We create metal objects at home: silumin - what it is and what it is used for. Learning from the mistakes of others: Silumin looks like brass, but costs a hundred times more The difference between a silumin car wash and brass

The most ancient alloys used by people are bronze and brass. They differ significantly in their composition, but their scope is similar. Modern alloys are significantly different from those used by our ancestors. The colors and composition of today's metallic compounds have undergone significant changes over time.

Archaeologists find samples of bronze objects made about 25 centuries ago. These are sculptures, various decorations, armor, weapons, numerous home stuff, crockery, and coins. Along with them, brass products were also actively used, which are sometimes very difficult to distinguish from things made of bronze. You can get acquainted with the appearance of the materials in the corresponding photos. To understand how to distinguish bronze from brass or other materials, you need to familiarize yourself with their parameters.

Characteristics of brass

Brass alloy is obtained by combining zinc with copper, to which nickel, iron, manganese, tin, and lead are sometimes added. Typically the material consists of 70% copper component, with 30% zinc component. Almost half of the produced alloy consists of secondary zinc. Technical metal contains about 50% zinc part with 4% lead.

There is also a special type of brass connection called “tompac”. In it, the copper component reaches 97%, and zinc - from 10 to 30%. From this compound, excellent jewelry, various art products, insignia, and accessories are obtained.

A couple of centuries ago, brass alloys were often used as counterfeit gold, which was achieved by using pure zinc rather than ore. Such a connection was very difficult to recognize by inexperienced users. It has become actively used in various industrial fields due to its unique properties. These alloys have high ductility, abrasion resistance and good corrosion resistance.

The difference between copper and brass

Copper has features that make it popular in the manufacture of various decorative elements. In addition, it has good electrical parameters, as a result of which it is used in the manufacture of electrical apparatus. At home, there are several ways to distinguish copper elements from brass ones.:

• color;
• hardness;
• marking;
• area of ​​use.

Color

To determine the metal, it should be cleaned. metal surface is freed from contaminants with a solution of plain water with vinegar. This removes not only dirt, but also an oxidizing film. Under a white light source, the product being tested is carefully examined. A brass thing differs from copper by a simple visual observation. The copper object has a brownish-red color uniform appearance, and brass will look lighter, with multi-color overflows. This heterogeneity indicates the presence of several metals in the composition, which determine the color shade. Identify copper under lamp yellow color or in daylight it is practically impossible.

Hardness

To understand how to distinguish copper from brass, you should tap them lightly. A copper product makes a muffled sound when it hits a hard area. This is due to the special softness of the metal. Brass objects are characterized by a sharp, ringing sound of impact. This check is used for large items.

Marking

Some items have special markings on their surface. For brass products, the letter "L" is used. On copper elements, the designation is practically not put. Some parts may be marked with the letter "M" with a numerical addition. In this case, special reference books are used to determine the specific composition of the material.

Application area

Distinguish between these materials and the area of ​​​​use. Brass alloys are often used for the manufacture of various constituent parts, details. Copper is an ideal element for the production of electrical wires and other electrical parts. This is due to its excellent electrical parameters.

The difference between bronze and brass

Bronze, like brass, is based on a copper component. Some grades of these alloys have a similar color parameter, but completely different properties. The bronze item has a structure of a coarse-grained type with a dark brown or reddish tint, in contrast to yellowish brass with a fine-grained form. It should be taken into account that the presence of tin in the bronze alloy in in large numbers gives it almost White color. Modern compositions contain an alloying tin component or any other (beryllium, lead, aluminum, silicon with zinc). Numerous things made of brass and bronze have differences, which can be determined by knowing their technical parameters.

Metal objects made of brass and bronze are distinguished by weight. A bronze item is heavier than a brass one, however, before determining the alloy, it is necessary to take items of approximately the same size for comparison. To determine what material a thing is made of, you must try to bend it. A brass object can succumb slightly, and bronze can break. You can try to make a small saw with a hacksaw, in which the bronze part will give small chips. It will not change its characteristics when heated.

