Dripping Bristan Digital Shower

anonymous12124

Have a leak/drip with my Bristan Digital Artisan Evo Shower. I called up Bristan who said that even though it’s under warranty they won’t help and will send me a cheque to the value of the purchase price.

However that won't fix my problem. The drip is from either the riser or ceiling head depending on which way I turn the lever. I’ve tried the basic step of unscrewing the hose and checking the washer which looks in better than some new ones that I got from screwfix. I did replace the washer but no luck and if it was a washer issue then I don’t think the ceiling one would leak as well.

I’d really like to not have to replace the whole system if possible. Any ideas what might be the root cause?

A couple of pictures:

The shower:

https://ibb.co/ZdQffft

Up in the loft:

https://ibb.co/HYzxm5Y

Browntoa

Not knowing this type of unit I assume that the loft box activates the water ? 

In which case the valve in there must not be closing fully.

Seems a simple swap as all the water supplies have isolation valve on the pipework . 

anonymous12124

Browntoa said:

Not knowing this type of unit I assume that the loft box activates the water ? 

In which case the valve in there must not be closing fully.

Seems a simple swap as all the water supplies have isolation valve on the pipework . 

This is the instruction manual for the shower:

https://www.bristan.com/product-files/547152/fitting-instructions.pdf

Yes you turn the black wireless part and then the black box in the loft is activated and the water starts flowing.

If it is as you say that the valve is not closing fully and this is inside the black box maybe that's why they offer the money back. Not happy about this, had a 5 yr warranty and only 3 and years in with the bproduct.

Browntoa

Most warranty offer a unit as replacement , not fitting costs , so the refund has placed you back where you were before it was installed. 

DiddyDavies

anonymous12124 said:

If it is as you say that the valve is not closing fully and this is inside the black box maybe that's why they offer the money back. Not happy about this, had a 5 yr warranty and only 3 and years in with the bproduct. 

Not happy about a manufacturer who appears to be offering a full, no quibble refund for a faulty product? 

Browntoa

The issue may be sourcing spares for the mixer unit ? 

I had a quick look but no joy

anonymous12124

DiddyDavies said:

Not happy about a manufacturer who appears to be offering a full, no quibble refund for a faulty product? 

It sounds bad when you say it like that. But my view is that it would be so much easier if the product lasted a bit longer and parts were available.

Browntoa said:

The issue may be sourcing spares for the mixer unit ? 

I had a quick look but no joy

Precisely - since they have no spare parts. I have emailed them about my options. For now the drip is not too bad, but almost certainly it'll get worse.

DiddyDavies

In that case, (you may already have mentioned it), point out their own warranty terms to them:

As sending you a cheque is not a replacement.
You could also mention this bit:

and ask if they have or can source a spare mixer valve.

anonymous12124

Thank you for that. They came back and said the product has been discontinued and they have no spare parts. They can't even send out an engineer because of it being a discontinued part. So the best they can do is refund me for the purchase price of the shower.

I've not had to chance to weigh up all my options but I hope the drip doesn't get worse any time soon. Put a measuring tub under to see how bad it is. Hopefully I'll have a bit of time before I'm forced into doing something.

badgeraudio

Might need to replace it with a similar model from a different company? You could still re use the shower head so its just swapping out the unit in the loft. Fairly simple DIY or quick fix for a good plumber. 
You never know with Black Friday you might get a bargain?

anonymous12124

badgeraudio said:

Might need to replace it with a similar model from a different company? You could still re use the shower head so its just swapping out the unit in the loft. Fairly simple DIY or quick fix for a good plumber. 
You never know with Black Friday you might get a bargain?

So I measured the drip with a measuring jug and in 12 hours it was approximately 250ml. I say approx because the water is falling from a height some of it is spashing out. So at this rate of dripping and Severn Trent's charge we're looking at around £2 for the year max. I know it'll get worse perhaps in a few weeks, but that gives me time to ensure I've got enough in the bank to deal with this.

You are right badgeraudio, replacing the mixer valve and wireless remote seems the only option now. A 2nd hand mira valve is around £150-£200 on ebay. A brand new one from either Mira or Tritone is between £350 - £500. It seems like Mira has more of a reputation in this field so they might be a better option. I hope I'll be able to go for a new valve because with plumbing labour cosyts this might take up to around the £600. I just can't justify spending hundreds whilst the drip is still relatively small.

I'll keep this thread updated in case anyone else ever experiences similar problems. Thank you everyone for the replies, it's much appreciated.