Fixing a leaky faucet is one of the common plumbing repairs in every home. Due to the different types of faucets, you can find in your home, the task can seem daunting, although at first, it may be the easiest plumbing repair to do. For example, let's say you have a single-handle faucet. Well, it could be a ball valve or a cartridge valve, or a disc valve. In this tutorial, we will be dealing with a special type of washerless kitchen faucet called a disc faucet.
Disc valve: what is it?
Disc faucets can be found in the kitchen and bathroom. Discs, cartridges, and ball valves can be similar. Like a cartridge or a ball faucet, a disc kitchen faucet can have a single handle. But unlike the ball faucet (which has a rounded ball-shaped cap just above the base of the faucet and moves in a spherical direction), the single-handle faucet has a lever on a wide cylindrical body.
The disc faucet mixes hot and cold water inside a mixing chamber called a pressure balance cartridge. Two ceramic discs at the bottom of the chamber will rise and fall to control the volume of water flow. Temperature is controlled by rotating the handle from side to side.
The discs are ceramic which provides long life and are not the part that normally wears out. What often fails are the little rubber water inlet seals on the bottom of the cartridge or they get clogged with mineral deposits from the water. This tutorial will describe how to remove a disk cartridge and inspect, clean, and replace the rubber seal/disk cartridge assembly.
Tools and materials needed
- Allen key (hex key)
- Pipe wrench or groove pliers
- Screwdriver
- Replacement of disk cartridge or rubber seals (if necessary)
- New o-ring for faucet body (if leaking from bottom of spout)
- Heat-resistant silicone grease
Turn off the water supply at the sink
The first step in faucet repair is to locate the water stop at your faucet and turn off both hot and cold water supply lines going to the faucet. The water stop is usually directly under the sink and consists of a small valve and a small handle.
Other types of valves may have a lever handle that must be turned perpendicular to the waterline to be in a closed position.
If your home does not have local shutoff valves, you will need to go to the water point and shut off the water supply (see how to shut off the water supply ). Once the water is off, turn on the faucet, completely releasing the pressure and letting the water flow out.
Remove the handle lever
The handle will be discreetly attached to the faucet cartridge. The connection can be hidden under a plastic cover plate like on the top of some handles. If your faucet does not have a plastic cap, the handle can be secured with a button head screw on the side, front, or back of the handle.
Using a Phillips screwdriver or hex wrench, remove the retaining screw and remove the handle and decorative cover plate if used on the faucet. You may need to gently lift the handle.
Remove the ceramic disc cartridge
With the handle removed, the disk cartridge is now exposed and can be removed.
Some cartridge styles have screws that hold them in place. If you have this style, remove the screws that secure the disk cartridge.
Once the screws have been removed or if your cartridge does not have fixing screws. Lift the cartridge out of the faucet body. You may need to use pliers as these can get stuck a bit. If the cartridge is stuck, gently grasp it with the slotted pliers and pull it out.
Now that you have removed the cartridge, check that it is not damaged. In the unlikely chance, it is cracked and will need to be replaced. If you need to replace the cartridge, it's usually a good idea to bring the old one, as this allows you to find a replacement.
If a replacement cartridge is not readily available, you will need to order one.
Reassemble the disc cartridge and valve
Then reassemble the cartridge. Replace the new or cleaned rubber seals in their sealing seats. Place the disc cartridge into the faucet body aligning the cartridge tabs with the notches in the faucet body. Replace the decorative plate if there was one in your faucet. Replace the handle and tighten the fixing screw.
Emergency Plumber Fairfax VA works with local plumbers who have many years of experience when it comes to plumbing services. Thus, they will always show the quality of their work. Moreover, expert technicians can also track the cause of leaks in pipes and toilets and repair or replace them.
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