Stiff in the shower - Plumbing help-Thermostatic bar shower
Discussion
Morning people.
Could do with some help, this morning I used our en suite shower which I have not used in a while due to not wanting to wake wife on maternity. The nob was all stiff, my wife says its been like this for a couple of days.
So its the nob on the left side, which is basically the on/off which is rotated and pressure builds the more you turn. Not the other side which is temperature, that seems to work fine.
I was in a rush this morning so unscrewed the end cap and what looked like a spindle was there. there is a small grub screw below that on the actual chassis of the bar, presume something pops out when I undo this??
There are no logos on the shower, I imagine it is a cheap as chips one (this is a new build Taylor Wimpey) If the thing is knackered I can get a new one very cheap through my brother, but are the spacing for the pipes in the wall standard?
Anyway, on with the pics I got my wife to send me. All help and advice appreciated.
I can lend my hand to all DIY, but plumbing baffles me. I have no idea how it works, or if I need to turn off the water, or where I even would. It's a pressurised hot water system if that means anything to anyone??
On with the pictures:
image1 by joe L, on Flickr
image2 by joe L, on Flickr
Could do with some help, this morning I used our en suite shower which I have not used in a while due to not wanting to wake wife on maternity. The nob was all stiff, my wife says its been like this for a couple of days.
So its the nob on the left side, which is basically the on/off which is rotated and pressure builds the more you turn. Not the other side which is temperature, that seems to work fine.
I was in a rush this morning so unscrewed the end cap and what looked like a spindle was there. there is a small grub screw below that on the actual chassis of the bar, presume something pops out when I undo this??
There are no logos on the shower, I imagine it is a cheap as chips one (this is a new build Taylor Wimpey) If the thing is knackered I can get a new one very cheap through my brother, but are the spacing for the pipes in the wall standard?
Anyway, on with the pics I got my wife to send me. All help and advice appreciated.
I can lend my hand to all DIY, but plumbing baffles me. I have no idea how it works, or if I need to turn off the water, or where I even would. It's a pressurised hot water system if that means anything to anyone??
On with the pictures:
image1 by joe L, on Flickrimage2 by joe L, on FlickrI've worked out it is this shower:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/aqualisa-exposed-bar-val...
However, Aqualisa don't list it when you look for parts...... more confused!
http://www.screwfix.com/p/aqualisa-exposed-bar-val...
However, Aqualisa don't list it when you look for parts...... more confused!
Drawweight said:
I've got the same shower and due to my OH having arthritis in her hands she's struggling to turn it off and on easily.
Apologies for hijacking your thread but has anyone any ideas?
It's not the fact that it's slippery it's more the fact that it's small.
I am so far thinking the best would be to buy the screwfix one for £125 and just chuck the old in the bin. The internet tells me it "may need a new cartridge" however, that seems more for the temp side???Apologies for hijacking your thread but has anyone any ideas?
It's not the fact that it's slippery it's more the fact that it's small.
I have absolutely no idea how to turn the water off to the shower. I presume that there are both hot and cold feeds????? Are these in my airing cupboard for the hot, and under the sink for the cold?
I also want to take a flow restrictor out of my downstairs sink..... god knows what it even looks like!
joestifff said:
I am so far thinking the best would be to buy the screwfix one for £125 and just chuck the old in the bin. The internet tells me it "may need a new cartridge" however, that seems more for the temp side???
It could be the cartridge, particularly if you are in a hard water area. I have replaced these on my old shower and it is dead easy. They were about £20 and would be easier to change than the whole thing. You should see a nut where the grub screw goes in. Just turn the water off and undo the nut and it comes out joestifff said:
I have absolutely no idea how to turn the water off to the shower. I presume that there are both hot and cold feeds????? Are these in my airing cupboard for the hot, and under the sink for the cold?
Yes you do need to turn the water off and they are probably in airing cupboard. Find them, turn them and see if water still comes through the shower joestifff said:
I also want to take a flow restrictor out of my downstairs sink..... god knows what it even looks like!
No idea but this may need some pipe replacing. Moving on to slightly above basic plumbing skills...Disclaimer - I am not a plumber
sooty61 said:
joestifff said:
I am so far thinking the best would be to buy the screwfix one for £125 and just chuck the old in the bin. The internet tells me it "may need a new cartridge" however, that seems more for the temp side???