To understand how to distinguish brass from bronze, you can apply chemical method. A small number of chips of both alloys are placed in different glass containers with dilute type nitric acid (parts 1 to 1). It is necessary to wait some time for the bulk of the metal to dissolve in the chemical composition. The liquid that does not reach a boil is kept on low heat for half an hour. In the composition with bronze shavings, a whitish tin precipitate is formed.

Bronze is used for the manufacture of large items, as it is more resistant to abrasion. In addition, a variety of marine accessories are also made from this alloy, which is not afraid of exposure to salt water, is not subject to oxides and does not rust.

The difference between silumin and brass

The silumin material consists of an aluminum base with the addition of silicon, as well as a small amount of copper, iron, and manganese. It has good wear resistance and strength in relation to aluminum things. The difference between silumin and brass lies in the fragility of this material and the features of its application. They are used for casting many products used in various fields, including for household goods, as well as for the manufacture of costume jewelry. Silumin object is characterized by high porosity and low strength. During processing, silumin begins to crumble, which clearly distinguishes it from brass things.

When replacing plumbing in the bathroom or in the kitchen, there are problems in choosing faucets. To date, the range and price range is very large. In large chain stores you can find a mixer for 300 rubles, and in front of it it can be the same in appearance, but already for 5,000 rubles. The buyer has questions about the difference between them. To answer some of these questions, this article has been created.

Materials from which mixers are made.

Modern mixers are made mainly of two materials:

• Silumin is an alloy of aluminum and silicon. It is made from low quality Chinese faucets. The main disadvantage of this material is its fragility (it can literally be broken with bare hands). The silumin mixer is easily recognizable by its light weight and low price. In appearance, it will be nondescript - with poor, cheap coverage and backlash
• Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Strong and expensive material. Faucets made from it are more expensive, but they can last five or more years without the need for repair. A brass faucet can also be identified by weight, but only in its case this weight will be impressive. The market has big choice European and Chinese brass faucets.

For those who doubt, I post a video from HansGrohe, which shows the process of making a real brass mixer. This is how plumbing is done in Europe. Here are used quality materials and expensive, skilled labor

What is better cartridges or faucets?

AT modern faucets for mixing hot and cold water, either cartridges with a ceramic plate inside or faucets are used. Crane boxes are of two types:

In my opinion, faucets with cartridges are more convenient. There, only one lever is used to control the flow and temperature of the water. The service life of ceramics is determined by the amount of sand and sludge in water pipe. If it is small or not at all, then a good cartridge will last you at least 7 years. The service life of ceramic faucets is the same as that of cartridges. Therefore, the question of choosing between them is more a matter of personal preference.

Faucet box and cartridge for mixer

Which shower switch is best?

If you're buying a shower faucet, look at the switch. It is better to choose a faucet with a ceramic switch. By doing this, you will immediately eliminate two problems of mixers with diverters:

• Spring actuation while using the shower - at the most inconvenient moment, you have to constantly monitor the position of the diverter.
• When using the faucet, water drips from the shower head - this is caused by a dried rubber band.

Diverter with spring and rubber band Ceramic diverter

European or Chinese faucet?

From my sales experience, I can say that European manufacturers are superior in quality to Chinese ones, but among the latter, you can also pick up worthy specimens. The trouble is that our importers prefer to buy low-quality goods from China at low prices and get more profit from it. At the same time, the Chinese product has a negative image, although, in fact, there are worthy specimens that are not inferior to well-known European brands. I can also tell you a secret - some European manufacturers have long moved production to China. Thus, they achieved cost reduction without loss of product quality.

Summary of the article.

When buying a mixer, pay attention to the following parameters:

• Faucet Weight – The faucet should be heavy.
• Material - the mixer must be made of brass. DO NOT BUY SILUMIN MIXERS.
• The coating on the faucet should be even, shiny and free from stains.
• Ceramic cartridge and ceramic faucet boxes - these elements will ensure a long service life of the mixer.

