Gainsborough Ambassador shower dripping

[con1_uk]

Hi,

I have a Gainsborough Ambassador shower that runs from mains water, it drips from the thing you turn to start the shower and also drips from the head. I will be doing some other bathroom jobs and the tiles will be coming off. I don’t mind keeping the shower as it has been fine apart from this and I can jazz it up a little with a new pipe and head.

What can the issue be please? I’m sure I read somewhere (may have even been on here) that the cartridges can be replaced, a quick search and these seem expensive, would it be better to replace it with a similar shower that uses the same pipe work orientation (not skilled enough to change pipes)

Thanks in advance.

 

[CBW]

It’s likely to be the cartridge, and it is expensive, but ask yourself the following:

Is it more expensive for the cartridge to be replaced than altering pipes?
If you replace the cartridge, is anything else likely to go wrong?

 

[con1_uk]

Thanks CBW, what else could go wrong with the shower please?

How much can you find the carts for please?

 

[ShowerWoe]

I had a dripping shower valve once and turned out to be a bit of grit somewhere in the valve. My plumber sorted it.

 

[JohnD]

Is it a bar shower, or round?

The round one looks like the high-quality Aqualisa, and even takes an Aqualisa cartridge, but is cheaper. a new replacement mixer does not cost much more.

IMO it is worth descaling while you have it apart. Sometimes this, and replacing the O rings, will cure drips, but changing the cartridge is less work.

 

[CBW]

Thanks CBW, what else could go wrong with the shower please?

How much can you find the carts for please?

Not much more could go wrong, other than a failed o-ring, but pretty sure they come with the cartridge. Cheapest I’ve found is approx £150.

 

[Burnerman]

If I replace a cartridge I take the old one apart, clean it carefully and reassemble with silicone grease as a spare.
John

 

[con1_uk]

Is it a bar shower, or round?

The round one looks like the high-quality Aqualisa, and even takes an Aqualisa cartridge, but is cheaper. a new replacement mixer does not cost much more.

IMO it is worth descaling while you have it apart. Sometimes this, and replacing the O rings, will cure drips, but changing the cartridge is less work.

Hi, it’s a round one.

 

[JohnD]

seems to be pretty good

bearing in mind the lower price, consider just getting a new one. Not vastly dearer than a cartridge.

If you like tinkering, you can take the old one apart on the kitchen table; descale it, clean it, polish the moving parts, reassemble with new O rings and silicone grease; swap it back in ten years if necessary

edit
Burnerman beat me to it, but I mean the shell and knobs as well