Leaking shower - aqua panels

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

Anyone else had a leaking shower with aqua panels? We've got a leak and the plumber this morning tried to find it by taking the side of the shower tray out, but couldn't find the source underneath. So he's going to have to look behind the walls, meaning taking the panels off (can't just drill a hole like you would with a tile), and to take the panels off, the shower doors are going to have to come off, and then the panels are going to have to be replaced. It's a really big bloody job. And expensive.

My question is whether this sounds right - are we missing a trick as to an easier way to fix the leak? Or is this the problem you face with panelling rather than tiling - the whole lot has to come out.

It probably sounds a stupid question but we were massively ripped off when the bathroom was fitted 3 years ago. Way too expensive and the work was shoddy. I'm now very nervous about taking a plumber's word for it, but I haven't been able to get callbacks from any other plumbers, to get more than one opinion.

Anyone else had leaks behind panelled walls?

Can you access the shower from the other side of the wall, if it’s plasterboard walls (not brick) you could access by sawing out a panel and checking shower from the other side of the wall?

Unfortunately we had this with tiles as well, we’d explored all other avenues and couldn’t source the leak so the whole lot had to come off. In our case there was a loose nut in the shower, 4 turns and it was sorted by bathroom needed entirely re tiles

It could be the seal or the joins in your panels leaking, or the showers itself. You’ll know if your pipes are wet which it is.

If you’d like a free second opinion, try Dynorod. I booked them online for a quote and they came out to have a look, gave me an honest opinion and no obligation for them to actually do the work.

Thank you for replies.

We could cut out a hole but the plumber's rationale was that if there's a leak behind there (strongly likely given he couldn't find anything underneath, and he had the shower running for a long time) then it will all have to come out anyway, and we'll also have a hole in the wall to fix.

Or am I being bullshitted?

if you think there is a leaking pipe behind the panels, they will have to come off.

The panel system if properly done is designed to prevent any splashes or shower jets being able to get behind them, with sealant and special strips at all joints.

I do have a preference for surface-mounted showers and chromed pipes coming down from the ceiling, because there will be no invisible joints and they are so easy to repair or replace when the time comes, with nothing needing to be dug out of the wall.

Thank you piglet I was hoping you'd comment

Plumber is saying doors can not be refitted + reused once the panelling etc comes off. Does that sound right? Totally expect that the panelling can't be saved but replacing the lot is terrifying...

I have no idea about your specific doors but mine have been in and out a few times now to sort issues like this.

Thanks invisimamma that's really useful. I've asked dh to give him a call about reusing the doors + tray. Apart from anything I'd like a second opinion on the plumber as we've not used him before, and last time I didn't make the right judgement

I don't know why the doors can't be reused. Perhaps their frames are stuck into place with some kind of hardening sealant and it can't be scraped off to apply new.

If you know the maker of the doors, ask them. They might sell frame sections in lengths.