Shower advice please

oops_a_daisy

Hi there - I am after some advice on my shower please, am not sure if this is the correct place to post this though but here goes.

My shower is a Aqualisa and is now well over 10 years old. It started to drip over a year ago and my neighbour said that his had gone the same way and he had had another one fitted because he was told that the problem was a washer inside of the unit that could not be replaced. I had a plumber out to my house to sort out a difrerent problem and I mentioned the dripping shower to him and asked if it needed to be replaced, he said that all showers are like that so it didnt need replacing and would cost a lot of money to replace anyway. Unfortunately the shower is REALLY dripping constantly now so I think that it needs replacing I am not really happy to call the plumber out that did the other work for me as 2 out of the three things he sorted are now not working again. I will get to the questions now the unit is fixed to the wall so we can not see where the pipes come through, are they universal? I mean can the Aqualisa shower be removed and replaced with a different not quite so expensive shower?

sorry for the ramble and thanks for reading

floyd

Is it an electric or thermostatic mixer? Have a look and see if you can find the model number as that will help. Ours started leaking constantly from the shower head and it was a seal inside the thermostat cartridge that needed replacing. OH managed to do it at a cost of aboyt £40 and it was good as new (he's not a plumber or handyman just has a bit of common sense)
These guys are very helpful and will give free advice via email if you give them a detailed description of your shower and the problem http://www.showerdoc.co.uk/

vansboy

Just bought 2 of these for the new house - not fitted yet!

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=20001&langId=-1&catalogId=1500000751&productId=1500069553&Trail=C$cip=1500006951>C$cip=1500007191>C$cip=1500007193&categoryId=1500007193

oops_a_daisy

it isnt an electric one so I think it is a thermostatic one ( runs off the hot & cold water tanks )
I will have a look at those links thankyou

Canucklehead

Hi

Does it look like this?.............. http://www.aqualisa.co.uk/parts-store/Controls/Aquavalve-600-Thermostatic-and-430-Manual-Mixer-Valve/
I don't know what school of plumbing your man went to but it couldn't have been very good.Showers should not leak.

Corgi Guy.

bob_a_builder

Assuming it does look like that - Its almost certainly the Cartridge in the link in previous post - there are different colour ones depending if its thermostatic or not.

They are quite a bit more expensive than a washer but not as expensive as a new shower.

I managed to replace ours no trouble

edit: actually, I now remember it was quite a job to get the 4 screws out which held the cartridge in

grannybroon

We had to replace our shower a few years ago (we are hot/cold feed) and went with a Mira. Plumber was able to fit over where original shower was. I think you may have to seek advice as what will fit over space to make sure the tilework doesn't need attention.

We had a new bathroom done last year but kept our fairly new shower. Have a few spare tiles just in case of future replacement.

GB

Edited to say our first shower lasted 18 years and had a couple of washers to stop leaks. Parts then subsequently wore out so eventual replacement.

oops_a_daisy

right I have taken a photo ( hope it helps ) as it isnt the one in the link and I have also looked at the others on that site and it isnt there - possibly too old




edited to add - I couldnt see a reference number on it and the dripping is coming from the shower head

Canucklehead

Hi

Aha....http://www.aqualisa.co.uk/parts-store/Controls/Aquarian-exposed-thermostatic-and-manual-mixer-valve2/


Ask in a good plumbers merchant and you should be able to get the cartridge/s for it. Cheaper than a new mixer.

Corgi Guy.

oops_a_daisy

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi

Aha....http://www.aqualisa.co.uk/parts-store/Controls/Aquarian-exposed-thermostatic-and-manual-mixer-valve2/


Ask in a good plumbers merchant and you should be able to get the cartridge/s for it. Cheaper than a new mixer.

Corgi Guy.

thanks for that Corgi Guy :kisses3: so do you think that by replacing the cartridge that it will be sorted?
Now I will have to start being extra nice to my Dad and get him to replace it :rolleyes:

ps - sorry just thought, how would I find out if it is thermostatic or not?

Canucklehead

Hi

I know it's the answer on the first one I suggested so would assume the same for yours. Call Aqualisa they are very helpful.
If the temperature is stable when you shower and use another tap then it's probably thermostatic.
Corgi Guy.