Introducción
This is a great design but with a crucial flaw. If you go to the Rubbermaid website and look at the Reveal's user reviews mostly everyone loves the mop but has the same complaint - the unit stops spraying. It's often blamed on the handle/trigger but it's actually the pump plunger/piston that binds and gets stuck in it's cylinder. You will need to open the pump case and pull the assembly out. Once you get it out you'll see it's actually pretty simple with not many parts to worry about. It is a bit fussy to reassemble but not at all complicated. Update: Many people asked about the O-Ring failing on the fluid bottle. I finally had the same problem and have added Step 7 to fix this.
Qué necesitas
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Trigger starts having problems - it sticks, returns slowly or won't return at all. No spray comes out of mop dispensing nozzle at base of pump chamber.
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Notice in photo 2 the red pump casing sleeve and the tiny spray nozzle hole.
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You will need a long, thin, Phillips (star head) screw driver. The Reveal has 3 screws holding the main pump body. You can easily see the 2 on the body and 1 right where the stem meets the mop swivel head.
One of the 4 screws may not be visible until the nozzle casing sleeve (red) is slide down.
Hi
My pump body did not come with screws. Can you please help me by telling me the size and type of screws.
Thank you
I have 1 screw on the mop and while it turns it does not loosen, I can not get the gray housing to slide off the red casing
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Once the screws are removed the pump body can be split open. Use a metal spudger or a thin flat head screw driver and do this slowly - do not just bust it open as you may damage parts.
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NOTE! You do not need to separate the pump case all the way down to the bottom where the stem meets the red swivel for the mop head. The screw here needs to be losened off enough for you to be able to separate the main body above it.
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Lay out the parts just as you see here. It is important to understand how these simple parts work together. You don't need to completely take apart every little piece.
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It is helpful to know that the red cone shape attaches to the outside liquid container (where you put in your cleaning solution).
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The silver rod with 2 holes is the mop handle. It attaches to the pump plunger/piston. Keep this in mind for later assembly.
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The problem is that the plastic pump plunger/piston sticks in the cylinder. Use 120 grit sandpaper and EVENLY sand the circumference of the plunger head and the 2 ribs below it. Test. Repeat until there is better movement but NO loss of suction.
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Photo 2 shows the plunger/piston sanded so it works nicely in the cylinder without having taken off too much material - you do not want to take off too much. It doesn't need to be super pretty smooth but sanding too rough and uneven will not keep suction. Sand a little at a time and test it at each and every attempt.
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When you are satisfied put a small amount of petrolium jelly (Vaseline) around the plunger/pistons head and ribs.
Instead of sanding it my husband sprayed it with Teflon spray and now it works like new
I found broken tube and replaced it with tube of matching diameter from generic spray bottle. 😊
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Hold open the pump body casing and align the pump parts into the grooves supplied inside. This isn't hard and makes sense as you move them into place ... take your time.
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Notice in the 2nd and 3rd photos the mop rod (that connects the handle to the pump body). It has another rod inside that attaches to the plunger/pistion to make it go up/down in the cylinder. This needs to connect properly to the top of the plunger/piston AND be properly seated into the pump casing.
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Test your assembly by simply placing the 2 pump body casings together - they should fit tightly and the trigger should work the pump smoothly.
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Once you are satisfied everything inside fits properly put the pump case back together, careful to line it up so it fits perfectly snug with no gaps and the entire pump assembly is seated and secure. Ttighten up the screws.
My problem was that pump got stuck and wouldn't budge. I wouldn't play with the repair as suggested. It was simple to return the jammed unit to Home Depot.
Could it have anything to do with the o ring on the bottle? Mine is broken.
See step 7 for o-ring update :)
Len -
Could A failed o ring affect the suction it generates?
Sorry for the late reply. We’ve had the O-ring fail and it’s a different malfunction.
Len -
The small silicone valve inside the lid is missing, do yiu know where I can find a replacement?
I gotta tell you. I spent 2 hours putting it back together. The inside handle bar did not reach the component inside. The slots all matched up but… Ugg, I give up
I completed the entire repair process, and then during reassembly, the head of one of the middle screw broke off! Oh well, I sort of had fun working on it :-) I think I deserve a new spray mop anyway!
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The O-Ring for your specific unit may be different (some comments have questionable discrepancies in unit types). Measure it or have someone who sells the O-Rings measure it.
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The O-Ring used in this guide is 568-018 / OR-70NBR-3/4x1/16-C/S(50) and works awesome!
