Shower Mixer Tap Problems

[bebeto]

I have a mixer tap with a shower attachment. 1 tap for Hot and 1 Tap for cold.

When I use the shower and put the Hot water on the pressure is good. If I turn on the cold tap to regulate the tempreture the pressure drops rapidly and the water gets scalding hot instead of going down in tempreture. If both Taps are fully on the water is burning Hot with no pressure.

What is my problem and how do I fix it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[seco services]

What happens with only cold on ?

 

[bebeto]

Thanks for your reply

The pressure is low and only cold water comes out

 

[seco services]

What are the supplies from gravity or both mains pressure etc ?

 

[bebeto]

I believe they are both mains pressure as there are no pipes coming directly from my loft. The pipes run back towards my outside wall above my kitchen.

The pressure for my cold in the kitchen is superb, would cut a whole in you and the hot has good pressure.

Both hot and cold have good pressure in my bathroom sink although just thinking there it might be the taps as the flow comes out in 5 jets as opposed to 1 continuous flow like say a normal tap.

 

[seco services]

When you have both hot/cold taps on and the flow is low and hot can you feel the cold pipe to the mixer just below it is it warm/hot ?

 

[bebeto]

The cold pipe feels warm

Might be getting somewhere here

 

[seco services]

Soon as you turn off the hot the pipe more likely go's stone cold again.

Sounds like the hot is passing into the cold when cold is opened so thats why your cold mains then becomes warm and your flow drops it's taken another route.

Is it the same when running bath or only shower ?

 

[bebeto]

Soon as you turn off the hot the pipe more likely go's stone cold again.

Yes it does

Sounds like the hot is passing into the cold when cold is opened so thats why your cold mains then becomes warm and your flow drops it's taken another route.

Is it the same when running bath or only shower ?

It is only when the shower is on. When you are running a bath and turn on the hot and then the cold the cold pipe feels cold and only cold comes out the tap (which I would expect??)

 

[seco services]

So it's got to be a problem around the diverter bath/shower restricting the cold, if the bath side works fine.
Thats all i can assume.

 

[bebeto]

I take it buying a new shower mixer tap would sort this as it seems the shower part of the tap is the problem?

 

[seco services]

Unless you strip it down.
How old is the mixer ?

Can't see any other reason for the problem.

 

[bebeto]

Its about 3 years old never worked though. Rented house so never bothered about it but going to sort it.

Will strip it down, to be honest it looks like a cheap unit so may purchase a new one.

Cheers for your help would buy you a beer but your miles away

 

[seco services]

Let us know how you get on.

Just hit the

button that'll do

 

[Mikefromlondon]

apart from the shower mixer tap may have gone wrong, just make sure your landlord has not fitted a ball valve underneath the tub which may be deliberately left partially closed or you can say partially opened to stop the high pressure from the cold water mains to stop forcing or overpowering the hot water flow, this sort of DIY style balancing may have worked fine for a while and after a while it may become more restrictive due to possible deposits or other debri that might have found its way into the ball valve, so check under your tub/shower, to see if there is any ball valve and that it is fully open to allow full force or balance it to match the force from the hot water.