All modern water mixers are equipped with aerators (water dividers) of one design or another. Regardless of their design, these devices need periodic cleaning. In addition to the fact that the aerator mesh filter retains all small particles of dirt and scale circulating through water pipes, it is also gradually overgrown with lime deposits.
When is it time to clean the aerator? You can understand this if the stream of water pouring from the mixer becomes uneven, scatters in different directions, or becomes more "rare". You can easily cope with cleaning the aerator yourself without resorting to the services of a plumber.
Cleaning the aerator
In order to clean the aerator, it will be necessary to first remove it from the mixer spout. Most often, this can be done with bare hands or by wearing rubber household gloves to improve grip. If the aerator is twisted too tightly, then you will have to resort to using an adjustable wrench or pliers.The great variety of mixer designs will not allow you to fit everything on one page. possible options aerators and ways to remove them. But, to generalize, the following options can be considered:
1. The aerator is screwed onto the spout (aerator with internal thread, "Mother")
2. The aerator is screwed into the spout (male aerator, male)
3. The aerator is screwed into the mixer body with a special key
Option number one It is the easiest to unscrew: with one hand, grasp the aerator body that has been wiped dry, with the other hold the spout. Rotate the aerator counterclockwise. If your hand slips over the surface of the aerator, put on rubber household gloves and try again.
In the event that these efforts are not enough, you will have to use pliers. Spread the jaws with the pliers so that you can cover the aerator body, while placing a rubber lining or wrapping the jaws with pliers with electrical tape in several layers so as not to damage the chrome surface of the aerator.
Use the same principle for stripping aerators that twist into the mixer. Unlike aerators that screw onto the mixer spout, the aerator with an external thread has special protrusions for the key-puller.
Therefore, if it cannot be unscrewed by hand (and it can be difficult to grab it due to the low height of the aerator body), use an adjustable wrench or pliers.
Option number three it will also not be difficult, unless you have lost the special key that is sold with the mixer.
If there is a key, then to remove the aerator, insert the key into the water outlet in the mixer, align the protrusions on the key with similar recesses on the aerator body and rotate it counterclockwise. If you still have instructions for such a mixer, follow the instructions.
The removed aerators and their strainers must be cleaned of trapped scale and rust particles moving through the water pipes.
Clean carefully, taking care not to damage the plastic strainers installed in the aerator. Take an old toothbrush and use it to brush all the aerator meshes. Large particles stuck in the meshes that could not be removed with a toothbrush, try to carefully remove with a toothpick.
If there are still particles in some of the mesh cells that cannot be removed, leave them there. It is better to leave a couple of aerator mesh cells clogged than to poke a hole in the mesh.
Treat the outer mesh of the aerator with a descaler or descaler. If the plaque on the outer mesh is insignificant, you can skip this point.
Reinstall the washed, cleaned and assembled aerator in the reverse order. Don't forget to install the rubber pad if it stood alone. When installing, tighten the aerator firmly by hand.
If this later turns out to be insufficient (water will leak from under the thread), slightly tighten the aerator with a wrench or pliers. Do not tighten too much, because it will have to be unscrewed more than once. Be especially careful if the body of the water divider is made of plastic.
Attention: be especially careful and careful in the process reverse installation plastic aerators that are installed in the mixers using a special key. Usually, such dividers are completely made of plastic, and if you immediately start to forcefully twist the aerator into the metal frame of the mixer without getting into the thread, you can easily damage the delicate turns of the plastic thread on the aerator body. After that, it will be problematic to tighten it normally. Start spinning easily, without pressing, turning the key clockwise. When you feel that the aerator twists along the thread easily, screw it on and lightly tighten it with a wrench.
Everyone was faced with the fact that the water pressure in the mixer dropped, or, even worse, the stream is splashing, getting anywhere, just not where it needs to be. Unfortunately, this is a fairly common phenomenon associated with the quality of the water flowing through the mixer. You will learn how to fix this in our master class.
