Ceramic mixer: features and main secrets

Real estate owners today are increasingly making high demands on the materials and equipment used in the interior. Particular attention is given to plumbing: no one wants to change taps every year or watch how water flows through a counter of a rubber mixer gasket for a bathtub. In addition to technical requirements, plumbing equipment should ideally fit into the design of the kitchen or bathroom. That is why ceramic faucets for the kitchen and bathroom today have become popular all over the world. They are produced by many leading manufacturers of sanitary ware, which allows you to choose a model in accordance with your tastes and financial capabilities.

Features of ceramics and its use in plumbing equipment

Ceramics has proven its practicality to mankind over several millennia of using this material. Among its advantages:

• hygiene;
• aesthetically pleasing appearance;
• wide selection of colors;
• long term of operation;
• plasticity of the material allows you to give ceramics a variety of forms.

All this allows the use of ceramics in the manufacture of bodies, spouts, valves and levers of cranes. An innovative solution is its use in the production of internal elements that provide water supply and regulation.

It has ceramics and a number of disadvantages. Although it is a durable material, it is fragile and striking with heavy objects such as a ceramic pan can cause chips to form. Another disadvantage of the product is its price: a simple ceramic herringbone mixer can cost several times more than an analogue made of brass. Despite this, the products are in high demand due to their practicality and impeccable appearance.

The main types of ceramic mixers

A classic ceramic mixer can be of two types: single lever or two-valve. The single-lever design is simple to operate: with a hand movement you can change the pressure and temperature, which is important when working in the kitchen. That is why 80% of housewives prefer such taps for a kitchen sink. Manufacturers complete their products with ceramic cartridges, which are designed for hundreds of thousands of opening and closing cycles. This allows you to operate single lever models for 10-15 years.

Ceramic faucet kitchen faucets seem archaic, but it is in this material that they gain their second life. Impeccable design makes it popular in the design of baroque or rococo cuisine, postmodernism or art noir. Some sinks are suitable only for such faucets. In the bathroom for the mixer, the ability to accurately adjust the temperature of the water is important, and for many this seems possible only with the use of valve mixers.

Ceramic metal mixer

Often there are situations when the plumber seller offers the buyer a faucet made of nickel-plated brass or steel, and at the same time claims that this is the best ceramic faucet for the kitchen. At the same time, it is difficult to convict him of deceit, because the whole point is that the locking and regulating element of such models is made of ceramic. It is so effective that it got its own name - a ceramic faucet and this name has become relevant for the mixer, in which such a shut-off element is installed.

The ceramic faucet is made of aluminum oxide, this material is resistant to scratches and has a long service life. In addition, this type of ceramic is characterized by low friction due to the occurrence of intermolecular interaction. This allows you to create from it all the basic elements of a locking regulatory mechanism. Some manufacturers took advantage of the features of the material and developed cranes from two plates or disks that are simple in design.

Ceramic washbasin taps have the following advantages:

• opening or closing requires minimal physical effort;
• minimum angle of rotation for opening at full pressure head;
• low noise level at work;
• reliability during operation;
• hygiene;
• durability.

Ceramic taps also have serious drawbacks - they are not recommended for use in water pipes, in which there are a lot of solid suspended particles. Ceramics themselves are resistant to their effects, but if they fall between the disks, then friction causes depressurization. As a result, the mixer will have to be changed much earlier than its manufacturer promised.

How to choose a ceramic mixer?

The purchase of sanitary equipment is a crucial stage in the repair of a house or apartment, especially when it comes to quite expensive ceramic mixers. It is necessary to pay attention to the following parameters and characteristics:

• spout height - the larger it is, the more convenient it is to wash the dishes in the sink or head in the sink. On the other hand, water falling from a height causes splashes all over the kitchen. The best option for a high spout is a deep sink without a flat bottom;
• retractable hose equipment - a similar design can become an alternative to a high spout, since the hose will allow you to efficiently wash and rinse even the largest pots or more comfortably wash your hair in the bathroom sink;
• faucet design - as already mentioned, valve models can be used for a bathroom, there is practically no alternative to a single lever design for a kitchen;
• shape and design - ceramics are a plastic material that allows you to create mixers with spouts of futuristic shapes. Fans of the classics will not be left without attention, to which manufacturers will offer a wide selection of products in any traditional style. For connoisseurs of hi-tech, combined models are most suitable, in which, in addition to ceramics, nickel-plated steel is used - one of the main design materials of this style;
• color - ceramic faucets is a great opportunity to choose a faucet that perfectly matches the colors of the sink, sink or stove. Manufacturers produce not only white or beige models, but also mixers in black, cream, pink, blue, green.

When choosing a ceramic mixer, do not forget about technical innovations that plumbing manufacturers delight buyers. Infrared sensors, thermostats, electronic control - all this is also present in ceramic models.

How to extend the life of a ceramic mixer?

The relevance of the issue of increasing the service life of ceramic mixers is due to various factors.Among them - improper installation, a lot of counterfeit products, operational errors. First of all - you need to buy faucets of well-known, trusted manufacturers with a good reputation. Among them are German, Spanish and French companies such as Grohe, Hansgrohe, Roca, Jacob Delafon. All products of these brands are carefully monitored, and the innovative technologies used in the production make it possible to obtain products that are technically reliable.

Before calculating the mixer you like - you must carefully check it for cracks, cavities, chips. A quality crane will have significant weight, unlike counterfeit fakes. The installation of mixers should be entrusted to professionals who handle equipment more carefully and are familiar with all the nuances of its installation.

If we are talking about a city apartment and water from a centralized source, then you need to take care of the filters at the entrance to the mixer. Suspension in the water will lead to premature wear of the valves of the valves. Do not care about the surface of the ceramic mixer with abrasive materials. An important point - when operating valve mixers, do not tighten the cranes with maximum effort - this will contribute to the wear of the crane box.

Ceramic faucets are not only exquisite equipment in the kitchen or in the bathroom. They are characterized by high practicality, long service life. This is an innovative solution that will increase the degree of comfort when working in the kitchen or taking hygiene procedures in the bathroom. With a competent choice and priority in favor of leading manufacturers, such mixers will fully justify the funds invested in them.