shower bar mixer not producing hot water

[finest1]

hello all, happy new year!

i hope i have posted this in the right section

i have a shower bar mixer. the shower runs luke warm. a quick google search showed some ideas on how to adjust it. i tried adjusting it and it didn't change the temp. when i adjusted it the other way to test the cold, it was freezing cold. i wanted to find out how to get it hot. as an FYI, all other water facilities run piping hot, from kitchen sink to hand basins. this is the only one that doesn't. also i felt the inlet pipe of the bar mixer and that was hot. so it must be the bar mixer. any ideas on how to adjust

thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

New bar mixer or if you know the make a new thermostatic cartridge

 

[finest1]

New bar mixer or if you know the make a new thermostatic cartridge

hi Shaun, mixer has hardly been used. it was the one i recently re-installed...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

combi boiler ?

 

[Ben-gee]

Have you got the supplies the correct way around with hot on the left when viewed from the front?

 

[finest1]

combi boiler ?

hi Shaun, yes

 

[finest1]

Have you got the supplies the correct way around with hot on the left when viewed from the front?

Hi Ben , Yes

 

[ShaunCorbs]

hi Shaun, yes

Run the shower and run a basin tap just flowing does the boiler stay fired and shower hot ?

 

[finest1]

Run the shower and run a basin tap just flowing does the boiler stay fired and shower hot ?

hello Shaun, yes the boiler stays fired but no temp change with the shower. i ran the shower on it own and the boiler fires up, just while i was checking. my boiler pressure gauge on the boiler is just above 1bar and the hot water dial is in the middle (number 3 out of 7)

 

[ShaunCorbs]

hello Shaun, yes the boiler stays fired but no temp change with the shower. i ran the shower on it own and the boiler fires up, just while i was checking. my boiler pressure gauge on the boiler is just above 1bar and the hot water dial is in the middle (number 3 out of 7)

Sounds definitely like a shower issue might be best to buy a whole new unit and swap it eg bristan zing

 

[finest1]

Sounds definitely like a shower issue might be best to buy a whole new unit and swap it eg bristan zing

yeah i've contacted Victoria plumbing as it has a 5 year guarantee on it. see what they say. thanks anyway, at least its nothing else

 

[finest1]

Hi all update:
I got a refund from Victoria plumbing and I bought another shower. I just unpacked the box to check the contents. I noticed the shower bar mixer has the opposite orientation to the old one. It clearly indicates hot on left and cold on right, Which is fine. However the flow control is on the left side (hot) and the temp control is on the right side (cold) Is this correct? My previous one above was the other way around

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

That’s the standard layout could be the old vp one was from a different country

 

[finest1]

thanks Shaun, UPDATE: new shower installed! no issues. heat of shower water definitely improved compared to the previous. however, still not piping hot like the rest of the house. don't get me wrong, i'm not talking about scalding hot! and this shower does produce hot water, but for me, just missing that little bit. funny enough the hand held shower comes hot hotter! i tried to adjust the thermostat on the bar mixer, but it didn't do much. However, maybe that's the best it will be.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Are the flow rates the same as the other taps I only ask as you say the hand held is hotter so it could be down to the boiler max flow rate(and temp rise) now in winter etc

 

[finest1]

Are the flow rates the same as the other taps I only ask as you say the hand held is hotter so it could be down to the boiler max flow rate(and temp rise) now in winter etc

how can i determine this? i have a Worcester bosch greenstar 30 CDI

 

[ShaunCorbs]

how can i determine this? i have a Worcester bosch greenstar 30 CDI

Test the flow out of each eg known capacity container eg 5 litres

Let’s say it takes 30 seconds to fill that 5 litre container up so that’s 0.1667 litres per second times by 60 gives you 10 litres per min

 

[finest1]

Test the flow out of each eg known capacity container eg 5 litres

Let’s say it takes 30 seconds to fill that 5 litre container up so that’s 0.1667 litres per second times by 60 gives you 10 litres per min

Hello Shaun, i did it slightly different. i measured the amount of water in 6 seconds and x by 10

i did one downstairs and one upstairs. i got 0.9-0.95 in six seconds (just under a litre) which makes 9-9.5 litres a minute

 

[ShaunCorbs]

And out the rain head ?