Could not remove the screw on the single screw version, but I tried squirting a few drops of WD40 Into the hole that the bottle screws into and it works well now.
I cannot get the bottle to fit into the tight enough to not leak fluid out the oring is not snapping into the base I need help
bottle oring will not snap into the lower body tight enough to not keep leaking out fluid
My question is WHY has this issue not been fixed? I have thrown away one or two of these mops. I now rely on Google to provide some self help guidance. Trouble is, there are TOO many issues to try and repair the mop. Getting things back as there were is tricky. Question: WHEN IS RUBBERMAID GOING TO REALLY FIX THIS ISSUE, NOT ME THE CONSUMER?!
I see it as MORE SPACE/EARTH/SEA JUNK.
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Your mop has been saved from the garbage. I've tested this for about 6 months and still going strong no problems. Happy mopping!
Your mop has been saved from the garbage. I've tested this for about 6 months and still going strong no problems. Happy mopping!
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63 comentarios
Can I drill the screw hole bigger so that I can use my drill to try different drill bits to get this taken apart? I dan't return it because of the model change. I hate products like this that are a good idea with lousy execution.
Hi Fred. Sounds your model, with one screw, is designed different than the one I repaired. At this point, if I were you I'd go for it as it's garbage otherwise. Also, if your model is different than the one I've provided instructions for you may find they don't exactly work once you've cracked it open .... but the idea/design/function might be the similar? And yeah I agree ... good idea lousy execution (that way we'll have to buy more mops?) .... too bad. Good luck Fred.
Leonard -
Worked like a charm! Thank you so much!!
awesome! Mine is still working fine, no problems.
Leonard -
I‘m so thankful for this fix post, it works great now. I love my rubbermaid reveal mop.
another mop saved from the garbage! still working fine at this end. Glad it worked for you Susie.
Leonard -
Worked like a charm, thanks. My model had another screw located under the red cone shaped sleeve that needed to be removed.
Mine had that extra screw, too, but I found it by forcing it open. No harm, though! Still repaired, reassembled , and working!
mfhowl -
So happy super ☺ thank you so much it worked I fixed 2 mop..
awesome Afsana .... reminds me I still have one to fix. The original one (featured here) is still working great.
Leonard -
Just finished fixing my mop, SO grateful that you saved it from the landfill! Thanks for your clear instructions and very helpful pictures. One comment: When making sure the rod that is in the handle is seated properly, also try not to let the rod fall out of the handle. It's a bit of a hassle to get it lined up correctly with the trigger again.
I let it slip out and can't figure out how to reattach it to the trigger. Any hints?
Ashley. You may need to go back to Step 6. It might be worth fiddling around for a few minutes first though.
Len -
Removed 4 screws from mine. Removed the right side without dislodging anything. Held pump body in place while operating the spray lever, the plunger moved freely. Disassembled it further by taking all the little valve parts loose from the main body, found no obstructions. Put Vaseline in the pump body and reassembled, still not working. Doesn't seem like the water from the bottle is getting past the little spring valve in the bottle? Anybody have any ideas about that?
Is the bottle collapsing as you spray? There is a small silicone rubber valve in the cap next to the outlet valve that sometimes gets stuck shut due to dried out detergent. It pops out and can be cleaned with hot water, then popped back on. The main valve has a center post that is pushed in by a corresponding post in the pump body to allow the cleaning solution to flow. Good luck!
Hi slaven001. Also, if you can clean the plastic water feed-line (that takes a 90 degree bend towards the parts repaired in Step 5) as well as the delivery spray line (after the plunger/piston/cylinder) you've eliminated those as possible problems. Stick with it as it is abit fussy and can be frustrating taking it apart a few times to get it right. Good luck :)
Leonard -
Thanks for excellent write up. I have been bothered by this for some time now. I have the 2-screw model. Comparing your solution to mine I'm going to presume our mops have different revision and/or problem.
I didn’t have a Philips long enough to reach both screws. So eventually I sprayed a generous amount of silicon lubricant down the top from the top and bottom of the handle. Waited about 1-2 hours and squeezed the handle a few times to work the lubricant in. This worked surprisingly well and my mop is back in action. No additional tools needed. I chose not to use the standard 10w-d40 as it might hurt the plastic and other materials inside.
Good luck. hope this helps others.
