Replace/clean shower cartridge

Ghengis

Hi. We have a gravity fed shower, installed when the house was built 17 years ago. The cold water has only been coming out as a trickle for several years, but after getting our boiler fixed during the week, we have to run the heating for 2 weeks, and hour a day, at max temp to get the inhibitor circulated properly.

So, when we have a shower now, all we really get is really hot water, too hot to comfortably shower in.

From googling, I want to try removing the cartridge or cleaning it. I have the right size Allen key for the grub screw, but I want to check I'm doing it right before I try, if anyone could give their opinion?

Knock off hot and cold water at stopcock/hot press, remove the lever (held in by grub screw), remove and clean cartridge, replace in reverse order.

Is it really that simple? Its our only shower, and I don't want to mess it up: I've been trying to get a plumber to replace a wash handbasin for nearly 3 months but no one rings back. Just like the good old Celtic Tiger never went away!

TIA

Sleeper12

Ghengis wrote:

Is it really that simple? Its our only shower, and I don't want to mess it up: I've been trying to get a plumber to replace a wash handbasin for nearly 3 months but no one rings back. Just like the good old Celtic Tiger never went away!

Usually it's not that simple. It depends on what type of cartridge you have. It is might work out simple but quite often a plumber uses a whole bunch of tools ranging from delicate screwdrivers to the blown torch. Sometimes it comes down to brute force.

Can you post some photos?

Ghengis

Thank for the quick reply!

I have pictures, but I dont see an attach function? Im sure it's the cheapest shower available when the house was built (2001), there wasnt even a name on the mixer.

I had a quick look and turned off the water: well, tried to. The cold water kept running, and the boiler repair guy (who was really good, in fairness) had said the non return valve needed to be replaced.He was flushing our rads/system and replacing the expansion vessel.

I think that the hot water tank would then be feeding back into the cold tank, is that right? It was running for about 10 minutes, so I turned it back on again.

I dont think I'll be able to do it until the return valve gets replaced. I'll have to save for a few months to get that and the boiler service done at the same time, but I'd love to know what to do in advance.

Thanks

Sleeper12

If the non return valve is on the cold going to the shower then replacing the valve might fix the issue.

What does your shower look like? A dial on the wall, bar mixer etc?

Ghengis

Hi,

It's a single dial: I can't post links images I'm afraid

You cannot post with images, URLs or attachments because you are a new user.

Ghengis

Sleeper12 wrote: »

If the non return valve is on the cold going to the shower then replacing the valve might fix the issue.

No, I think it's on the feed to the hot water tank. We had it fitted about 10 years ago when we had the attic converted.

Sleeper12

The Allen key will let you remove the cap covering the cartridge but I'd imagine that you will need a spanner or Stilton to remove it. Sometimes it is easy enough but when they are stuck it takes a plumber to remove it without damaging it.

It could easily be the non return valve causing the issue

Ghengis

Thanks Sleeper12

I'll leave it be, so: I might ask the boiler repair man if he could have a look when I get him out next.

Wearb

Ghengis wrote: »

Hi,

It's a single dial: I can't post links images I'm afraid

You cannot post with images, URLs or attachments because you are a new user.

If you want to pm the image links to me, I will make them available on the thread.