Choosing and installing a faucet

Every house has a faucet. We use plumbing every day and can no longer imagine life without it. If it breaks, it brings a lot of trouble into our lives. You have to clean the pipes, change the mixer and do other chores.

There are a huge number of cranes on the market of different manufacturers, designs and price ranges. To help you make the right choice, we have prepared this material. At the end of the article, we will give practical advice on replacing and repairing a faucet.

We are accustomed to calling a “faucet” a “faucet” and vice versa. But these are two different devices. A tap is needed to supply only cold or only hot water. The mixer is mounted on both pipes at the same time and regulates the temperature of the outgoing water.

Mixers settled in apartments, taps occupy a niche in summer cottages.

Types of cranes

Cranes are of the following types:

• Simple faucet. It supplies one type of water - cold or hot.
• Double valve mixer. Mounted on both branches of water supply, water of different temperatures is mixed in the body. The supply is regulated by turning the valves.
• Mixer with one lever. It performs the same functions as the two-valve variation, but is easier to use.
• Mixer with thermostat. The device itself adjusts the temperature and pressure of the supplied water.

Crane device

All cranes have the following details:

• A spout is a faucet spout or branch pipe to which a shower faucet is attached.
• Plot of docking to the water supply.
• Crane box - a valve for adjusting the pressure of water.
• Frame. It is made of different alloys and has a protective coating.

The design of the valve is different. The mechanism sets the valve of the device in motion by rotation or up and down movement.

Inexpensive faucets have a rubber valve that wears off, which is why they leak.

In the more expensive model, valves with ceramic discs are installed. Such a device lasts a long time.

Choosing a crane

For the mixer to last a long time, pay attention to the material from which they are made.

Cheap products are made of silumin (an alloy of aluminum with silicon), and parts are made of stainless steel, rubber or polymer materials. The result is a short service life.

More expensive models are made of copper alloys - brass or bronze. Parts are chrome-plated, gaskets are made of good polymer.

Appearance is the second important point. Products with one lever are more reliable, and two-valve products are better suited for a retro-style bath.

Are we repairing or replacing a faucet?

Don't close your eyes to a leaky faucet. Dampness accumulates in the bathroom, which leads to the appearance of fungus. Yellow stains form on the sink or in the bathroom. In addition, for dripping wasted water, if there are meters, you will have to pay.

What to do in such a case? The answer will be based on the situation:

• If a new faucet leaks, it's a factory defect. Carefully remove it and exchange it for a new working model.
• If the case is damaged, the product is replaced.
• If a simple faucet or faucet with a rubber gasket is leaking, repair it yourself. Remove the trim, unscrew the valve and replace the old gasket with a new one.
• If the ceramic cartridge faucet is leaking, tighten the fixing screws. If this does not work, change the valve mechanism.

We hope this material was helpful. And now you will choose a reliable faucet model and troubleshoot possible problems.

If there is no experience, then to install the mixer it is worth calling a plumber or an employee of a large company engaged in the provision of personal services. If necessary, he or.