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Shower losing temperature/pressure!

KE7285 Posts: 66 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 1:22PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Hey all - I wonder if I could pick your knowledgeable brains for a second.

We have an electric shower which cost a small fortune. The problem is after about 5 minutes or so, we get a slight buzzing noise coming from the shower, then the temparature drops approx 10 degrees and the pressure also drops. I am assuming that the drop in temperature is due to the drop in pressure. We thought it was maybe just a one off and maybe there was some work being done on the water pipes nearby but it happens everytime we use the shower.

I can just manage to get washed and get out the shower before it goes cold! :shocked:

Before i call in an electrician/plumber, i wonder if you kind folks would have any clues?

Comments

latecomer Posts: 4,332 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 1:25PM

Is it a new shower?

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1984ReturnsForReal_2 Posts: 15,431 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 5:51PM

Who fitted it?

What shower is it?

What water does the shower get (mains or gravity or pumped)?

Not Again

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KE7285 Posts: 66 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 8:54PM

Its a mira orbis 9.8kw. My father in law fitted it and its fed by gravity. The shower is over a year old now so no guarantee!!! It may be something really simple but just not sure.

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googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 9:16PM edited 22 April 2010 at 9:19PM

Before you call a plumber (who, in most cases, will merely recommend replacement of the whole thing), consult the Shower Doctor forums, and possibly the Doc himself, at

http://www.showerdoc.co.uk/forum/phpBB2/

I used the forums to diagnose a faulty solenoid in my Mira, ordered the part from them, fitted it myself and got the satisfaction of a job well done.

Most plumbers aren't geared up for dismantling and repairing these things, merely replacing.

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1984ReturnsForReal_2 Posts: 15,431 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 9:40PM

KE7285 wrote: »

Its a mira orbis 9.8kw. My father in law fitted it and its fed by gravity. The shower is over a year old now so no guarantee!!! It may be something really simple but just not sure.

It should be fitted to the mains pressure cold water not gravity unless your water tank is 6 or 7 stories above the shower.....

Not Again

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1984ReturnsForReal_2 Posts: 15,431 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 9:42PM edited 22 April 2010 at 9:51PM

googler wrote: »

Before you call a plumber (who, in most cases, will merely recommend replacement of the whole thing)
Most plumbers aren't geared up for dismantling and repairing these things, merely replacing.

Blah .........

But some are geared up to replacing a shower that WILL NOT work properly on gravity, or fitting a pump (expensive) or routing a mains pressure pipe (including ripping up floor boards & smashing up walls)...

Pass me my sledgehammer.......

Not Again

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googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 10:51PM

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Blah .........

But some are geared up to replacing a shower that WILL NOT work properly on gravity, or fitting a pump (expensive) or routing a mains pressure pipe (including ripping up floor boards & smashing up walls)...

Pass me my sledgehammer.......

Pass the OP the installation instructions, and he can see where FiL went wrong......

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1984ReturnsForReal_2 Posts: 15,431 Forumite

22 April 2010 at 11:16PM

googler wrote: »

Pass the OP the installation instructions, and he can see where FiL went wrong......

Will do.

But I am thinking it may still have a separate mains feed to the shower but that is something I cant tell from here..

http://www.mirashowers.co.uk/onlinecatalog/pdf/1075158_w2_a.pdf

There is some fault finding info on there to.

Apparently it has a thermostatic valve which may be faulty also (if it is not gravity fed).

Not Again

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ormus Posts: 42,714 Forumite

23 April 2010 at 12:10AM

it would appear to need a min 0.7/1.0 bar water pressure for correct operation.
your CWS tank may not be high enough.
connect it direct to the mains supply instead. as most electric showers are designed for.

Get some gorm.
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mikey72 Posts: 14,680 Forumite

23 April 2010 at 12:29AM

It would never have worked if it was gravity fed.
1 bar = 33 feet of water.
It sounds more like a fault on the circuit board.

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