Rust, scale, scale from water heaters, residues of tow - all this, moving along the water supply, settles on the aerator, which is a structure of several successively recruited mesh filters installed at the outlet of the flow from the mixer. Its task is to normalize the flow of water and saturate it with air. Due to this, there is a decrease in water consumption, without losing the efficiency of its use.
More global problems can be the reason for reducing the water pressure from the mixer. But let's start small by looking at step by step the process of cleaning a standard aerator on your own.
Getting ready for work
I note right away that reading this article will probably take more time than it will take to complete the work described below, due to its simplicity.
To clean the aerator, we need:
- rags;
- old toothbrush;
- an adjustable wrench of at least 22 mm or a suitable open-end wrench.
The last position is useful if the aerator has been tightly twisted or sour in the body.
Let's get started
1. Unscrew the aerator from the tap. To do this, grab it with a rag and turn it counterclockwise, if you look at it from below.
If this fails, we try to unscrew it with an adjustable wrench, taking the aerator by the slots in the body.
2. Inspect the aerator for contamination.
3. We wash away the debris by opening the mixer tap. At the same time, we check the water pressure.
4. Remove the rubber pad.
5. Pressing with your finger, squeeze the plastic insert out of the metal case.
6. Having tucked in with a knife, remove the plastic coarse filter from the insert.
7. We take out the mesh. In this case, there are four of them. We remember the order of their arrangement.
8. With an old toothbrush we clean the plaque from the nets and a plastic filter. We do this with pressure so that the bristles penetrate all the holes.
9. We collect the plastic insert, installing in the reverse order the mesh and the coarse filter.
10. Install the plastic insert into the metal case.
11. Install the rubber gasket.
12. Screw the cleaned aerator clockwise into the mixer body.
13. Clamp by hand, without effort!
14. We wash our hands with soap and water under a good pressure of water!
Alexander Birzhin, rmnt.ru
The aerator is a small-sized device, presented in the form of a strainer, which is installed on the mixer spout. It is designed to mix air and water and therefore to restrict and reduce the flow rate. The device allows you to retain small particles of sand, as well as salt deposits. However, its functional purpose should not be confused with the role of the filter, the absence of which reduces not only the service life of the aerator, but also the mixer as a whole.
Functions of the aerator
The principle of operation of the aerator is as follows: through the small holes located around the perimeter of the installation, air enters the mixer, where it is later mixed with water, and as a result, foamed water enriched with small air bubbles comes out of the device.
Let's consider in more detail the functions and role of the aerator in the mixer.
- Normalizes water flow.
- Promotes the rapid weathering of chlorine compounds, as a result of this process, the quality of water increases.
- Improves surface cleaning due to the presence of bubbles in the water flow.
- Reduces water consumption due to increased jet volume as a result of aeration.
- Cleans liquid from sand, salts, large particles.
The advantages of the nozzle are: reduced noise of aerated water, low cost of the product - from 2 to 8 dollars, ease of installation, as well as maintenance and water saving.
Also watch the video on how you can save water with an aerator.
The disadvantage of the product is the insignificant service life of the mesh filter, which, as a rule, does not exceed 1-2 years.
Thus, the use of an aerator allows you to reduce water consumption and increase its quality. In order for the nozzle to fully perform the above functions, it is necessary to monitor its condition and promptly clean it, as well as replace the part if necessary.
Types of aerator
Currently, aerators do not differ in a wide variety of types and shapes, however, the design of any of them consists of a body, a gasket and a module with a filter system.
In the cylindrical module, manufacturers place meshes with cells, while the former are directed into a stream of water for the purpose of purification, the purpose of the rest is the process of mixing water and air.
Consider the main types of aerators, depending on the material of the body.
- Metallic. Nozzles made from this material are the most common and inexpensive. Among the disadvantages of the product are: rapid destruction of the structure due to the easy susceptibility of the material to corrosion, as a result of the constant influence of water on the product.
