What to do when the tap flows: possible causes of the malfunction + typical repair

Replacing the gasket in the tap thanks to the wonderful film "Afonya" became a situation almost anecdotal. Despite all the achievements of civilization, if a faucet leaks in the kitchen or in the bathroom, waiting for qualified help from the plumber from the management company is sometimes simply unrealistic. But if a faucet flows in the house: how to fix plumbing equipment yourself? This is not the most difficult task. You need to find out the cause of the malfunction and fix it with a simple set of tools.

Preparation and necessary tools

The first rule of any repair of plumbing equipment: you need to shut off the water supply. Typically, the valves can be found in the toilet, you just need to turn the levers 90 degrees. If the equipment has not been used for a long time, the valves may be blocked. No need to make heroic efforts to turn them. Thus, you can simply break the crane and then instead of one problem, you have to solve two. Valves should be developed carefully, gradually increasing efforts and adding a drop of grease.

Only after the water supply is reliably shut off can repair work be started. First you need to prepare the necessary tools so that they are at hand:

• adjustable wrench;
• flat screwdriver;
• crosshead screwdriver
• wrench, etc.

Usually this simple set is enough. Auxiliary elements, for example, pieces of rubber or leather for the manufacture of new gaskets, a fluoroplastic sealing tape, which is used to replace loose leaves, rags, sponges, detergent to remove dirt accumulated inside the mixer, etc., will not interfere.

Tip. So that an accidentally dropped tool does not damage the sink or bath, it does not hurt to put something soft below: a rag, a piece of foam rubber or other material suitable for the role of a shock absorber.

The reasons that the tap is leaking can be very different. For a traditional two-valve tap, the most pressing problem is wear on the gasket or liner, which must be replaced. If a ball (or articulated) valve leaks, which is designed fundamentally differently, completely different actions will be required.

Repair of a two-valve crane

Gasket replacement

The answer to the question: why does the tap flow, no matter how tightly it is tightened, it most likely sounds like this: the problem is a worn gasket. Replacing it is not difficult, for this you need:

1. Unscrew the valve body (it just rotates counterclockwise).
2. Remove damaged or worn gasket.
3. Make a new gasket from a piece of thick leather or rubber. For the sample, of course, take the old gasket.
4. Install a new gasket.
5. Wrap seal on stop edge.
6. Reinstall the valve body by turning it clockwise.
7. Using a wrench, tighten the installed valve firmly.

In order not to mess with the manufacture of gaskets, you can buy a new one in the plumbing store.However, if for some reason there is no such possibility, a home-made part will fit for urgent crane repair.

The diagram shows in detail how to correctly replace the ceramic gasket in a traditional two-valve mixer. You will need a Phillips screwdriver and a wrench

Replacing Packing Packing

Wear on the packing gland may also cause leakage. In this case, a leak occurs when the valve is open: water enters between the stuffing box nut and the valve stem. To correct the situation, you must:

1. Using a screwdriver, unscrew the stuffing box nut.
2. Make a sealing liner from a second-layer sealing tape.
3. Remove worn liner.
4. Wrap a new liner tightly around the valve stem.
5. Tighten the nut.

If everything is done correctly, the valve will turn smoothly, and the flow will stop.

Replacing shower hose ring gasket

When a leak appears where the faucet and shower hose are connected, the usually worn ring gasket becomes the cause of the problems. To replace it, you must:

1. Using an adjustable wrench, unscrew the shower hose. This must be done carefully, otherwise the hose thread may be easily damaged.
2. Remove worn seal.
3. Install a new ring gasket.
4. Reinstall the shower hose.

If possible, it is best to use an annular gasket made of silicone. Rubber parts are less resistant to wear, and therefore not so durable.

Most often, to eliminate the leak of the crane, it is necessary to replace the rubber gasket or part of the locking mechanism - to the cranbox. These parts can be bought at the plumbing store.

When a small amount of water continues to flow out of the tap when transferring the water supply to the shower hose, the locking elements located in the handle of the mixer should be changed; they are called faucets. They can be ceramic or equipped with a rubber gasket, a suitable model must be selected in the plumbing store.

Ball Valve Repair

New-fashioned ball valves are more complex than traditional valve models. So what should be done if a ball valve flows? The most common problem is that contaminants that interfere with the operation of the mixer get into the housing.

When repairing a ball valve, carefully remove the valve. To do this, first remove the decorative cap, under which there is a fixing screw

In short, the crane must be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled. Do it like this:

1. Unscrew the screw that secures the lever with a screwdriver.
2. Carefully remove the lever from the tap.
3. Unscrew the threaded screw with a screwdriver.
4. Remove the mixer dome and plastic seal.
5. Inspect seal gasket, remove accumulated deposits.
6. If the seal has worn, you need to purchase and install a new part.
7. Take out and inspect the ball. If it is damaged, it will also have to be replaced with a new one.
8. Gently pry off the seals that secure the ball with a thin screwdriver. If they are even a little worn, they will also have to be replaced.
9. After replacement, lubricate the gaskets with a composition recommended by the manufacturer.
10. Carefully reassemble the mixer in the reverse order.

All procedures must be followed when cleaning the ball mixer, as its parts are easily damaged. If all the steps are done correctly, the leaks will stop. In the same way, problems with temperature control in this type of mixer are eliminated.

Sometimes you just need to change the mixer cartridge. Details about this procedure are described in the video:

And if a completely new faucet flows?

If the question arises of how to eliminate a leak in the tap that has just been installed, then the problem is usually a factory defect. The procedure in this case is only one: you need to dismantle the installed mixer, go to the store where it was purchased, and to achieve the replacement of damaged equipment.

Eliminate industrial defects at home with the help of improvised means only a professional plumber, and even then not always. In all other cases, with sufficient patience and perseverance, the independent elimination of tap leakage is completed quite successfully.