Thermostatic shower problem - help gratefully received

[ukjamster]

Hi

I have just moved into a new house which has a Thermostatic shower, very similar to this one:

http://www.bathstore.com/_applicati...an-exposed-thermostatic-shower-valve-315.html

It is mounted with the pipework concealed into the wall.

When I first used it it just ran cold.

I discovered that running the hot water tap in the bathroom sink would help warm it up a bit, seemingly because it increased the flow of hot water enough to make the combi boiler fire up.

I've looked at the manual and tried adjusting the temperature, and now the shower is running luke warm (the boiler fires up).

The problem is moving the temperature control on the shower has no effect on the temperature of the water, which remains luke warm across the entire range of the tap (from the coldest setting right through to the setting with the safety button depressed to move the tap to its hottest position).

The mains water is a direct supply (no tank) and the hot water comes from the combi boiler downstairs (pressure 1.1bar).

Any suggestions of solutions or anything that I could do to further diagnose the problem gratefully received.

Thanks
Chris.

 

[picasso]

you need to check the hot and cold are installed the right way round, as you look at the shower valve, the hot should be on the left and cold on the right, is there any access to the pipes?

 

[ukjamster]

No access to pipes... I assume I will need to degrout and remove some of the tiles surrounding the shower thermostat / control block in order to get at them?

 

[picasso]

on some shower valves you can feel which side of the valve is getting warm when you run water through it, take the shower head off and try this before taking the tiles off.

 

[Nige F]

hard water area might just need dismantling and cleaning out

 

[AdamBastin]

We'v also bought a bathstore thermo shower valve and are having problems with it. The pressure out of the shower is fine and the taps on the bath are working fine (ie get cold water when you move it to cold and hot wen you move it to hot)

However the temperature handle on the shower has a mind of its own. Sometimes you get cold 90% of the way round the dial and then suddenly you got boiling hot....but then you move it back to cold and you still get boiling hot water all the way back.

We've tried changing the gauge under teh handle dozens of times but its still guess-work as to what temperature will come out

Any ideas?

 

[steve32]

check hot and cold are fitted to valve the right way if they are then it could be a faulty thermostat