urgent plumbing question - pigletjohn or anyone ekse knowledgeable please!!

[tradesmenwoes]

Had plumbers in to fix a leak in my shower.

Since they fixed it last week, the shower is either scalding hot or freezing cold. It's just a mixer basically, not an electric or power shower.

Plumber says it's not his problem and I'll need to buy a new valve from the manufacturer.

Not helpful as it's a pretty standard shower with no manufacturer details on it! And this wasn't a problem before - it's only been used about 5 times because as soon as it started leaking we had to stop. I've given them £500 and still don't have a useable shower

Just to add the shower was brand new - well we bought it several years ago but only installed last year when that bathroom was done.

What do I say to plumber? Shower is one of those tower ones so no idea how you'd replace a valve on it or even if you can...

Bumping for advice....anyone please?

Do you have a hot water cylinder? What colour?

Go into the bathroom. Turn on the basin taps. Put your thumb on the hot spout. Can you stop the flow?

Put your thumb on the cold spout. Can you stop the flow?

Hot water cylinder is a heatrae sadia megaflo.

Bathroom basin tap is also a mixer, i cant really cover the spout without water going everywhere, I tried!

The guy who fixed the leak is adamant the valve is faulty.

so it's white.

50p says the mixer is a thermostatic one that has been fitted upside down. Post a photo please.

We have a similar problem, but the plumber mixed up the hot and cold pipes. The thermostat is therefore on the cold pipe so the water is scalding not as it tries to heat up constantly. If you switch it on, it should be the left hand side of the mixer that gets hot. Might be worth checking.
Been waiting for a month for the plumber to come and change it, he doesn’t care now he’s got his money...

yes, if it's been fitted upside down, the hot inlet will be on the right, connected to the cold pipe, and vice versa.

In this case, undoing it and turning it over fixes it.

Not uncommon.

Sorry I was certain that I'd typed white.

Photo below of the mixer tap if that helps...it's the bottom one.

I can't touch either side of the mixer as it's inside the unit.

I don't know how that works but I presume the shrouds come off in some way.

Good news is that it doesn't look tiled in, which obstructs repairs.

Unless you can find out the maker and get the installation/maintenance instructions, you are looking for personal recommendations of an experienced plumber.

Inside the casing is probably a mixer. Hot water inlet one side, cold water inlet the other, water outlet top and bottom, control cartridge goes inside the body. Examples of another brand on here, yours may be quite different.

My guess is that the hot and cold connections have been accidentally reversed. An experienced plumber should recognise the problem and know how to fix it. With luck you won't need any new parts. You could send photos to Lunns and to Shower Doctor to ask if they recognise it and stock parts to suit.

it's not one of these, is it?

Thanks - no it isn't one like that picture, it's like a tower, I'll try and find a pic.

I know when he refitted it after fixing the leak he said the pipes were the wrong way round and changed them.

I asked if the hot/ cold issue could be pipes and he said absolutely not, the only thing it can be is the valve which he thinks will be £60 plus Labour...

My DP is going to try and take the back off it tonight if he's back from work early enough and see if we can swap the pipes over from there.

Just to update. Dp switched pipes over. Shower now works fine right temp and everything.

haha!

plumbers, eh?