Repairing drip then sudden lack of pressure to mixer shower.
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:14 pm
I live in a 2 year old flat. The heating and water is heated by a combi boiler. The shower is a 'Bramham' thermostatic mixer valve. Shower pressure is normally fine (no power shower, but fine).
The shower developed a small drip some months ago, and as time went on with extra tightening the drip got bigger and faster to the extent that I couldn't handle it any more. I took the valve off the wall and after many failed attempts found out how to completely disassemble the valve. The O seal seemed to be squashed flat but otherwise everything looked ok.
So I replaced the O seal and re-assembled it all. The drip was still there.
I took it apart again and had a second look. To my total-beginner eyes I still couldn't see what else could be wrong. Turning the tap off makes a decent seal, so I decided I just hadn't put it all back to together tightly enough (It was difficult to take aprt in 1st place because it was so tight, so I tried to restore it to this tightness).
I put it back on the wall and tried it again. I heard water gathering inside the valve unit, there was a delay (never before there) and then eventually a pathetic flow began coming out of the head.
I took it apart again and made everything even tighter. This time the delay was worse and the flow even more pathetic. This is the stage I'm at now.
Have I overtightened? It's not like I've crushed anything. I've removed the unit from the pipework so many times and never had any problems with the pressure until I'd successfully got the whole valve apart.
Is it possible that I've accidentally not put it back togther with everything aligned properly i.e. with the tap turned fully on might it only be opening a bit?
If there was anything wrong with the cartridge itself, how would I recognise this?
I'd be really grateful for any insight over this. I'm determined to get it working properly myself cos a) I'm skint and b) I've spent so much time trying to work it all out that I'm prepared to die so long as it reverts to proper function.
Thanks very much.
Oh, and one other issue: is there likely to be a thermostat on the hot tap for my bath. The water in other taps is hot, but the bath not so much, and has recently got unacceptably luke warm. Can I adjust this?
The shower developed a small drip some months ago, and as time went on with extra tightening the drip got bigger and faster to the extent that I couldn't handle it any more. I took the valve off the wall and after many failed attempts found out how to completely disassemble the valve. The O seal seemed to be squashed flat but otherwise everything looked ok.
So I replaced the O seal and re-assembled it all. The drip was still there.
I took it apart again and had a second look. To my total-beginner eyes I still couldn't see what else could be wrong. Turning the tap off makes a decent seal, so I decided I just hadn't put it all back to together tightly enough (It was difficult to take aprt in 1st place because it was so tight, so I tried to restore it to this tightness).
I put it back on the wall and tried it again. I heard water gathering inside the valve unit, there was a delay (never before there) and then eventually a pathetic flow began coming out of the head.
I took it apart again and made everything even tighter. This time the delay was worse and the flow even more pathetic. This is the stage I'm at now.
Have I overtightened? It's not like I've crushed anything. I've removed the unit from the pipework so many times and never had any problems with the pressure until I'd successfully got the whole valve apart.
Is it possible that I've accidentally not put it back togther with everything aligned properly i.e. with the tap turned fully on might it only be opening a bit?
If there was anything wrong with the cartridge itself, how would I recognise this?
I'd be really grateful for any insight over this. I'm determined to get it working properly myself cos a) I'm skint and b) I've spent so much time trying to work it all out that I'm prepared to die so long as it reverts to proper function.
Thanks very much.
Oh, and one other issue: is there likely to be a thermostat on the hot tap for my bath. The water in other taps is hot, but the bath not so much, and has recently got unacceptably luke warm. Can I adjust this?