Two types of faucets are most often installed in the bathroom — on the edge of the bathtub and sink or on the wall. Floor models are installed less often.
The wall mounting option is the most convenient and the most common, as it allows you to hide communications and use one faucet for a bathroom sink. Installation of such a model is quite simple, so you can handle the work with your own hands. The main thing is to follow the technology and reliably waterproof the connection.
1. Preparation for installation
2. Selection of a sealant for threading
Winding is needed only for eccentrics.
The quality of the faucet installation depends on how reliable the waterproofed threaded connections will be. For this purpose, use:
- Plumbing linen.
- Plumbing thread.
- FUM tape.
Linen is a time-tested material. Despite the appearance of many other methods of waterproofing, it is still popular among professional plumbers and amateurs. The quality of sealing is at a high level. Correct linen winding does not come off when tightened and does not cut with threads. Flax-wound eccentric sleeve can be adjusted in space, but not more than ¼ turn.
To wrap the thread, flax is twisted into a pigtail. Then tightly wound in one layer, in such a way as to hide the carving. The tail of the thread must be clamped with the first turn. The winding direction should be opposite to the direction in which the part will be screwed. Then the flax will remain in place when connecting the threaded pair.
The only downside of linen is that it is not slippery enough. It is necessary to use special sanitary greases (pastes) with it. They prevent the cutting of the fibers during tightening and allow the flax to tightly crumple along the thread, making the connection as reliable as possible. In addition, it protects linen from destruction under the influence of moisture.
Winding with sanitary linen
Plumbing thread is a less common material for waterproofing threaded pairs, as it is quite expensive and has peculiarities of use. The thread is wound not in a thread, but in a cross pattern. The tail is also clamped with the first turn. The material is reliable and easy to use, ideal for a small amount of work. Allows you to turn the connection in the opposite direction up to half a turn.
Winding with plumbing thread
FUM tape is a popular material among amateurs and professionals, as it is very easy to use and fix on the thread. The tape is wound in several layers – from 3 to 10 depending on the diameter of the threaded pair, the density of the connection without winding and the thickness of the tape itself. The winding should be done from the base of the thread to the edge. The tape is wound along the thread, slightly pulling. The end must be cut off, not torn off. The FUM tape is quite smooth, so it does not require the use of additional lubrication.
Important ! After twisting, the element with FUM tape winding cannot be rotated in the opposite direction. To immediately install the eccentric correctly, you need to twist it without winding and remember the number of turns and location in space.
3. Installation of eccentrics
The best option is if the water outlets are installed at a distance equal to the interaxial distance on the mixer. Experienced plumbers recommend thinking about this at the stage of installing water pipes and using ready-made water sockets, they only need to be fixed at the level.
A ready-made water socket will help to install the faucet evenly.
If the distance between the pipes is less or more than required, you can center the eccentrics. It is better to do it before winding. At the same time, remember the number of turns and orientation in space, it is better to mark with a marker. You can lose a level during this operation. If the mixer deviates slightly from the level, it will not be very noticeable. But measure is important here. The device should not be installed very crookedly.
Next, eccentrics should be wrapped with FUM tape, linen or thread and screwed. The part must enter tightly with effort. First, you should screw in the eccentric by hand, then with an adjustable wrench.
Installed eccentrics
It is better to check the tightness of the connection immediately than after installing the mixer. For this, you need plugs with rubber gaskets. They need to be screwed on eccentrics and open the faucet, if water does not drip, then the connection is reliable and you can continue working.
Plugs for checking the tightness of the thread.
Before installing the faucet itself, it is necessary to treat the gap between the tile and water outlets with silicone sealant. This is important so that water, flowing down the wall, does not fall behind the tiles.
Areas that need to be sealed.
Eccentrics can have different lengths, it is best to choose them so that after installing the mixer , the thread of the eccentric is completely hidden under the body of the device. If necessary, the eccentric can be shortened with a grinder, but only on the side that is screwed into the pipeline.
For some types of eccentrics, a hex key can be useful, instead you can use a bolt with a suitable head and a gas key.
4. Instructions for installing the mixer
First you need to screw the reflectors. Then the mixer itself. In the holes of the device under the nut, you need to put spacers with a metal mesh (sometimes without it). The smooth side of the gasket should be on top, the embossed side should be directed inside the mixer body. The mixer nuts are screwed to the eccentrics evenly, this is necessary to avoid skewing of the device. First, the nuts are tightened by hand, then with an adjustable wrench. In order not to scratch the case of the device, the key should be worked through a cloth napkin. It is necessary to twist in stages in the same way. First a half turn on one side, then a half turn on the other side. At the last revolutions, it is important not to overtighten, otherwise the lining inside the nuts may be cut, which will lead to leakage.
The fabric will protect the chrome coating from damage.
The next step is to connect the shower hose. The end with a nut is screwed to the mixer. The second end – with a cone-shaped part – to the shower head. The connection must be sealed with rubber gaskets. This connection does not tighten much.
Seals for shower hose
Next, you need to connect the spout. To do this, it is enough to tighten the nut that comes with the goose. The shower head and spout can be purchased separately if their appearance or size turned out to be inappropriate.
Complete installation of the mixer in the bathroom takes no more than 20-30 minutes.
5. Attachment of the holder for the shower head
How to attach the holder to the wall depends on the material it is made of. If it is concrete, dowels and screws will be needed. Installation steps:
- Mark the location of fasteners on the wall. A pencil or marker is suitable for this. The holder must be attached to the installation site at the required height and marks should be made through the holes for fasteners. So that the drill does not slide on the surface of the tile, you need to slightly damage the smooth coating of the tile with the help of a self-tapping screw or a drill bit. It should be placed in the center of the mark and hit with a hammer.
- Drill holes and insert dowels into them.
- Fasten the holder for the watering can with self-tapping screws.
Installation of the holder in a concrete wall
It is more difficult to install the holder in a plasterboard wall lined with tiles – you need to know the location of the rack profile or mount it in advance, at the stage of building the partition. Only in this case, the reliability of fixing the holder is guaranteed. The first two stages of installation in plasterboard are similar to fastening to a concrete wall. Only the tile and the glue layer need to be drilled. In this case, the holder is attached to metal screws with a fine thread.
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