- Polymeric. Possess good quality, have a low cost, withstand constant exposure to water well, do not rust.
- Ceramic or from non-ferrous metals (brass, bronze). Are the most expensive devices but have extended term services regarding metal and polymer aerators.
For the manufacture of an inexpensive and high-quality device, manufacturers often use stainless steel as an alternative material, which has high technological characteristics, like brass. This budget option is well suited for people who value quality and have an average income.
Depending on the design and additional functional equipment, aerators are:
- vacuum - equipped with a special vacuum valve that compresses water under pressure, creating an aerated flow;
- adjustable - the design of this product allows you to adjust the strength of the water flow, as well as set the required operating mode: "jet" or "spray";
- backlit aerators, equipped with LEDs and temperature sensors, which, depending on the temperature of the water, paint its flow in the appropriate color: cool water up to 29 ° С - in green, warm water from 30 to 38 ° С - in blue, and over 39 ° С - in Red.
The product does not require additional equipment of the crane with electric power sources, as it functions due to the rotation of its own turbine.
A backlit aerator is an indispensable attribute of plumbing equipment at home where children are, since such color shades help to orient the child with the temperature of the outgoing jet, to distinguish between the concepts "cold", "hot" depending on its color.
Maintenance and cleaning of the aerator
If during the use of this nozzle the water pressure has decreased, check the condition of the aerator. As a rule, the reason for this negative phenomenon is the clogging of the filter mesh. In this case, it is enough to just clean the product, but if it is very clogged and there are defects on its surface, it is necessary to purchase a new aerator for the tap.
Let's consider the procedure for cleaning the part.
- Dismantle the aerator using a locksmith's wrench or pliers. To do this, grab it with a key and turn it clockwise.
To eliminate the likelihood of scratches on the coating of the crane during dismantling, you should first wrap the head of the product with electrical tape.
- Pull out and assess the condition of the rubber gasket. Next, you need to remove the mesh filter from the cylinder and rinse it under running water, and also thoroughly clean the device using a needle or thin awl.
In the case of strong indelible contamination, the aerator is chemically cleaned. To do this, the strainer is placed in apple cider vinegar and held until the deposits are completely dissolved.
- Assemble and install the aerator in its original position. After that, you should check the correct installation of the part. Namely, open the water and view the connections for leakage, in case of leakage, it is necessary to tighten the aerator using pliers.
If the above manipulations for cleaning the aerator did not bring the desired result, replace it. To do this, unscrew the old device using a wrench, then install a new one in its place. This process will not take more than 20 minutes, while a properly equipped tap will reduce water consumption by 15%, thereby reducing the consumption of the family budget.
Also watch the video on how to clean the aerator
A faucet aerator is a small device that is attached to the “spout” of a faucet and serves to restrict the flow of water without any noticeable decrease in the intensity of the stream. When using plumbing fixtures without aerators, water consumption can reach a shocking figure of 15 liters per minute. With them, you will have no more than 6-7 liters per minute. But the advantages of these "attachments" do not end there.
The design and principle of operation of the aerator
The advantages and disadvantages of such a nozzle
The main advantages of using an aerator include:
- low price. The attachment will cost you $ 2-10 (depending on the design features);
- reducing the noise level during the operation of plumbing devices. Water supplied with air does not make noise;
- ease of maintenance. The elementary design allows even a housewife to understand the intricacies of the device and the operation of the attachment;
- performs the function of a simple one.
There is only one drawback - the fragility of the device. If your house has old pipes, you will have to change the aerators on the taps every six months - a year.
The aerator mesh can be cleaned with a pin or needle
How is the aerator cleaned and replaced?
If it is necessary to clean the aerator (and there will be such a need), work should be carried out in the following order:
- Uninstall the aerator by rotating it by hand, wrench and pliers clockwise - when looking at the faucet from above. If the rubber gasket did not fall out immediately, it must be removed and the condition assessed.
- Remove the cylinder with screens by pressing your finger from the side of the jet outlet from the body.
