Why is my mixer shower always cold?
Discussion
Moved into our house a couple of years ago, and for some reason the shower in the en-suite has always been cold, but have no idea why.
The house was only built 5 years ago, so it is not that old and it just takes the water from the hot water tank so cannot see how anything can really go wrong.
People have suggested it may be limescale causing a blockage or an air block in the hot water pipe.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Would it help just replacing the mixer or do you think it may be something more fundamental like not enough hot water pressure?
Getting very fed up with a cold shower in the mornings.
The house was only built 5 years ago, so it is not that old and it just takes the water from the hot water tank so cannot see how anything can really go wrong.
People have suggested it may be limescale causing a blockage or an air block in the hot water pipe.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Would it help just replacing the mixer or do you think it may be something more fundamental like not enough hot water pressure?
Getting very fed up with a cold shower in the mornings.
leothetiler said:
Moved into our house a couple of years ago, and for some reason the shower in the en-suite has always been cold, but have no idea why.
The house was only built 5 years ago, so it is not that old and it just takes the water from the hot water tank so cannot see how anything can really go wrong.
People have suggested it may be limescale causing a blockage or an air block in the hot water pipe.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Would it help just replacing the mixer or do you think it may be something more fundamental like not enough hot water pressure?
Getting very fed up with a cold shower in the mornings.
Well that doesn't compute,to prove this turn off the water supply to the cylinder,make sure the boiler isn't trying to heat up the tankThe house was only built 5 years ago, so it is not that old and it just takes the water from the hot water tank so cannot see how anything can really go wrong.
People have suggested it may be limescale causing a blockage or an air block in the hot water pipe.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Would it help just replacing the mixer or do you think it may be something more fundamental like not enough hot water pressure?
Getting very fed up with a cold shower in the mornings.
Turn on the shower,if any water comes out is coming from your cold supply
For a mixer system, surely the hot should come from the hot tank and the cold from the cold tank, this way both inputs are at the same presure. If your cold is coming from the cold supply (ie mains) then that is likely to be at a much higher presure and therefore the hot won't get a look in.
rsv gone! said:
Thermostatic showers can scale up over time and if they're always left on one temperature then the gubbins inside can stop moving so freely.
Whilst it is running, try moving the temperature from lowest to highest a few times.
I have just tried that and there is a definite improvement! If you touch the mixer where the water comes out the wall it is boiling, but it just seems that it is not making its way to the shower head. Thanks for the advice, sounds like it is just a bit blocked up.Whilst it is running, try moving the temperature from lowest to highest a few times.
Ferg said:
It's likely to be the thermostatic cartridge not moving due to scale. Take it apart and clean the surfaces that the 'o'-ring slides on with one of those plastic scourers. Make sure you clean any scale from the cartridge itself and then grease it with silicon grease.
Thanks for the advice, will give it a go. I have looked in the loft above the shower and I cannot find the isolater for the hot and cold. How do I stop the water so I dont get soaked when I take the shower off?Isoproturon1 said:
It is almost as if I wrote the OP. We replaced the cartridge in our Aqua Lisa for the same reason - although it was only 3 years old when we moved in, the en suite shower did the same as yours. Limescale was the issue.
That's interesting. Aqualisa cartridges are much less prone to it due to the design of the holes on the centre shaft. These clear scale off when the temperature lever is moved. Unfortunately many people never move it. They used to recommend swinging the lever side to side once a week...Had this with a Mira thermostatic shower a while back.
Having stripped it down, cleaned it all out, silicon greased the lot and reassembled it - it still didn't work.
A new cartridge was around £150 so it went in the bin and I bought a new ceramic disk manual mixer unit off Ebay for £30.
Job done.
Best shower in the house now Summer or Winter.
Having stripped it down, cleaned it all out, silicon greased the lot and reassembled it - it still didn't work.
A new cartridge was around £150 so it went in the bin and I bought a new ceramic disk manual mixer unit off Ebay for £30.
Job done.
Best shower in the house now Summer or Winter.
Hitting it with a hammer will dislodge enough limescale to make it work for a while. Same with my radiator valves - all stuck when you first turn on the heating in the winter, bashing them does the trick although it can be loud if you have neighbours.
If you replace the mixer get as cheap one as possible as they work as well. Also make it a power shower with a pump then you can have a REAL shower and less chance of scale build up. Running it cold for a minute after getting out helps too.
By the way eating a hot variety of radish as you get out of bed can help with taking a cold shower.
If you replace the mixer get as cheap one as possible as they work as well. Also make it a power shower with a pump then you can have a REAL shower and less chance of scale build up. Running it cold for a minute after getting out helps too.
By the way eating a hot variety of radish as you get out of bed can help with taking a cold shower.
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