It could be the cartridge, particularly if you are in a hard water area. I have replaced these on my old shower and it is dead easy. They were about £20 and would be easier to change than the whole thing. You should see a nut where the grub screw goes in. Just turn the water off and undo the nut and it comes out joestifff said:
I have absolutely no idea how to turn the water off to the shower. I presume that there are both hot and cold feeds????? Are these in my airing cupboard for the hot, and under the sink for the cold?
Yes you do need to turn the water off and they are probably in airing cupboard. Find them, turn them and see if water still comes through the shower joestifff said:
I also want to take a flow restrictor out of my downstairs sink..... god knows what it even looks like!
No idea but this may need some pipe replacing. Moving on to slightly above basic plumbing skills...Disclaimer - I am not a plumber
Thanks for this. I shall go take a photo of my airing cupboard, see id there is anything visible.
Any idea where you get the cartridges from? Direct from manufacturer?
joestifff said:
I am so far thinking the best would be to buy the screwfix one for £125 and just chuck the old in the bin. The internet tells me it "may need a new cartridge" however, that seems more for the temp side???
You shouldn't need to replace the whole thing. I replaced just the shower bar in one of the bathrooms when the tap valve wouldn't close fully and left the shower constantly leaking. You only need to isolate the water supply, remove and replace with new shower bar. £40 from Screwfix, but plenty of alternatives in that price bracket from other places, Amazon, etc.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/swirl-exposed-thermostat...
Right, been home to get more pictures. Had to fix the washing machine that wasn't draining.
Anyway fixed that and took some photos.
So to turn the water off I presume cold under the sink, and hot is possibly one the I've circled??
Cheers
IMG_1464 by joe L, on Flickr
IMG_1465 by joe L, on Flickr
IMG_1466 by joe L, on Flickr
IMG_1467 by joe L, on Flickr
And took a few more of the side that is bust with the nob off. There is no grub screw to release it, so more confused!!!!
IMG_1468 by joe L, on Flickr
IMG_1469 by joe L, on Flickr
Anyway fixed that and took some photos.
So to turn the water off I presume cold under the sink, and hot is possibly one the I've circled??
Cheers
IMG_1464 by joe L, on FlickrIMG_1465 by joe L, on FlickrIMG_1466 by joe L, on FlickrIMG_1467 by joe L, on FlickrAnd took a few more of the side that is bust with the nob off. There is no grub screw to release it, so more confused!!!!
IMG_1468 by joe L, on FlickrIMG_1469 by joe L, on FlickrA cheap mixer bar off eBay is 25 quid plus a few pennies for ptfe tape. Just replace it.
Edited to add looks like you just uploaded a picture of your unvented cylinder. If you have a water meter just turn it off from there. If not there should be a handle in an airing cupboard or out the front of your house.
Edited to add looks like you just uploaded a picture of your unvented cylinder. If you have a water meter just turn it off from there. If not there should be a handle in an airing cupboard or out the front of your house.
Edited by princeperch on Friday 21st April 14:31
sooty61 said:
I have replaced these on my old shower and it is dead easy.
Indeed it is. But finding the right part? Good luck with that.The only way I managed to find a matching part was to take the old one to a plumber's merchant and ask. They brought out a box with dozens of different types to root through! Even then the one I chose wasn't quite the same. Luckily it fitted, sealed, and turned on & off. But the wrong way! Even the direction and mounting side of taps is not universal.
Disclaimer - I am not a plumber either (can you tell?)!
I know this was posted a while ago, but for anybody else who may have the same problem it is an aqualisa midas 100 shower (It now has slightly different knobs on it but the internals haven't changed). They are guaranteed for 5 years, Aqualisas customer service dept will replace the parts FOC on production of the NHBC build certificate. It may take about 6 weeks for the part to be sent though!!
The flow control is the part that was required, only costs about £15 including P&P anyway and can easily be ordered on aqualisas website, the part will then arrive in about 2 days! It is very easy to fit, even for an absolute novice like myself, whose flow control seized entirely, fortunately in the off position.
The flow control is the part that was required, only costs about £15 including P&P anyway and can easily be ordered on aqualisas website, the part will then arrive in about 2 days! It is very easy to fit, even for an absolute novice like myself, whose flow control seized entirely, fortunately in the off position.
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