Dripping shower - where to get spares

[Brigadier]

Morning all,

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Rhine-Thermostatic-Mixer-Shower-Chrome/p/212544#tab-details_content

Dripping, and yesterday it became noticeably more difficult to turn back off.

I would be grateful if any of you would direct me towards any compatible spares that I might need, as I am struggling to find who may have actually made the shower on behalf of Wickes.

Also, any advice on likely issue / ease of repair would be appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation

 

[muggles]

Have you tried asking Wickes?

Failing that, you need to dismantle the shower, take a photo of the cartridge and send it to places like Showerdoc and National Shower Spares, then keep your fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed that it's a UK-available part. Often these own-branded things don't have available spares and you end up buying a whole new shower (hopefully having learned your lesson, you'll buy it from a recognised manufacturer)

 

[HERTS P&D]

If your centres are 150mm then just replace the shower. It will be a lot less hassle in the long run.

Andy

 

[Brigadier]

Have you tried asking Wickes?

Failing that, you need to dismantle the shower, take a photo of the cartridge and send it to places like Showerdoc and National Shower Spares, then keep your fingers, toes, legs, arms and eyes crossed that it's a UK-available part. Often these own-branded things don't have available spares and you end up buying a whole new shower (hopefully having learned your lesson, you'll buy it from a recognised manufacturer)

No, Wickes weren't open when I noticed the problem last night. I wouldn't have too much faith that in-store staff would know anyway.

I take it that removal of the cartridge is a "water off" job?

 

[muggles]

Yes, you'll need to have the water off I'm afraid unless you like getting very wet. It would be nice to think that some isolation valves had been fitted to turn the shower off without turning everything else but unfortunately this is rarely the case

 

[Jackrae]

showerdoc might be worth a try

 

[sjmac]

Pretty sure that's a Bristan in disguise. It says a five year guarantee on Wickes website. To be honest if its not under guarantee, just swop the valve with another 150mm valve

 

[JohnD]

If it does turn out to be a Bristan, their parts can be ordered online, they have good stocks and the prices are much more reasonable than makers with German-sounding names.

Mail them the pic if not sure.

 

[Agile]

You will probably be better off asking on their telephone helpline.

Bristan are pretty good and I would be slightly surprised if the Wicks brand were made by them because it would be a better "name" to be selling under if it is Bristan.

But could be.

Toy

 

[DP]

Toy

Who is Toy?

 

[Brigadier]

According to Wickes, it's a Bristan model; Wickes even gave me Bristan's number. So, thanks to all, and spotter badge to sjmac

I'll make a call tomorrow, see if they can identify the model from their range (Sonique?), and see about replacement valve.


I've checked the pipe runs back to the boiler; no isolators. So, I'm guessing, switch the boiler off, and close the main stop tap?


If that is correct, I might try taking the valve out, and soaking in vinegar solution first, see if that helps (as per Bristan instructions I've just seen online).

Anything else worth looking at? Remove and clean / replace filters?

Thanks again all

 

[Brigadier]

IMAG0244

• Brigadier
• 26 Sep 2016

 

[nickjb]

My shower was dripping pretty badly and getting steadily worse. I opened it up to see what cartridge it used as apparently there are a couple of different ones for my particular model. Inside was pretty full of limescale so instead of replacing I cleaned it out, soaked the cartridge in descaler and regreased the orings. No more dripping. Can't say this will fix them all but maybe worth a go.

 

[Brigadier]

My shower was dripping pretty badly and getting steadily worse. I opened it up to see what cartridge it used as apparently there are a couple of different ones for my particular model. Inside was pretty full of limescale so instead of replacing I cleaned it out, soaked the cartridge in descaler and regreased the orings. No more dripping. Can't say this will fix them all but maybe worth a go.

Knock off the boiler and stop tap, Nickjb, in the absence of isolaters?

 

[nickjb]

So, I'm guessing, switch the boiler off, and close the main stop tap?

That's what I'd do in that circumstance. Luckily mine had isolators although some bits of my plumbing so that's the procedure I use for those bits. I've been fitting isolators as I've been updating the house so I rarely need to access the main stop tap these days, though