The design of the mixer does not affect its function in any way and therefore you can choose it at your discretion. That's all! I look forward to your questions in the comments.

The main difference between a shower faucet and a bathroom faucet is that it does not have a spout - a faucet, gander or spout. These are more compact products that are equipped with a hole for attaching a shower head and hose. Please note that not all faucets are equipped with a shower set - you can purchase them separately. The most popular mixers are lever and two-valve type.

Lever (one-armed) mixer

Foreign faucet manufacturers are targeting buyers for the lever switch, considering it to be cost-effective. But our users warn: lever mixers are short-lived. Even if you buy a faucet from a well-known and trusted company, its service life will be much lower than that promised by the warranty. Do you know why? It's all about the quality of our water. It is chlorinated and hard, moreover, rust often gets into the water supply, and ceramic cartridges are used for the manufacture of lever mixers, which are very sensitive to these parameters.

1. Those who decide to choose a lever shower faucet should definitely take care of the main water filters. Moreover, you need to take not only "mud collectors" - filters for coarse cleaning, but also mesh, more expensive, designed for fine cleaning(from 3 to 5 microns). They will cost a lot - about 8000 rubles.
2. Inside the lever mixer, ball or ceramic cartridges are installed. If the ball cartridge has become unusable, then the mixer can be safely thrown away - it cannot be repaired. A more reliable ceramic cartridge Ø 40 mm (the most popular diameter) in operation, which is easy to change in case of breakage. Therefore, for those who decide to choose a faucet with a lever for water supply, it is better to look for a model with a ceramic cartridge, rather than a ball one.

Shower mixer with taps (two-handed)

For our water, faucets with rubber gaskets would be more practical to maintain. But you are unlikely to find such models! More often come across two-valve models with a 180-degree tap rotation, where not rubber, but ceramic seals are used. If there were rubber gaskets, like the simplest bath faucets, there would be no problems with replacing the gaskets. But shower faucets have to choose between single-lever cartridges and swivel taps with ceramic plates.

What to choose?

If you choose between a one-handed and two-handed mixer, then it is preferable to purchase products of the first type. In the event of a breakdown, you can find accessories for them and replace the cartridge, but it will not work to repair a faucet with two taps and ceramic seals - you will have to look for a new shower faucet. The same problem with one-handed models with ballpoint cartridges.

Remember buy a lever mixer if you have filters installed for water purification.

To distinguish brass from silumin, you need ...

It is important to pay attention to the material from which the mixer is made. All experts unequivocally advise choosing faucets made of brass (a multicomponent copper-based alloy), but at the same time they warn: 90% of plumbing products in this category are fakes made of silumin (an alloy of aluminum with flint).

By appearance It is difficult for a simple buyer to distinguish a brass faucet from a cheap silumin counterpart, since the faucets are covered with chrome on top. Externally, the products are actually the same, so be guided by the following criteria:

• First, ask the salesperson to show you some brass faucets. Take them in hand. If the mixer is made of high-quality metal, it is heavy and weighty - about 3 kg, if made of silumin - light.
• Secondly, look into the inside of the mixer - for a brass product, it should be yellow and smooth.

By the way, the Chinese craftsmen have learned to make silumin mixers very similar to their brass counterparts. Therefore, there is another criterion that will help determine the material of the mixer:

• All brass products are made by casting, only after that they are machined. Therefore, there is not a single joint inside the brass mixer, the surface is smooth, there are no roughnesses. Silumin faucets cannot be made by casting. This alloy is very brittle, all joints and roughness will be visible on it. Carefully inspect the mixer. We noticed joints, roughness, recesses - this is not brass in front of you.
• There is another clue - labeling. Brass is marked with the letter "L", silumin - "AL". This information can be found in the technical data, where the material of the product is indicated.
• Brass faucets are made without any frills, frills and "flowers". The manufacturing technology does not allow to "bend" the copper alloy, like powder silumin.

