Would I be mad to try and replace the shower myself?

[chipmunksex]

There is an old mira shower over the bath, that hasn't worked for 10+ years. It has a blanking nut where the hose should go, as one day it just decided not to turn off. The pipes from the boiler are blanked off too.

It would be nice to have a shower sometimes, so if I bought a new similar shower, could I just unscrew the old one, then screw the new one on and bob's yer uncle?

it might involve drilling unless you found a shower with an identical backplate. And what do you mean "the pipes from the boiler are blanked off"? Have you just turned the taps on the wall off or done something to the actual pipes.

We replaced our shower at the weekend though, different make, had to drill holes for the fittings of the new one, but there were good instructions and it works.

It's not that hard to take the old one out and put the new one in.
Do check where on the unit the pipes go in and out, maybe take the back plate with you when you buy the new one. We took out a Gainsborough and bought a Mira only to have to take the Mira back because it wouldn't fit. A Triton does though. The shop should advise you.

But otherwise it was easy. Just attach the existing connections according to the instructions. If it's electric/power shower check that the existing fuse in the fusebox is still the correct size. Our new one is a 10.8kW so needed a new fuse as the old one was 8.something.

The worst bit was fitting a new vertical rail as the shower head is a different size.

Is it an.electric shower. If it is there are laws which prevent an unqualified electrician doing electrical work in a bathroom (i think)

I'm even more confused. It's not the kind of shower with a unit fixed to the wall, the pipes come directly through the tiles like this

Ok, with that style you should be able to replace yourself if you are a keen DIY'er.

You would still need to make sure the distance between the inlet pipes is the same on both showers or it will be a huge faff.

Ok. Dead easy.

Remove old one and install new one per instructions in the box.

you'd need to turn off the water, which can be a chore if you have an older house with no stop valves on pipes. ....we have to turn off the water and then drain the whole blooming system

I'd be a bit concerned as to why they had just not replaced it tbh, as it's not major work if all the pipes are in.

But in theory a good set of pliers and some relevant plumbing connectors and you should be well away! :D

never pliers

adjustable spanners

actual spanners of the right size even better

once you have taken the pipes off the old one it (probably) twists a quarter turn to remove the mixer from the plastic wall-mounting plate, then you will see the screws fixing the plate to the wall.

Only use brass or stainless screws as steel or galvanised will rust.

Thank you

I have had a look around and mira do a shower with adjustable fittings specially designed to make it easy to fit to an existing unit. so I might give it a whirl, I am not completely useless and have replaced taps and things myself before.

catsmamma We've lived here for 13 years, so we have only our own laziness/poverty to blame for not replacing it before.