- Having disassembled the cylinder for "spare parts" using a stream of water and a needle (toothpick, thin awl), clean its individual elements.
- When all parts of the aerator are cleaned, you can reassemble and reinstall it. Do not forget to put a gasket on top of the nozzle - in a word, twist with it (counterclockwise when viewed from above). It is not worth tightening the aerator too much - it will be quite enough if you do it simply by hand. If you see a leak when you open the water, just take a pair of pliers and a tissue and tighten slightly.
As you can see, the process of cleaning the aerator is straightforward. The same can be said about replacing the nozzle - unscrew the old one, install a new one, and that's it.
Cleaning and replacing the aerator can be done at any time with your own hands - there is no need to resort to the services of a professional and not always "cheap" plumber.
More detailed instructions for replacing the aerator you will find in our material:.
Aesthetics is learned in little things
If you have children in your home or you are just a connoisseur of pleasant little things, then you will definitely like the illuminated faucet aerator. The bodies of such nozzles are usually made of chrome-plated brass.
The design of illuminated aerators assumes the presence of a built-in microturbine with an electric generator and a temperature sensor with a diode system inside the housing. Working temperature such a nozzle - up to 60 degrees Celsius.
Note! Original design jet regulators with LED backlight does not require additional power supplies. Such aerators work due to the rotation of the turbine.
The illuminated faucet aerator can be connected to the faucet spout as easily as a conventional one. It is screwed in by hand, without the use of tools. When the tap is opened, the jet light comes on automatically. Its color, as you might guess, completely depends on the temperature of the water at the moment:
- at temperatures less than 29 degrees - green;
- at a temperature of 30-38 - blue;
- at temperatures from 39 and above - red.
In our next article, you will learn how to choose the right bathroom faucet:.
Beautiful illumination of glowing aerators will impress neither children nor adults.
An aerator is a plumbing device that is installed on the outflows of water taps and mixers to saturate the water with fine air bubbles and mechanically clean it from foreign particles.
The principle of operation of the aerator is the passage of water through several nets with different sizes cells. Thanks to this, the water is saturated with air, it feels soft and splashes less when washing dishes. While maintaining the washing efficiency aerator saves up to 70% of water.
Types of mixer aerators
The range of nozzles-aerators for installation on the outlets of faucet faucets is represented by the following types:
- a simple mesh, which is usually installed by manufacturers on all spouts of taps and mixers;
- with adjustable water jet shape;
- with a change in the angle of the stream of the water jet;
- with adjustment of the shape and angle of the stream of water jet;
- with random LED multi-colored illumination of a stream of water;
- with LED illuminated water jet different colors depending on its temperature.
The photo on the left shows an aerator with the ability to adjust the shape and angle of the stream of water, on the right is an aerator with LED illumination, and two simple standard aerators are located in the center.
Simple mesh
A widespread type of aerators that are commonly found on all taps and bath faucets, washbasins and kitchen sinks.
A simple aerator is a housing that houses a number of plastic and metal mesh... The photo shows a simple aerator disassembled.
With the ability to adjust the shape and angle of the stream of water
Manufacturers, as a rule, do not install aerators with the ability to adjust the shape and angle of the water flow, as they are not much different from standard aerators in terms of efficiency, but cost twice as much.
Typically, the shape of the faucet spouts provides the optimal direction of the water jet, and the ability to change its angle is rarely required. But the ability to change the shape of the jet can be useful.
If water flows out in the form of a stream from many jets, as in the photo on the left, then the water pressure in each of the jets increases and this mode is good when washing heavily soiled dishes. In another position of the flow regulator, water flows out as from a standard aerator.
LED illuminated water jet
More recently, thanks to the efforts of Chinese manufacturers, LED faucet aerators have been introduced to the market to illuminate the water. The water, illuminated in different colors, is very popular with children and they gladly run to wash or even wash the dishes. And adults are pleased to look at colored water.