Thus, in order to distinguish brass from silumin, you need to carefully consider and “feel” the product, familiarize yourself with the documents for the mixer.

Finally

As for the price of mixers, it varies from 1,000 to 60,000 rubles. The differences depend on the material the faucet is made of and where you get it from. In dubious places, you will buy a “branded” mixer for 1000-2000 rubles, but no one will give you a guarantee in work. It is better when buying such things to contact specialized stores.

• You will find good reviews about expensive German (Hansa, Grohe), Italian (Fari, Fiori), Polish (Ferro), Czech (Imprese) faucets.
• Emivi (Italy), Vidima (Bulgaria) and Mixxen (Spain-China) are praised from the middle price category.
• From budget (cheap) options, pay attention to mixers Rossinka (Russia-China), Santekhpribor (Russia), Ukrsanlit (Ukraine).

To date, economy class faucets are the most popular not only because of their low price, but also due to the optimal configuration, a thoughtful line of universal sizes and a convenient and practical design that allows you to fit the interior of any home.

When buying an economy line, the consumer seeks to quickly and easily, and most importantly, inexpensively solve the issue of replacing or buying a mixer.

Almost all well-known manufacturers of sanitary brands present collections of inexpensive, but high-quality faucets. Of course, the price for them differs from the cost of premium quality collections. However, it is still not as attractive as "really" cheap products in spontaneous construction markets.

Everything seems to be fine, affordable price found, you can buy and enjoy.

There remains only a small and most important question of price-quality.

According to all GOST and Euro test standards, mixers must be made of brass alloy, in which the copper content is not less than 60%, and the accompanying metals (Al, Zn) are not more than 2-3%. Such an alloy allows the product to serve almost for a long time without leaks and breakages, and be safe for health.

Wicked sellers often offer cheaper alloys at the lowest prices. The composition of such materials is usually impossible even to determine. But, as a rule, this is a significant excess of the zinc content. According to our classification, such an alloy is called TsAM or ZAMAK according to the European one. It consists mostly of zinc, aluminium, copper and magnesium. Products from such an alloy are noticeably lighter and cheaper to manufacture. Accordingly, it is cheaper on store shelves.

Among other things, zinc burns out during melting, so products made from it do not have such a smooth surface as brass.

And most importantly, water quality and your health suffer.
Usually the harm of zinc is imperceptible.

It is a well-known fact that drinking stagnant water from galvanized dishes is not recommended - zinc compounds are washed out with water and adversely affect the gastrointestinal tract.

In case of poisoning with zinc compounds, they accumulate in the liver and pancreas, and are not excreted over time.

It should be noted that in the production of low-quality sanitary products, production standards are not observed and recycled metals are often used. Therefore, in addition to the main problems, such mixers are simply unsafe for health in themselves.

What materials are faucets made from? How to distinguish quality goods, from a cheap fake. A look from within.

Mixer body.

Quality faucets are made from high quality and high-tech brass. Brass is primary, i.e. obtained from primary copper and zinc (smelted from ore), and secondary, from recycled materials (industrial waste and scrap). Other materials - cheap alloys SILUMIN, ZAMAK.

Silumin is an alloy of aluminum and silicon. The chemical composition is 4-22% Si, the base is Al, a small amount of impurities Fe, Cu, Mn, Ca, Ti, Zn, and some others. Al-Si alloy (silumins) has very good casting properties. Silumins are resistant to corrosion in a humid atmosphere and sea water, compared to aluminum they have greater strength and wear resistance, but are extremely fragile. It is for this reason that Chinese fakes that flooded the plumbing market are two or even three times cheaper. Any slight jump in water pressure in the system, and the faucet body will crack. Also, silumin corrodes much faster than brass. To distinguish such a mixer can be elementary - by weight.

