Shower does not get hot

[kandj]

I'd really appreciate any help!

I have a bar shower with a combi boiler. The water only gets to lukewarm. The water pressure seems good, water to the hot taps in the bathroom is very hot, reducing the water flow doesn't make it any hotter, and the temp difference between hot & cold is virtually nothing. We have taken off the temp knob & removed the plastic thingy that restricts how far the temperature knob can turn, but still no better - the knob turns alot further but doesn't change the temperature any more. Turning on a cold tap in the bathroom at the same time makes the shower water get colder.

How can I get the hot water to work? Or do I have a faulty shower?

Thankyou!

 

[Dannypipe]

Sounds like your shower valve is kapuut.

I would call a plumber. These bar showers are notorious for this.

I've seen same thing a few times. You depress the plastic button to put in on full hot and it's mad hot, you turn it all the way down to cold, and guess what, it's still mad hot, but maybe not quite as much.

It could need calibration, but my guess is new cartridge/shower required. Sorry.

 

[kandj]

Thanks for your reply/help, I guess I'll be looking for a new one then. Very annoying as this is a new one, but unfortunately for me I brought it over a year ago online & have only just got it fitted.

 

[Dannypipe]

In that case it could just require calibration. I would speak to the guy who installed it. Good luck.

Dan

 

[kandj]

Any chance you can give me a point in the right direction to calibrate it? It was fitted by a non-plumber friend, and he doesn't know how to get into it, we only had a plumber put in the pipe work.

 

[Dannypipe]

Calibration is just a case of taking the head off and setting it so it will go to dead cold in the correct position.

It's hard to explain, but dead simple really. Just for your own satisfaction, take the head off (temp adjust side) and make see what happens if you turn the shower down to it's coolest setting.

If it goes cold, it's prob ok. If not, new valve. I hope that helps, but some how I doubt it!!!

 

[kandj]

Thankyou. I'll give it a go tomorrow & see.

 

[tamz]

If it has just been installed you have connected the hot and cold to the wrong sides. Easy cheched on a bar shower. Just remove it and turn it upside down so the outlet is from the top and reconnect. Try it now.
If it works ok now the pipes have been connected wrong and need swapped.

 

[easyt]

Hot feed should be to left and cold to right. Presume whoever fitted it can check they are right way round.

Presumably there are isolation valves somewhere in the system for hot and cold feeds. Are these fully open?

Not sure about the model as the sport listed by mira is an electric shower.

With bar showers there is a filter between the pipes on the wall and the bar control. When the control unit is undone using the chromed nuts on the back of the bar these are inside the nut housing. Mira say to flush system thoroughly before fixing to avoid blockages. I think this is unlikely though.

The manufacturers instructions should tell how to recalibrate. If you have lost them they can be found on the net like this - http://help.tradingdepot.co.uk/bathrooms/mira/mira-coda.pdf This tells how to recalibrate on page 14 of the pdf.

If all else fails phone the manufacturer for technical advice.

If you have receipt or registered the guarantee some of the showers have a 2 or three year guarantee.

 

[kandj]

Thanks tamz and easyt for your advice.

The hot pipe is definately on the left & feeling the left side of the bar it gets very hot.

The mira pdf looks useful so I use that to have a look inside it, guessing these type of showers are similar inside(?).

It's an "Architeckt Profile Thermostatic Bar Shower & Kit" from plumbworld, turns out I brought it in 2007 with a 2 year gaurantee, so looks like there'll be nothing I can do there.

I've tried dannypipe's advice and the shower goes completely cold when turning clockwise, & lukewarm when turning anticlockwise. Does that confirm it isn't broken/unfixable?