There are two types of LED aerators:
- with random color change;
- with a change in the color of the backlight depending on the temperature of the water
Structurally, the aerators are made in the same way, and the choice is determined only by personal preferences. If you like constantly changing colors, like in a stroboscope, then you need to choose the first type, and if you like just water highlighted in one color, then the second type.
A temperature-dependent water illumination aerator illuminates the stream as follows:
- green at temperatures below 30 ° C;.
- in blue at temperatures ranging from 30 ° C to 38 ° C;
- red at temperatures over 39 ° C.
LED light aerator device
Aerators with LED illumination, both with iridescent colors and illuminating the water with a color depending on its temperature, are arranged in the same way and designed to operate at a temperature of water passing through them no more than 60 ° С.
The photo shows the aerator from the side of the outflow of the water stream. As you can see, instead of the mesh, there is a transparent cover with holes, like in a shower head.
On the opposite side of the aerator there is a coarse water filter and an annular rubber gasket. The strainer in quality aerators is usually stainless steel or brass.
The mesh is simply inserted into the aerator body and is easily removed. Behind it you can see a detail in the form of a cup, on the sides of which three rectangular holes are made at an angle, which serve to direct the flow of water to the turbine blades of the generator.
The cup is made of plastic and is not fixed, therefore, it can also be easily removed without the use of tools.
Water, falling under pressure on the turbine blades of the generator, makes them rotate. The turbine is fixed on the shaft, and when it rotates, it transmits the torque through it to the generator, which generates an electric current. LEDs are connected to the generator winding. Therefore, when the generator is running, they glow, highlighting the water.
As you can see, no no batteries in the LED aerator... If the LEDs stop shining, then the generator or LEDs are out of order. Such an aerator cannot be repaired, unless you can clean the strainer and the turbine from dirt.
Manufacturers call the LED-illuminated nozzle designed for installation on the mixer an aerator, which is not true. This device does not have a system that fills the jets of water with air bubbles and therefore it is more correct to call it a water divider with LED illumination.
It should be noted that the LED-backlit aerator works well even with a very low water pressure, but at the same time it emits a rather loud acoustic noise, which is emitted by a working electric generator. The sound emitted by the aerator is similar to the noise of a running electric motor in children's toys, supplemented by flowing water from a shower head.
When buying a backlit aerator, keep in mind that its length is a few centimeters and after installing it on the faucet spout work zone will decrease, which can create inconvenience with a shallow sink.
The practice of using an aerator with LED illumination has shown that its service life rarely exceeds six months.
Installing the LED aerator on the mixer
Before installing the aerator with LED lighting on the mixer tap spout, it is necessary to unscrew the already installed aerator from it.
The body of the LED illuminated aerator is usually made of plastic and has no edges for screwing it in with an open-end wrench. Therefore, it is simply wrapped in the tap spout by hand.
Sizes of water aerators for mixers
By the type of thread, the aerators are available with external and internal threads. In addition, threads are available in 20mm, 22mm, 24mm and 28mm diameters. Therefore, before choosing an aerator, it is necessary to determine the type and diameter of the thread of the mixer spout.
The photo on the left shows a male aerator. These are the most widely used. And on the right is located with an internal thread.
What material to choose an aerator for a mixer
Aerator bodies for the mixer are made of plastic or brass. From above they are covered with a decorative shiny coating and on outward appearance practically do not differ. Aerators with a brass body are more expensive, but they also serve for many years.
The body of the aerator, made of plastic, becomes fragile over time due to changes in water temperature, and when you try to unscrew it with a wrench from the spout of the mixer tap for cleaning, it cracks. This fact is confirmed personal experience... Therefore, if you plan to clean the aerator nets with your own hands in the future, then it is better to purchase an aerator with a brass body.
The coarse water filter in the aerator (blue in the photo above), which simultaneously performs the task of cutting the water flow into many thin jets, is usually made of plastic. I have not seen metal filters. There is no choice here.