Good idea. I have a model with only one phillips screw and it's really difficult to take apart. Rather than just break it apart, I put silicone down the small hole in the bottle holder using the small straw that comes with the lubricant. Works better than new. Took about 2 minutes to fix. Thanks for the idea!
James B. -
Thanks for your kind words :)
I've noticed that Vidal, Velida (?) ... some other brand in Canada makes a similar product that looks exactly the same as the Rubbermaid ones I have. I know this as we looked for the Rubbermaid recently for mother-in-law and almost bought the look-alike by mistake. I confirmed the screw situation and we bought the Rubbermaid one (Canada) which is identical to the one in this repair.
That said I still have another one to fix!
Leonard -
Hey, thanks for the primer! The unit is actually pretty well thought out, and constructed.
Mine actually had clogged spray nozzle. Just popped the nozzle out, gave it a soak in warm water & put some compressed air to it. Took a while to loosen up, but finally freed it. Saved me $50, what the heck.
I would suggest keeping it loaded with fluid to keep it from clogging.
I liked my first one so much I bought a bunch of extra bottles and cleaning pads. When the handle broke after a year, I got another one that stopped working after a few months. I didn't want to buy a 3rd one and didn't want to start over with a new product and useless bottles and pads. Thank you so much! Saved time, money, and I feel accomplished.
These are great directions!! Unfortunately my mop only has one screw and the pump housing is one piece. There doesn’t seem to be any way at all to get to the problem. I tried pushing the spray dispensing nozzle up further into the casing and it seems to be trying to work……for now.
I have the 1 screw as well. I tried some lubricant too, not sure if that worked but (someone mentioned compressed air but can’t find that comment now)…..I had a straw and blew into the nozzle. Seems fine now.
Got past the fiddly bit of trying to line up the inner sleeve with the long thin tube and BAM - works like a charm now. Thank you so much for posting this fix!
no problem Gkii. Glad to see it’s still a working fix as I’m sure by now the mop has changed abit. Thanks for the thanks :)
Len -
My Rubbermade mop is a great product but with a flawed design prblem.The squeeze trigger actvating the spray pump does get often stuck and the trigger not returning to its initial position. First i suspected that the return spring is too weak. But after opening the whole thing by unscrewing 3 screws including the one hidden under.thr red collar, i realized that the real culprit is the ribbed cyli der within which the piston goes up and down. After you squeeze the trigger the plunger will goes down that ribbed cylinder which after a few usages will grip the many sprires of the spring. So i used a small file to eat away the 2 ribs which have protruding rounds. I also coat the spring with a bit of grease. The i close the damned mop. It works fine after. The engineer who designed this dhould be fired for not extensively test this mop sold probably in millions.
mine has 4 screws too. One under the red collar. Took them all out except the one closet to the swivel.
sanded and lubed with plumbers silicon grease. back together and it works.
Just need to find a new O ring for the bottle top. The little clear plastic or rubber seal that is inside the bottle top has failed for me in the past and I needed to get another bottle. Wish I could find that part.
Hi Winnie. Your post is timely! I was just at a store that supplies such 0-rings and they measured the original I brought in as 568-018. (Here is a website that supplies them and has a great chart https://www.theoringstore.com/index.php?... ) Where I ordered them from here in town I paid about 50 cents for a ring, bought 2 and they are going to mail them too me when they get them in stock. I’ll report back when I try the size out to confirm it fits and works like new.
Leonard -
See step 7 for o-ring update :)
Len -
What is the Tiny clear rubber piece called that keeps it from leaking ? I lose them all the time
good fix! thanks!
mine was flooding all over the place today. It has a translucent rubber “one way check valve” that fell into the bottle! That’s how I saw what the issue was. It was just floating in the solution and caught my eye. I am presuming it goes on the only spot I can guess it would go. Not a good design at all. Otherwise I like the mop.
There are 3 screws…one under the red hood…so you neglected to tell people that..when I went to pry apart…it broke…
tmaria.
Here is the update to Step 2: “UPDATE: The second mop repaired had 4 screws. Unscrew all of them and move the red sleeve down so you can open the main pump body. Leonard - 02/21/2017“
Len -
Followed the directions and now it works like a charm! My wife and I are thrilled, we love this mop but HATED the sticking handle. I almost was about to trash this one and buy another, so glad I did a quick search and found this. THANK YOU!
I am haven’t taken the unit apart yet. or looked to see if it your model or a different one. When I looked at the cap the air vent inside plastic cover is V shaped & sealed. I perforated the joint completely to allow for air & it gave more spray & better handle return but did not solve it completely. Shouldn’t the air vent be completely open & free for air flow? I am ready to cut the plastic off before I take it apart. What do you think?
