Shower goes cold for no reason (running off the taps)

JG0
JG0 Posts: 10 Forumite
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in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving
I have a shower hose and shower head attached to the taps, which are separate hot and cold taps. It's quite fiddly to get a good temperature as I have to be very precise with the cold tap to get it to a temperature that isn't boiling and isn't freezing.

However, after I set it I have about 5 minutes of the temperature I wanted until it suddenly goes cold. It's not completely cold, as if only the cold tap was turned on, but it is cold. The hot water also isn't off, because if I turn the cold tap off it's boiling hot straight away.

I have a 1 year old Worcester boiler. I have no other issues with the water temperature on other taps, only when I shower. It's also nothing to do with other taps being turned on at the same time, as I live alone. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks for any help.
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Comments

  • illusionek
    illusionek Posts: 171 Forumite
    Had the same problem, went away when I replaced my shower. The issue was with cartridges but as shower was very old I decided to replace the whole thing.
  • phill99
    phill99 Posts: 9,093 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    As above the cartridge (aka the thermostat) needs changing. If its very old you may struggle with a replacement, so it may need a new valve.
    Eat vegetables and fear no creditors, rather than eat duck and hide.
  • Moss5
    Moss5 Posts: 370 Forumite
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    If you have cold tanks in the roof, your shower is connecting mains cold pressure with low-pressure hot water.
  • owen_money
    owen_money Posts: 764 Forumite
    There will be a reason why its going cold, you just have to work out why.
    One man's folly is another man's wife. Helen Roland (1876 - 1950)
  • sevenhills
    sevenhills Posts: 5,882 Forumite
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    JG0 wrote: »
    I have a shower hose and shower head attached to the taps, which are separate hot and cold taps. It's quite fiddly to get a good temperature as I have to be very precise with the cold tap to get it to a temperature that isn't boiling and isn't freezing.
    I have a 1 year old Worcester boiler.

    I have a very similar setup, with no problems. Has yours been working ok for some time, or is it a new set up?
  • J_B
    J_B Posts: 6,443 Forumite
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    owen_money wrote: »
    There will be a reason why its going cold, you just have to work out why.

    What an excellent reply ... why didn't I think of that? :D
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,330 Forumite
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    If it's a combi boiler then the problem may be that the boiler is overheating and shutting off for safety.

    There's a limit to how low a flow a combi boiler can deliver. Any lower and the water inside the boiler would start to boil. So the burner will cut out before that happens.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • JG0
    JG0 Posts: 10 Forumite
    First Anniversary
    Ectophile wrote: »
    If it's a combi boiler then the problem may be that the boiler is overheating and shutting off for safety.

    There's a limit to how low a flow a combi boiler can deliver. Any lower and the water inside the boiler would start to boil. So the burner will cut out before that happens.

    Could the hot and cold taps running together at the same time cause this? That would make sense. When I run both the hot and cold taps in the sink in the same bathroom as the shower they both run slowly, where as if only one is on then they're as they should be. When it's idle my water pressure is at 1 bar.
  • Wookey
    Wookey Posts: 812 Forumite
    JG0 wrote: »
    Could the hot and cold taps running together at the same time cause this? That would make sense. When I run both the hot and cold taps in the sink in the same bathroom as the shower they both run slowly, where as if only one is on then they're as they should be. When it's idle my water pressure is at 1 bar.

    Is your hot water instant? Is the cold supply to the bath tap from mains or from cold water storage cistern in the roofspace? These things all work at different pressures and flow rates and as such they will vary especially things working direct from the water mains. If your hot and cold water are both fed via a tank in the roofspace then the pressure and flow rate will be very close and you shouldn't have much of an issue save for someone turning on a hot tap elsewhere in the house, however if it's a combination of instant hot water and mains fed cold water then there other things to take into consideration.
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  • Chappers27
    Chappers27 Posts: 97 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    owen_money wrote: »
    There will be a reason why its going cold, you just have to work out why.

    Well that's useful.
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