I give up! Can't get any cold...

Annieb · 15 Jun 2006

Right guys, this one has completely and utterly stumped me....

To cut a long story short, I'm replacing a shower. However when I connect the new shower up, the cold will not come out. The cold for the rest of the bathroom comes off the same pipe via a t junction and everything else in the bathroom is getting cold. On trying to take off the hot connection, which does work, the pump kicked in and cold blared out yet only briefly, when the hot is completely unconnected, the cold still wont come out at all. Everthing is un-isolated, I just can't understand it.

Help! Now have water coming through the ceiling when it gushed out and still no working shower

ChrisR · 15 Jun 2006

Hey that wouldn't be bad for a politician. Lots of words, conveying nothing at all.

Annieb · 15 Jun 2006

ChrisR said:
Hey that wouldn't be bad for a politician. Lots of words, conveying nothing at all.

Hey there's no need to be blatantly rude, I'm just a woman at home trying her best to sort the bathroom out..

In simple terms, I've connected a new shower up to the water supply. Hot water comes out, cold water doesn't. However both supplies are not isolated in anyway and cold water is available from the taps and to the washing machine in the same room. The odd thing is, half way through disconnecting the connection to the hot supply, the cold water kicked in then suddenly stopped again, thus confirming there is not an air lock.

Is that clear enough now?

ChrisR · 15 Jun 2006

You have an unspecified shower connected to an unspecified water supply. Water isn't coming out.

Do you think it's because you're

"just a woman "

that you can't see that we know nothing at all about your system?

Annieb · 15 Jun 2006

It's a standard power shower, with two inlet pipes which go to the wall where a hot copper pipe and a cold copper pipe are located.

When there is nothing connected to the cold pipe, even if the water is not isolated, nothing comes out. However, the same cannot be said for the hot..

ChrisR · 15 Jun 2006

When there is nothing connected to the cold pipe, even if the water is not isolated, nothing comes out.

It must be blocked then? Try using the mains, or the pumped (hot) output from the shower, to force blockages/air back up the cold pipe.
If there is a say a gate valve on the output from the CW cistern, it may have broken in the standard way, with the wedge jammed forever . Clue is that the wheelhead turns forever.

Agile · 15 Jun 2006

Anieb, it might help if you were to explain your involvement!

If you are a homeowner and its your system then what was done immediately before it stopped working?

Have you been trying to install anything new?

If so what experience have you of plumbing work?

Chris does not apparently have any mystic powers ( unlike Martha ) and has to rely on what you tell him which so far is not enough for him to come to any significant conclusion.

Tony

Annieb · 16 Jun 2006

Sorry was a bit stressed last night, water coming through the ceiling etc. Calmed down a little now though no further forward..

Basicaly I isolated the hot and cold and disconnected the old power shower leaving just the pipes coming out the wall (I'm trying to refurbish my bathroom). Connected the new shower up, turned the water on (everything is unisolated) and have water to everything else in the bathroom (which comes off the same pipe) but no cold to the shower. So I tried taking the hot feed off again and briefly the pump kicked in and cold flowed out, then as I took the hot off completely, it stopped again. Can't get it flowing any more no matter what I do. I don't understand, suddenly the pump kicked in when I was disconnecting the hot (no idea why) and cold came out, but it won't do normally. Because it came out I'm guessing there's no airlock there as it gushed out when it wanted to. It's really annoying me!

Managed to reposition and install a new basin etc, thought replacing a shower should be relitavely within my capabilities...

chrishutt · 16 Jun 2006

Annie, since you've just installed a new shower, can't you tell us the manufacturer and model number? It should be on the packaging/instructions/shower body. Also is the pump (model?) separate or integral with the shower? And what height is the tank feeding the shower above the shower head?

Annieb · 16 Jun 2006

It's a bit fancy (though the basic 2 water feeds aren't and water doesn't even come out when the shower isn't connectd anyway) - a 8004-A (http://www.bathtek.com/steam_showers_sauna_8004a.htm) although what really baffles me is if I unisoalte everything and just leave the bare pipes unstoppered at the wall, hot will gush out (via the pump) yet no cold will come out at all. Pump is a separate Newteam Duraspeed, and kicked in fine with that brief moment when the cold came on. Not changed anything regarding pipework to the tank or pump since the last power shower and quadruple checked there are no buttons or valves isolated, which I guess was proved anyway when it briefly kicked in.

OllieN · 16 Jun 2006

If there is a say a gate valve on the output from the CW cistern, it may have broken in the standard way, with the wedge jammed forever . Clue is that the wheelhead turns forever.

Cold present in the rest of the bathroom would prove that this is not the case? Unless the rest of the bathroom is mains cold.

Actually she said it was T-d off the rest of the bathroom so ignore the mains cold suggestion

chrishutt · 16 Jun 2006

Annie, the link you provided is for a steam shower cabin, not just a shower. The installation instructions need to be studied quite carefully. Perhaps it isn't suitable for connection to a pumped supply?

As for your pipes spontaneously springing to life, that's probably due to the flow switches on the shower pump operating. To be honest, I get the impression that you're rather out of your depth on this quite complicated project. Perhaps some professional help might be in order?

Annieb · 16 Jun 2006

The manual and instructions say quite clearly to connect it as per normal to a shower pump. The steam generator and other attachments come off a diverter valve. From the water supply feeds to the unit there is just the hot and cold feeds, which then feed the other shower attachments via the diverter. I can get hot running to all of these fine, just no cold and even with no shower connected at all I can get no cold out of the pipe originating from the wall hence I do not feel it can be a problem with the shower, and it must be a problem between the cold storage tank and the pipe via the pump. I just can't find that problem. On the verge of calling a plumber to diagnose it as everything else is connected and apart from a slow draining waste (due to lack of fall which I will be sorting out tomorrow0, everything else seems to be fine.The electrics all work fine as I've connected the fan, lights etc up, it's just this cold feed I can't sort out.

I have to do basic plumbing occasionally through my line of work so I thought this wouldn't be particularly beyond my capabilities.

chrishutt · 16 Jun 2006

Ok, you sound a bit more competent now! ChrisR gave you some very sound and concise advice above. Have you acted on that? Basically it's either an air-lock, a blocked filter (pump inlet?) or a closed valve, assuming there's water in the feed tank.

Delboy_1976 · 30 Jul 2006

Annieb - I was just browsing through the forum and saw your thread - out of interest did you get this sorted, if so what was the problem in the end?

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I give up! Can't get any cold...

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