ZAMAK is a family of zinc-based alloys and alloys of aluminium, magnesium and copper. It belongs to zinc-aluminum alloys. Widely used in furniture fittings. The term ZAMAK is an abbreviation of the German name for the metals it consists of: zink (zinc), aluminium, magnesiumandkupfer (copper). NewJerseyZinc developed the ZAMAK alloy in 1929. The most common alloys in production are ZAMAK 2, ZAMAK 3, ZAMAK 5, ZAMAK 7. ZAMAK can be electroplated, painted and chrome plated. ZAMAK alloy is very strong and provides stability of electroplating. Differ 100% content of the above metals. Distinctive feature- white metal, no yellowish tint on internal parts corps.

Accessories

Fasteners and ball regulators in single-lever versions are made of brass and stainless steel. Some Western firms use plastic, making casings for cast brass cases, handles of mono-command (single-lever) faucets, shower heads, etc. The outer parts of the fittings are nickel-plated to protect against corrosion, and then covered with chrome, white or colored enamel. Coatings are gold (matte and shiny), bronze and marble. Decorating handles in one style or another, designers use glass, crystal, wood, natural marble, polished onyx, as well as combinations of various materials.

What is the preferred coverage? The enamel is beautiful, but not very resistant. Nickel can cause allergies, and gold is expensive and needs special care.

Chromium is the best. The fact is that no microorganisms live and multiply on the surface of this metal. The galvanized coating must be uniform, without scratches and characteristic black specks. As a rule, all plumbing fixtures (faucets, bathroom accessories, shower equipment) are chrome-plated.

In European faucets and sanitary fittings there is a high-quality three-layer chrome coating that is resistant to abrasion and aggressive environments. Low quality, cheap faucets use a cheaper coating that is prone to wear quickly. Such a coating lasts no more than a year, then it begins to flake off and peel off the mixer body.

About balls and plates

It would seem that it is a simple matter - a device for mixing hot and cold water in adjustable proportions. With its help, we control the pressure, temperature of the water and bring it into one stream. But this applies to the simplest models, designed, for example, for a sink. Often there is a need to direct the flow into one of two (or even several) highways. Bathtub-shower faucets supply water to a faucet or shower. They can also be equipped with a water supply switch for the washing machine.

The most common are single-lever devices with a shut-off valve. The valve is made in the form of alumina ceramic plates assembled in a replaceable cartridge along with the drive mechanism. All ceramic cartridge designs use two ground ceramic plates, or discs, that fit very tightly together. The plates have specially shaped holes. When one plate is rotated relative to the other, their holes coincide, opening the way for hot and cold water. It enters the mixing zone and then enters the spout. In the closed state, the plates are pressed so tightly, almost at the molecular level, against each other that water and air have no chance to penetrate between them. The connection can withstand water pressure up to 15 atm. And, importantly, ceramic plates do not wear out for a long time. High-strength ceramics increases the resistance of the mixer to water hammer.

The sealing plates of the working valve - the basis of the ceramic cartridge - are made of wear-resistant aluminum oxide, fired under pressure at a temperature of 1200 ° C. Some manufacturers subject these elements to ultrasonic polishing.

Crane box equipped, as a rule, with a rubber valve with a rotary-translational drive. Not too much practical solution, after all, the performance of cranes is determined by the wear of the gaskets. And although mixers of this type are perfectly adapted to our conditions and are easily repaired, their service life is short: the gasket is gradually “eaten up” in 6-12 months, sometimes it breaks and, in the end, stops shutting off the water. But in the eyes of many consumers, the low price of a crane box of 100-200 rubles partly compensates for its fragility.

Eyeliner can be rigid (brass or copper tubes with a crimp connection) and flexible (metal-polymer hoses). In the first case, adapters are required, which are not always included in the mixer kit. With qualified installation, the reliability of both types of connection is the same. Working with a copper eyeliner requires the use of a special tool and not every plumber from the ZhEK can handle it. One of the most common mistakes is over tightening connections. This leads to thread stripping, gasket extrusion and, as a result, to hopeless damage to sometimes quite expensive equipment. The connections are twisted by hand, without a key, and to be sure, they are tightened just a little with a tool.