How to change a faucet in the kitchen, all the nuances of the installation
Replacing a mixer with your own hands does not require special skills or experience. Regardless of the design of this plumbing device, the replacement process itself is the same: it is not at all necessary to know the internal structure of the mixer.
The faucet in the kitchen is as important as the stove
How to change the faucet for the kitchen:
Work order
- Dismantling the old mixer begins with unscrewing the supply hoses from the pipes... After that, using a key of the appropriate size, the mixer fastener is unscrewed.
- Pay attention to the sequence of fasteners: The rubber O-ring is installed at the top, between the mixer and the sink. "Moon-like" elements are attached from below, at the same time, first a rubber gasket is placed, then a metal one, after which the structure is fixed with nuts.
- When tightening the nuts, do not do it "tightly"... There is a risk of stripping the threads, which will result in the purchase of new parts.
- When connecting flexible hoses, their threads must be wrapped with fum tape or tow, this must be done clockwise. Also, the winding must be done on the pipe thread.
- This is followed by a control check of all connections underneath to make sure all nuts are securely tightened.
Valve mixers are slightly different in design from valve mixers
How to set the smell in the kitchen from the sink,.
Many professionals currently use both tow and fum tape. Each of these funds has no obvious advantages over each other, but fum tape is considered more modern. At the same time, old-school plumbers assert: tow is a more durable material that does not rot or deteriorate over time. Objectively speaking, both of these materials are about the same in quality, and fum tape is an “incarnation” of old tow, which will eventually replace it.
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All that remains is to turn on the water, but this simple step also requires a lot of care. Since hot and cold water valves are in the bathroom, it is advisable to send there an assistant, who, by and large, is only needed at this stage. You yourself need to stay in place and control the situation, but wipe all joints with a cloth beforehand... There are three such places:
- Between mixer and sink;
- At the junction of the liner with;
- At the junction of the piping with pipes or with.
Mixer replacement work process:
The main thing is to check the tightness of the connections
While the assistant slowly (this is important) opens the cold and hot water valves alternately, You need to open hot and cold water, carefully watching for leaks... This can be detected visually, but sometimes the water does not flow, but quietly seeps out, which is not immediately noticeable. Therefore, while the assistant is at the valves, Your task is to feel with dry hands the places of the indicated joints, highlighting them with a flashlight... If there are no leaks, everything is in order.
Finishing touch
If you are changing the faucet in your own apartment and you can easily endure without water in the kitchen for a day, all joints can be treated with silicone sealant to completely guarantee that there are no leaks. The sealant dries within 24 hours, but it is better to wait 48 hours. If necessary, in the future, silicone will not interfere with dismantling the mixer.
Good faucets are expensive
Otherwise, two options are possible: try tightening the nuts more tightly at the leaks... If this does not help, you will have to turn off the water again, unscrew all the nuts and wind several more layers of fum tape or tow on the thread.
Plumbing construction in the kitchen:
Regardless of how open the water supply valves were before replacing, your task is to do it correctly, ensuring the optimal pressure. Do not open the valves fully. It is recommended to open them about 70%. When fully opened, the water pressure on the mixer cartridge will be very strong, as a result - such heavy loads will shorten its life.
In addition, with this position of the valves, opening the tap to the full, you will receive a very powerful pressure of water, which will definitely beat into the sink and spray on. By the way, the water consumption is not justified in this case, since a medium pressure is enough for washing dishes. But if, with 70-80% open, the valves cannot provide sufficient pressure, adjust it at your discretion, since sometimes the water pressure in old houses is rather weak.
Valves are reliable and beautiful
Drinking water taps are available today
What to do if the tap is leaking:
Replacing a mixer can be attributed to unskilled work: you do not need to have any skills for this. It is only important to follow the sequence of actions, use the appropriate tools and high-quality components (especially for various gaskets and water supply hoses). In this case, leaks and malfunctions of a different nature are excluded, the new mixer will serve for a long time, and you will have every right to be proud that you have completed such an important task yourself.
