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Yet another mixer tap pressure problem!

View the thread, titled "Yet another mixer tap pressure problem!" which is posted in UK Plumbers Forums on UK Plumbers Forums.

J

jw555

Hi,

The hot pressure from my bath/shower mixer has got very low to the point where it’s not strong enough to have a shower. The en-suite shower is fine, good pressure and the hot tap in the bathroom sink is also fine, it fills a cup with hot in about 3 seconds vs nearly 10 for the bath tap. See photo, picture tells a thousand words!

P1020759.jpg

The 2 valves under the bath control hot/cold to both the sink and the bath so seems to me the problem must be between the hot valve and the bath/shower mixer tap. All of that pipework is enclosed behind tiling.

I’ve googled a bit and tried removing the mixer cartridge to clean but it was all fine. While the cartridge was removed I also tried opening up the hot valve and I can see the hot flow coming through very low into the mixer chamber of the tap so it seems there’s something between the valve under the bath and the mixer tap slowing it down.

Having been on holiday for a couple of weeks there’s now also a fairly quiet hissing/buzzing noise from the hot side of the mixer when it’s on.

Tap is Grohe, I think Geotherm 1000 (circa 2006/7). All was fine for first couple of years in the flat. London, so quite hard water. Looking at an exploded diagram of the tap I found online, only think I can think is that the dirt strainer is clogged with scale, does that sound plausible? Next step to me seems like taking the mixer off the wall and trying to clean the strainer, is that as easy / safe as removing the cartridge? Also, I see mentions of airlocks on some of the forums, is that likely to be an issue I have / make worse trying to remove the tap?

Many thanks for any help, just want to try all the obvious / easy before a £50 call out!
 
FYI for anyone finding this from a search. My hunch was right. Removed the whole mixer tap from the wall over weekend (easy, just make sure water isolated) and the dirt strainer on the hot side was almost completely blocked with scale. Soaked in vinegar for a few hours, replaced and pressure now excellent. Tip - make sure you use a proper sized fixed spanner or adjustable wrench on the tap nuts. I used a big alligator/pumber wrench and it's taken a bit of the silver coating off the nuts. Purely cosmetic, but annoying.
 
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Hi jw555 and welcome... I see we have a troubleshooter who shoots his own trouble🙂
well done for sharing that one with us though🙂 regards turnpin
 

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