 

[finest1]

And out the rain head ?

hello Shaun please see my findings:

hand basin next to the shower : 4L a min
hand held shower attachment: 5L a min
rainfall shower: 1L a min!

note: even though the hand basin is lower than the rest of house it can run piping hot, and as its a smaller basin, i like the flow as otherwise it will just splash everywhere when you put your hand under.

thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Would say your method is off as 1lpm through the rain head is wrong

 

[finest1]

Hi Shaun, yes you are right, checked again. i got 6L pm this time (600ml in 6 secs)

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If you restrict the rain head does it get hotter eg don’t open it fully 3/4 etc

 

[finest1]

If you restrict the rain head does it get hotter eg don’t open it fully 3/4 etc

Hi Shaun well this is strange:
1/4 turn shower gets hot for about 20 secs then backs off slightly. it feels like its just about to get hotter to piping but backs itself off
1/2 turn: same
3/4 turn: same
full on: gets hot for about 20 seconds, but backs off to warm!

so it seems that the shower is "regulating" the temp itself?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Hi Shaun well this is strange:
1/4 turn shower gets hot for about 20 secs then backs off slightly. it feels like its just about to get hotter to piping but backs itself off
1/2 turn: same
3/4 turn: same
full on: gets hot for about 20 seconds, but backs off to warm!

so it seems that the shower is "regulating" the temp itself?

Can you advise make and model you’ve bought ?

 

[finest1]

Can you advise make and model you’ve bought ?

Hi Shaun shower link

is there any tweaks that need doing to the boiler maybe?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Have you got a thermometer ? That you could check the temp ?

 

[finest1]

Have you got a thermometer ? That you could check the temp ?

No Shaun, not that I can think of..

 

[finest1]

hi Shaun, i had a thought. has boiler pressure got anything to do with it? when i got the loft extension in 2020/21 i think my boiler was set to 1.5bar. then i had some radiator work done, including a power flush and it was set at 1.2. i remember the plumber saying that 1.2-1.5 is fine. however, then the shower was out of action and i just kept it at 1.2 ever since. now shower is back, i'm wondering if bar pressure needs reviewing. it's around 1.1 at the moment

 

[ShaunCorbs]

No above 1 bar is fine either way

 

[finest1]

No above 1 bar is fine either waythanks

 

[finest1]

thanks Shaun, where is your thought trail taking you?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Your shower is limited to 48dc with tolerance so about 10dc higher than body temp does that feel about right ?

 

[finest1]

Your shower is limited to 48dc with tolerance so about 10dc higher than body temp does that feel about right ?

Hi Shaun, what does the DC mean? is that the temperature range it can produce?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Degrees c

 

[finest1]

Degrees c

hello Shaun, i found one of those thermometers you use in your mouth when are ill. here are my findings:

when i turn on the rainfall shower and keep the thermo dial central, it measures 34 degrees. when i turn the thermo dial up, i get 40.2d when the shower is left running for a minimum 3 minutes. however, when i tested the hand shower, it went off the scale, which confirms that the handheld is hotter than rainfall, but it could be by a degree, so it could be 41 or 42. hope this helps

 

[ShaunCorbs]

It definitely sounds like the shower is regulating or it’s lost a few degrees c in the riser to the rain head etc

 

[finest1]

It definitely sounds like the shower is regulating or it’s lost a few degrees c in the riser to the rain head etc

hi Shaun, i think i worked it out. something in the back of my mind went PING! and i went back to the shower to try something. when i let the shower run, like above, i placed the thermometer at the top of the shower head to get that reading. it reached 41d + and then the thermometer went off the scale! just like the hand held. the operative word in this is "rainfall!" as the water is falling its losing temperature. I was measuring it around lower chest height. the shower head is around 6ft, and i'm 5 8". so my lower chest is roughly 5ft. as the rainfall shower is not a "jet" like a handheld it is not going to be piping hot and has a distance to fall. i know it sounds "out there" but it must be that. so shower is correct, temperature is correct. How does that sound?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Yep sounds like it’s cooling and the added effect of it being winter (cooler cold water) it’s making it even more of a drastic difference

 

[finest1]

Yep sounds like it’s cooling and the added effect of it being winter (cooler cold water) it’s making it even more of a drastic difference

thanks for your time Shaun. i think i can now declare shower complete!!!

 

[OldKC]

hi Shaun, i think i worked it out. something in the back of my mind went PING! and i went back to the shower to try something. when i let the shower run, like above, i placed the thermometer at the top of the shower head to get that reading. it reached 41d + and then the thermometer went off the scale! just like the hand held. the operative word in this is "rainfall!" as the water is falling its losing temperature. I was measuring it around lower chest height. the shower head is around 6ft, and i'm 5 8". so my lower chest is roughly 5ft. as the rainfall shower is not a "jet" like a handheld it is not going to be piping hot and has a distance to fall. i know it sounds "out there" but it must be that. so shower is correct, temperature is correct. How does that sound?

I've just read your thread. Most decent quality thermostatic shower valves can have the hot temperature increased slightly, normally by removing a handle and moving it on the splines, there should be details in the fitting instructions or online. Victorian or Victoria plumbing are terrible quality, cheap Chinese that looks good in an advert!