Hot and cold connected the wrong way round on a 3 way shower valve

[dancypo]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, i really need some help, i had a GR-AZ-34C high quality BRASS body cartridge in-wall thermostatic concealed valve shower mixer faucet fitted and the plumber has attached the hot and cold backwards, so, i only get freezing or boiling water!!!
Is it possible to turn the thermostat cartridge round to avoid having to smash off the tiles and switch the pipoework?

Thanks very much, the plumber knows what has happened and is now bumping my calls, he was supposed to be round yesterday but didn't turn up

Thanks you

Dan

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Do you have the Manufacturers instructions?
Is this the valve?

 

[dancypo]

Hi, thanks for the reply, yes that looks like it, i have the instructions the thermostat has guo ten written on it.

Thanks

Dan

 

[dancypo]

Hi and thanks for the reply, yes that looks like the valve, the thermostat has GUOREN written on it, i have the instructions but it doesn't mention the hot and cold connected the wrong way round or spinning the thermostat.

Thanks again

Dan

 

[solutions]

As far as I am aware there is no way of correcting the incorrectly piped hot and cold supply without switching the pipes over. Where do the pipes enter the wall from? Do they drop inside the wall from the ceiling/ loft above? Or perhaps enter the wall below a bath or below the shower tray?

 

[dancypo]

They run under a screed floor and up a concrete wall, i do however have a cupboard in the bathroom where the pipes enter the bathroom, i have a hot 22mm pipe there and a 15mm cold, could i switch the pipes there?

Thank you
Dan

 

[Chalked]

Cartridge inside only goes one way.

Looks like a swap round! Is it on a pump?

 

[dancypo]

no it runs off a combo boiler
thanks

Dan

 

[Chalked]

They run under a screed floor and up a concrete wall, i do however have a cupboard in the bathroom where the pipes enter the bathroom, i have a hot 22mm pipe there and a 15mm cold, could i switch the pipes there?

Thank you
Dan

probably not, as this will feed the basin too.

 

[dancypo]

could i not just switch the flexi hoses on the basin taps?

Thanks

Dan

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

If it's a screed floor then that's not too bad, break a bit of the floor up and switch there.

 

[dancypo]

The bath is on a mixer too and the same thing applies there too

Dan

 

[dancypo]

If it's a screed floor then that's not too bad, break a bit of the floor up and switch there.

unfortunately the spot where the pipes enter the room under the floor is right under a freestanding bath, i suppose i could whip the bath off and do it there, pain in the arse but it would solve the bath and shower in one go

Dan

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Is the cold fed by the cold main and the hot water gravity fed? If so they could be the right way round but the cold main pressure could be forcing the hot back.

 

[dancypo]

Is the cold fed by the cold main and the hot water gravity fed? If so they could be the right way round but the cold main pressure could be forcing the hot back.

its all run from a combo boiler

Dan

 

[dancypo]

Is the cold fed by the cold main and the hot water gravity fed? If so they could be the right way round but the cold main pressure could be forcing the hot back.

Also, the water goes boiling when turned to cold and freezing when turned to hot

Dan

 

[dancypo]

Hi, no, its combo boiler fed, plus when switched to cold the water is boiling and when switched to hot its freezing

Dan

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Is your w/c in the bathroom?
If not then I would go with altering the pipe work in the cupboard and switching the basin hot/cold around behind the pedestal, probably less work then taking the floor up.
Its really not upto you though if you have already paid someone to do it in the first place! Get the original plumber back to sort as the shower is useless at the moment!

 

[ne1ls0n]

Have you paid plumber fully?

 

[dancypo]

Paid for work completed but he was supposed to come back for a second fix, once i told him of the problem its all gone silent

Thanks for your help

Dan

 

[Nostrum]

What a dick.

 

[solutions]

Is your w/c in the bathroom?
If not then I would go with altering the pipe work in the cupboard and switching the basin hot/cold around behind the pedestal, probably less work then taking the floor up.
Its really not upto you though if you have already paid someone to do it in the first place! Get the original plumber back to sort as the shower is useless at the moment!

Agreed, sounds like best course of action with least disruption. Assuming we have understood your description of the pipe layout correctly.

 

[solutions]

What a dick.

Too right. We all make mistakes, mist of us not basic ones like this but at least have the sense to admit your mistakes abd fix the situation. Head in the sand never fixes anything. D1 ck 5 like this give the trade a bad name. Damn you bodgy bathroom fitters.

 

[dancypo]

Thanks for all your help lads, i sent a text saying id be taking him to small claims court, which i wouldn't have really bothered doing, and he finally replied blaming it on his phone being broken, obvious BS as it was ringing and texts being delivered. He's coming back tomorrow.

I have a couple of options now i think, other that ripping the tiles or floor up.
Theres a section of floor (just before you step down into the bathroom) that has yet to be tiled, i knocked up a small piece of floor and there are 4-5 (not sure how many yet as i didn't want to go too mad before i spoke to anyone) pipes running about an inch under the concrete floor, so maybe something could be done there.
or
i can remove the stand alone bath and cut a small access hole in the tiles as this wall is a stud wall and switch the pipes before it hits the bath as this would also sort the shower too.
you wouldn't be able to see the hole if cut in the right place.

Thanks

Dan

 

[Chalked]

You must have the plumbers address, go see him and tell him to rectify his mistake.

 

[dancypo]

You must have the plumbers address, go see him and tell him to rectify his mistake.

threatened to take him to small claims court and he replied straight away, hopefully he will actually turn up tomorrow

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Sounds like things are heading in the right direction, good luck and if you get 5mins when it's sorted it would be good to hear how it was finally resolved.

 

[dancypo]

will definitely post up the results, thanks a lot for all you're help

Dan

 

[dancypo]

Ok, the hot and cold switched round in the cupboard and the shower and bath are working fine, one small hiccup, the toilet was now filling with hot water, luckily there was a small bit of boxing in next to the toilet housing the bath waste, whipped the tiles off there and there are exposed pipes so running a new toilet feed in from there……….phew!!!!
thanks for everyones input, you really helped me out

Dan

 

[PlumbBobBob]

alls well that ends well. thanks for letting us know how it went.

 

[solutions]

Glad we could help and it wasnt too much of a mare to rectify. Thanks for letting us know you sorted it out Dan, always good to hear the conclusion to posts.

 

[CXR100]

hence why i was always taught to mark pipes with a single band of insulating tape, red for hot, blue for cold mains , green for balanced (from unvented valve or loft tank) black for central heatinf with another red band for flow and blue for return, and yellow for gas. i know these are probably not the right way to mark them by law, but in a domestic property where i am working and this helping me not to do mistakes like above i dont worry that much about it! where i worked before we had 12 plumbers going around in 12 diferent vans, all of us stuck to this and we didnt have any mistakes like this, its very easily done!!!