aqualisa quartz 10.5 shower temperature probs

sparky40

We have an aqualisa quartz 10.5w electric shower and have been recently been experiencing a few issues with it. It is only over the last few weeks that the temperature isnt as hot as it used to be. Standing under it tonight it was up full and I was able to stand under it comfortably. I usually have it bang on half way and tonight it was freezing cold.
The bathroom was redone 6 months ago and the shower installed then even though it was bought around 18 months ago (getting the whole house renovated)

Anyone any ideas what might be causing this, is it an easy fix and do we need an electrician/plumber or both?

All help is appreciated as especially at this time of year cannot afford to get someone out to look at this or pay to fix it.

keystone

First of all the cold mains that is feeding it will be a quite a few degrees colder at this time of year than it was when the shower was installed.

It could be that the heater can is scaled up or is just plain knackered - although this would be a bit naughty for a relatively new unit.

If it is scaled up then you'll have to remove it from the unit to descale but it will take some time as theres an awful lot of heater area compared with water capacity.

A brand new heater can will cost iro £70.00 if thats whats needed.

Cheers

sparky40

Cheers Keystone, do you know how I would find this out, or who would be the best person to get in to look at it? It's still under warranty, if it is the heater I assume this is covered under warranty?

keystone

In that case talk to Aqualisa Customer Service. They should be prepared to send someone out. You'll get the standard "we'll charge you gazillion £££s if the unit isn't faulty" line but it really sounds as though it is. Get the installer to check that he DID install it properly first though then there should be no come back on you.

Cheers

Alan_M_2

Aqualisa have very good customer services back up, give them a call. If it is a known problem they will usually be pretty up front about it.

sparky40

Thanks for the advice folks, it is strange that it has only happened yet we have been using it happily for 6 months or so now. I am beginning to wonder if it is to do with the mains water being colder at this time of year.

pinkteapot

I suspect it will be to do with the mains water. I had an electric shower at my last place (lived there for a few years) and we had electric showers installed in our new house a month ago.

Every winter at the old property and in the last week with our new showers, the water has been colder than usual (with the temperature settings left the same). Unless the shower is thermostatic (i.e. you set it to a particular number of degrees) each setting just seems to provide a standard amount of heating to the incoming water. At the moment, the cold mains water is much colder than normal so heating it by x degrees won't be as effective as normal.

I'd leave it a few weeks till it gets milder out and see if it goes back to normal. In the meantime, turn the dial up.

sparky40

Thanks pinkteapot, I have came to that conclusion having spoken to a few work colleagues and family. Dial well and truly turned up til it gets a bit warmer, although i have a bad feeling its gonna get colder before it gets warmer!!!!!

sillygoose

If you can still get a decent shower out of it by turning it up, consider yourself fortunate that you have a 10.5kW (the highest you can get) - I bet people with 8.kW ones are not too comfortable.

Thanks for your post, I am considering putting an electric one in an en-suite, mainly because you can use it as long as you like (and my wife can happily drain the whole hot water tank washing her hair!) - I was considering a 10.5kW but you sort of confirmed that it will remain usable even worse case when like now the mains is probably at least 10 degrees colder to start with. (I remember as a kid when they were more like 7.5kW freezing!!! )

sparky40

No worries sillygoose, we have done our whole house from top to bottom and I must admit the shower was one of the best buys by far, dont get me wrong it was expensive but I went with advice I got on here and got the aqualisa and it is certainly paying dividends now.

pinkteapot

We had 9.5kw showers installed (one in en-suite, one in bathroom, can't use both at the same time; downside of electric showers!). We can still get a comfortably warm shower out of them at the moment, even without the dial turned up full (just nearly full).

Same as you - I like the fact they're not dependent on there being hot water in the tank. Due to low water pressure, it was that or normal showers with a pump but I was uncertain about noise from the pump.

With either 9 or 9.5kw and higher (I can't remember which is the cut-off) you need thicker cabling than for lower power showers. Sparky should use 10mm cable to install it.