After making sure of the “culprit” of the breakdown, we proceed to eliminate the problem. To do this, we previously block the hot and cold water in the apartment in order to avoid flooding of the neighbors; we prepare the necessary tool.
To replace the cartridge, we need: a wrench of the appropriate size, a screwdriver, grease in case of rusted threads on the tap, an Allen key and, in fact, the new cartridge itself.
Getting to work. To do this, we find on the lever of the tap a cap with a pointer to hot and cold water and pry it with a knife.
Under it is a screw that secures the handle of the crane to its "body", which we need to unscrew using a hex wrench.
Having unscrewed the locking screw and having removed the mixer lever, we proceed to dismantle the decorative nut, usually located under the lever itself. We gently pry it with a wrench of the appropriate size; when the nut begins to unscrew, we help ourselves with our hands and slowly unscrew and remove it.
Having removed the decorative nut, we proceed to the clamping nut, which we also unscrew with a wrench, helping ourselves, if necessary, with grease, in case the nut is rusted.
Having removed a clamping nut, we get out our faulty cartridge and being guided by it, we buy the same in shop.
Having acquired a new cartridge, we install it in place of the faulty one. Please note that at the bottom of the cartridge there are special grooves and pins that must coincide when installing with the grooves and pins of the “body” of the mixer. Having replaced the new cartridge, we carry out the work in the reverse order: carefully tighten the clamping and decorative nuts, put the lever of the mixer on the cartridge and fix it with the locking screw; set the plug back.
What is the cost of replacing a cartridge and how long does it last? The answers to these questions depend on the quality of the cartridge itself.You must understand that the inexpensive cartridge that you bought in the nearest market for a modest amount of money is probably made in China, and its service life is, on average, two to three years. At the same time, a cartridge of a well-known brand, bought in a specialized store, will cost you an amount many times greater than when buying on the market. However, such a cartridge will last longer; its service life may be ten or fifteen years of operation.
It is important to remember that the life of a cartridge, whether it is ordinary from the market, or branded from an expensive plumbing store, also depends on the conditions in which it is used. So, a cartridge that passes a lot of debris from water pipes through itself, of course, is more likely to fail due to poor water conditions.
Therefore, install water filters, operate the mixer carefully, and it will delight you with a single year of faithful service. Well, if he still crashes, well, now you know how to replace it!