Is this a job for only a plumber, or someone who knows DIY?

tincat

Hi all,

We've been in our new house for 6 months, and the main bathroom has a bath and a separate shower. The shower has a mixer. The shower was working fine as I had my parents staying just before we got an airlock in the plumbing from overrunning the kids bath. It cost an arm and a leg to get a plumber to fix. (He at first thought it was something else like a pump that needed replacing).

Anyhoo, the one shower still doesn't work. Because I have another shower I didn't know this. Over Christmas though, I've had a couple of guests who tried to use the shower, and it just runs a trickle of scalding hot water, and no cold seems to be getting through.

A friend seemed to think that it was the mixer that wasn't working as all the other taps in the house are working.

The shower is completely tiled, so how would the mixer get replaced? If I called a plumber, how big a job is this, as they charge by the half hour!!!!?

I've got a friend coming to stay for a week who does quite a lot of DIY, if the instructions are googlable if you know what I mean.

Any suggestions on how to do this cheaply or what a job like this would entail (whether with a plumber or my friend) would be gratefully appreciated - esp after an expensive Chrimbo!

Thanks

flang

providing this is a mixer shower with no electrics involved, i would let your friend do it!
Plumbing is easy nowdays especially now they have lots of push on joints etc etc.
It def sounds like the mixer to me!

tincat

Thanks for your reply.

No there are no electrics involved.

The only thing is I couldn't see how you could even replace the mixer, as there are no screws or anything. I'll try and get a photo taken of it and post it tomorrow. I suppose there must be a trick to it which I'll google.

jamesy

Some mixer showers have what is call grub screws underneath one either side you will need an allen key to undo them

Nilrem

it sounds like the mixer might have a blockage, they are often pretty easy to do (our mielle?) mixer has a couple of bezels that unclip, then 4 screws that let you take the mixer unit out for replacement/cleaning, and normally when we get the symptoms mentions it's a build up of muck/scale on the metal inlet filter*.
Normally with ours, it means the cold inlet filter is blocked, and the thermostatic valve is limiting the hot to try and keep it at the desired temperature.

As long as you can turn the water off to the shower without having to empty the tanks etc it's usually a very fast, simple job to do (about 5-10 minutes from turning the water off).

Having said that, experience has taught me never to assume that any job is going to be fast or easy

*it tends to happen when we've had to turn the water off for some other reason, I guess it disturbs any stuff in the pipes/tanks.

ormus

when i installed my mira mixer shower i installed 2 service valves in the hot/cold lines.
its very easy now to turn them off for any servicing etc.. without disturbing the rest of the household plumbing.
changing a mixer is fairly simple really. esp if like for like.

Canucklehead

Hi

Whilst you and you friend are about it, have a look at your cold water storage and, ask why you ran out of water in the first place.Undersized CWS or it is not filling as it should.
Look forward to seeing the mixer.


Corgi Guy.

tincat

Hi - sorry it's taken me so long to get a photo organised. Here it is:

]

It's an Aqualisa. Could you tell me how we can check what's wrong with it. Many thanks. My friend arrives this evening.

Canucklehead

Hi

These do not have filters built in. You probably have an air lock close to the shower.Unless you have a pump?(This was mentioned in your OP, why did the plumber think you had one?)
The chrome on/off just pulls off .

Corgi Guy.

http://www.showerdoc.co.uk/shower-spares/aqualisa/aquavalve-609-409.html