Kate
I am missing the air vent and the liquid pours out of the mop.
I wasn’t able to unclog mine in spite of the excellent tutorial. Taking the cue from another reader, I called Rubbermaid, explained what was wrong what I had done, and sent a picture. Jackie concurred that this has been a problem and a brand new mop is on its way to replace the one I bought in June. I have never complained to a manufacturer my entire life so was very happy to see they stood behind their product
Thank you so much! Your tutorial with the pictures was great. Fixed the problem of the piston sticking. I wanted to make a note to put the black square part into the notch it was in on the body so the spring has something to work against on the retraction. I missed that the first time and it didn’t retract. Glad I hadn’t put the screws back yet. So I re-seated the assembly and tested while watching it then put the screws back. Thanks again.
The small silicone valve inside the lid is missing, do yiu know where I can find a replacement?
Have had my mop for awhile and used it a couple of days ago and found on the floor a little black rubber piece that looks like it should Go over something and if you squeeze the end water would come out in the end all rubber, could be plastic but think it is rubber, soft.
Do not know where it goes. The inside of the red cup where the water bottle goes is 4 screws. Could send a pic but so not know where it would go.
if I had email could send pick with the size.
any help would be appreciated, have had three others. Really like these mops.
thanks for your anticipated help.
B Fudge Nov 3/21
The fix went according to instructions and the pumping mechanism is working fine… not stuck, all good. When disassembled and testing, the piston/cylinder holds suction with a nice pop, (but not stuck either).
My problem seems to be that it appears to lose suction after a few good sprays when assembled. Usually removing the fluid container and really pushing it back in solves it, but that is not fun while mopping… might as well just carry a spray bottle separately!
My black O ring is not damaged (nor the white one inside the lid) and the wee little Si valve inside the bottle is still attached.
Any other ideas?
This did not work for me. Mine did not have a steady spray. I tried running warm clean water through it but that did not improve the spray. I followed these instructions but found the case did not separate as much as described. I got the parts out in pieces but I found no mineral deposits on the piston, so lubricated it and reassembled. I could not fit the parts back in without more separation of the housing. There is a post at the end of the housing near the mop end that would not budge. I tried working it apart but the case broke. After that happened I still could not get separation so I suspect something has changed in the manufacturing process? I threw it away, but because I like the product I purchased a new one. We’ll see how the next one works out.
My mop was leaking, my son in law took one look at it, went to the garage, got an O ring, replaced that on the very top of the bottle and I’ve been using it again for about 3 years, and no problems. This mop has lasted longer than any other I’ve ever tried. Hope I haven’t jinxed it for now. Good luck with your repairs.
I purchased this product and after 6 months and using in domestic setting, it stopped working. I complained to Nisbets and told no warranty so could not help.
Very unhappy, as product cost €189. If I try and fix it , I will have no comeback.
I might have a newer model of the same product .. Similar but a few clips , rather than screws makes it more difficult to open.. If I get it open, I will update ..
Ok.. so, there's a newer model than shown.. and as per David Waples above, it has a compression fitting now.. and taking it apart is much more difficult. You have to push a few clips at the bottom of the unit, and pull the mop mechanism apart. Then you reveal a second screw (phillips) .. and that will allow you to partially 'force' apart the piston assembly.. You have to manipulate the assembly from the case. ( I broke the clip mechanism apparently.. and had to 'mcgyver' a few screws in to put it back together .... sigh) . I was able to take it all apart, silicone the valve / piston parts. Some washers were already worn to a point of failure .. terrible design .. I cut them back but hope they will hold.. TOO many point of failures :-( .. I put the whole thing back together, but it's not simple.. I have a lot of patience.. It's working again, but who knows how long. Another example of a product made to work for a couple of years, and FAIL .. Too bad.. I like the product.
Hi Len, I just fixed my mop with your help! Many thanks for taking the time to post detailed instructions with pics. Yay! One less mop in the landfill. Lesley
Mine sprays okay as soon as I put the bottle into the housing it sprays once or twice theb stops?
Wow, good job, Len! When I'm feeling fairly mechanical I'll try your technique to fix mine. Thank you for posting the details.
- Linda
Nine years and the manufacturing defect still exists. This fix work still works perfectly. Saved my wet mops from becoming dry mops.
