hacksaw blade and then remove the pieces from the pipe. This is not very pleasant, but necessary work. The internal thread of the pipe must be cleaned of rust, lime deposits and old winding. Then they lubricate the new eccentrics and run them along the thread a couple of times so that they twist without effort.
- For the tightness of the connection of pipes and eccentrics, you need to wrap the threads with tow or fum-tape, and then wrap them in pipes. It is very important to accurately adjust the horizontal and center-to-center distance of the eccentrics, then installing rubber gaskets and tightening nuts or couplings to fix the mixer to the pipes. To protect nuts or couplings from dents and scratches, they are wrapped in two layers of electrical tape.
- We open the water, check for leaks and, if necessary, tighten the connections. Water must not seep out when the inlet taps are fully open!
A video about replacing a mixer in the bathroom with your own hands:
Of course, you can entrust this work to specialists. It will cost you 800? 1000 rubles. But even in this case, it is better to control the process of replacing the mixer yourself and the quality of the plumber's work yourself. Today there are a lot of such offers on the market of services, from "a man for an hour" to a master from your housing office. But probably a man should try to do it himself, since there is nothing complicated in such a process, but in any case, it is better for the fair sex to turn to professionals.
