your mixer shower is a manual type and not thermostatic. Common reasons for this symptom are:
We always recommend thermostatic mixer showers.
Flow rate from mixer showers varies depending on the available head of water (the hight of your cold water tank) and restrictions within the supply pipe work and shower valve. Commonly flow rates are between 3 and 5 litres per minute. To ensure optimum performance from a gravity fed shower the following guidance should be followed.
For gravity-fed systems Aqualisa mixer valves will usually provide better flow rates than other manufactures.
Mixer showers manual or thermostatic, are compatible with the following plumbing systems,
if you have an existing gravity fed shower you can add a pump for a better preforming shower.
If water is leaking from a clear plastic tube or small plastic elbow,a small red rubber ball in Mira shower units then the Pressure Relief Device (PRD) has been activated.
The PRD is a safety device designed to relieve abnormal pressure from within the heater assembly of an electric shower when a restriction occurs.
The most common reasons for the PRD to activate are that the showerhead has become blocked or there is a restriction in the shower hose, if you squeeze or kink the shower hose while on, the pressure build up could blow the PRD.
The mcb size must be equal to or the nearest size above the kilowatt rating of the shower see table below. Older type wire fuses are not recommended for electric showers
A common problem regarding electric showers is the pull cord Switch, we replace this with a 50amp switch manufactured by MK or Crabtree as the cheaper alternatives do not seem to last.
Remember if the red light on the pull switch is on, it means power is getting to the switch but the switch may still be faulty, not allowing full power to reach the shower unit,It may have bad connections (high resistance) there must be 230v/240v in the shower unit connector block.
Check you have good water pressure and flow at kitchen sink or outside tap,these are fed from the mains supply as is your shower.
Check stop cock and shower isolation valves and are fully open Check inlet filter is not blocked with debris if above all check out then you will probably require a new flow/regulator valve fitted
It all depends on the layout of the shower you are replacing. Is the wall tiled behind the shower ? not always, this may involve additional tiling or a shower with a larger footprint. There is no magic one shower will fit all.
The Triton T80Z is recommended as a replacement for all previous models of Triton T80, T80Mk3 , T80i, T80si and T80xr.
The T80Z is also an ideal replacement for other makes and models as water and cable entry points can be connected to the left and right hand side of the unit.
The Mira jump specifically designed for replacement of right hand side water inlet electric showers, Retrofits Triton, Aqualisa and many other electric showers
The New Bristan range also has multiple cable and water inlet configurations and was designed as a replacement shower, and is available in four models.
All these showers have a good lay out for retrofits, with more flexibility in both the pipe inlet and electrical connections. And a decent footprint to cover existing holes in your wall.
There is no magic one shower will fit all.
Remember we can supply and fit a suitable shower, or alter your services to suit, if you want a particular model of shower.
The most likely reason why the unit is not heating the water fully is that a heating element has failed. Which would cause the mcb to trip.
Note: If an element has failed other parts within the unit may have been affected it is therefore important to check all the electrical circuits in the unit for signs of failure, Depending on the shower type and cost of replacement parts we might recommend a replacement shower.
Electric showers heat cold water on demand via an integral heater tank. Should the water inside the heater tank become excessively hot, a safety device known as the thermal cut out switch ( t c o ) is activated which isolates the electrical supply to the heater tank and allows the water to cool. Once the water has cooled. to a safe temperature, the heater tank's electrical supply is restored so the shower will again and deliver heated water.
Any build-up of dirt soap hair etc. in the shower head restricts the flow, meaning water cannot escape quickly enough through the shower and remains in the heater tank for longer than necessary. The water will then overheat and cool down. (cycling)
To fix this problem, you should ensure that the shower head is cleaned on a regular basis, Also a kink or blockage in the shower hose will also restrict the flow and result in this symptom, shower hoses and heads are available with different flow rates so check if these have been replaced and revert to the originals, make sure the main stop cock and any isolation valves to the shower are fully open to allow a full flow of water..If this doesn’t work you will need to call us out to inspect the shower.
Under no circumstances should an electric shower be sealed to the wall There are feet in each corner of the shower's rear-casing which keep it proud of the wall by a few millimetres and allow ventilation around the side and back of the shower unit Without this ventilation it will be prone to over heating which will subsequently cause failure or damage to the internal components.
It depends if your boiler is fully-modulating or step-modulating as far as showering is concerned your boiler must be fully-modulated.
Newer boilers are generally fully modulated, and are suitable for mixer showers.
If you are unsure whether your old combination boiler / gas water heater is fully-modulating or step-modulating you should check your instructions or contact the manufacturer for advice.( Most combination boilers are suuitable )
A wee bit techi....!
The heat output from a fully-modulating combination boiler can be varied from full off to full on, giving fine control between the minimum and maximum temperatures it produces. This is performed by the boiler's gas control valve automatically varying the amount of gas it allows through in direct relation to the water outlet flow (Good for mixer showers)
check your instructions or contact the manufacturer for advice. Link for manufactures contacts http://www.boileradvice.com/boiler-manufacturers
Check that the hot water temperature at basin taps is acceptable (this should be approximately 55 to 60°C). If it is not, then the thermostat on the hot water system (e.g. hot water cylinder or combination boiler) needs adjusting.
Check whether the showering temperature is acceptable by pressing the 'maximum temperature stop' override button (if fitted on the mixer) and increasing it to a higher setting? If it is then you can reset the 'maximum temperature stop. If these steps don't work, then we would have to inspect the shower valve and check the thermostatic cartridge
This is due to failure of the flow control valve, there should be separate isolation valves fitted to the shower supply pipe. Turn these off, if you can not locate these turn main stop cock off.
Mixer showers are supplied with hot and cold water and these supplies can vary in temperature and pressure. A pressure-balanced mixer shower recognises and compensates for fluctuations in the incoming water pressure in order to maintain a showering temperature within +/- 2°C.
However, pressure-balanced mixer showers do not make allowances for fluctuations in the incoming water temperature and under such circumstances the water delivered through the shower will be prone to temperature variation.
Thermostatic mixer showers, recognise and compensate for fluctuations in both the incoming water pressure and the incoming water temperature, so if someone runs a tap or flushes a toilet, the shower will adjust to keep the shower temperature within +/- 1°C this is important if there are young children or elderly people in your home. We always recommend and supply thermostatic mixer showers
Water continuously dripping from the showerhead when the unit is switched off, indicates a fault inside the flow valve or solenoid valve depending on the model of shower. These parts are non-serviceable and will need a visit from our Engineer to rectify this problem.