The fine mesh in the aerator, directly involved in the formation of bubbles in the water, are made of plastic, extruded aluminum, brass, plain or stainless steel. The choice should be stopped on brass meshes, and preferably stainless steel. They will serve forever.
In this way, the best choice there will be an aerator, the body of which is made of chrome-plated brass, and the fine mesh of stainless steel.
How to clean dirt and rust from aerator screens
Over time, due to the content of small particles of iron oxides in tap water, they are deposited on all surfaces with which the water comes into contact. This fate will not escape the water aerator.
Coarse and fine nets are clogged, bubbles disappear from the water flowing out of the tap, and it stops emitting a characteristic hissing sound. And all the advantages that the aerator created disappear. Of course, you can replace it with a new one. But it's easy to clean the nets from dirt and rust with your own hands.
How to remove and disassemble the aerator
To unscrew the aerator on its body, there are two faces for gripping with a key, located diametrically opposite.
There are special plastic keys on sale for unscrewing aerators. The design of one of these keys is shown in the photo. But I suppose there is no point in purchasing a special key that can be replaced with a standard open-end key.
To unscrew the aerator with an open-end wrench, you need to grab the aerator by the edges with its sponges and rotate it clockwise (if you look at the tap from above). To eliminate the appearance of scratches on the surface of the case from the impact of the key, a thin leather or other material can be laid between its jaws.
View of the removed aerator assembly. The design is a collection of grids with very small cells stacked one after the other in succession into a cylindrical glass. The first two plastic nets are the guides of the water stream and at the same time serve as a coarse filter, the rest mix water and air.
To remove the nets from the aerator body, press with your finger on the mesh, which is located on the side of the outflow of water. All meshes will be removed together with the cylinder in which they are placed.
The photo shows a coarse mesh and a cylinder with fine mesh remaining in it.
Prying a knife blade over the edge of the spherical mesh, disconnect the coarse mesh block.
The photo shows a disassembled grid for coarse water purification. It remains to remove the fine water mesh from the cylinder and you can start cleaning the mesh from dirt and rust.
Cleaning the aerator screens from rust
First you need to rinse each aerator mesh under running water using any detergent with a stiff brush or old toothbrush.
Fine grains of sand and dirt are well removed from the nets mechanically. But a rust deposit covering the mesh cells by half or more will remain.
To remove the remaining rust deposits, use a chemical cleaning method. For these purposes, any detergent for cleaning sanitary ware that removes rust deposits, for example, "Sanox", is suitable.
All parts of the aerator must be placed in a suitable container and filled with detergent. After 15-20 minutes, the rust from the surface of the part should disappear, otherwise you need to wait some more. When traces of rust have disappeared, the parts must be rinsed in running water.
As you can see in the photo, the details of the aerator after processing in detergent The Sanox looked like new.
The aerator grids must be installed in the sequence shown in the photo. It has been noticed in practice that for the aerator to work with a very low water pressure in the water supply system, the fine mesh during assembly must be oriented in such a way that the wires forming the cells of one mesh are oriented relative to the wires of the adjacent mesh at an angle of 45 °.
After cleaning the nets, assembling and installing the aerator on the mixer, a stream of water from the tap ran, saturated with bubbles, making a characteristic hissing sound. The aerator, thanks to cleaning the nets with our own hands, began to work like new.
Noise control measures
Faucets with water aerators still have a drawback, which manifests itself in the case of installing the faucet in stainless steel sinks. Bubble water falling to the bottom of the sink vibrates its thin walls and creates more acoustic noise than without an aerator. You can reduce the noise level in a simple way... Enough for outside glue a plate of microporous rubber or other porous material to the bottom of the sink, which will damp vibration, and with it noise.
To select the most suitable sound-absorbing material, it is enough to open the tap and apply the material to the bottom of the sink. Then glue the most suitable one. It is quite possible that the application of a thin layer of macroflex or other foam material will also be effective. But I haven't tried it myself.
