[Help] Bathroom plumbing advice

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

Dear NSC plumbing fraternity

Our shower has been getting colder and colder over the past few weeks. There are no other issues with the hot water supply elsewhere, and my friend YouTube tells me it is most likely the temperature control valve needs adjusting/descaling/changing. Well, that seems like any easy job, apart from the fact that I have no idea how to remove the handle as there are no obvious screw points, only a teeny notch to the side of the handle on the main bar which doesn’t look big enough to accommodate any kind of tool. I can’t persuade the sticking out knob thing to budge, and I don’t want to try forcing the handle if I don’t know what I’m doing for fear of breaking it. Any advice would be gratefully received. I’m going to try and post a picture, as my description of the problem might not have been great, and some of you may recognise the handle in question.

Many thanks in advance.

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

Here it is.

AIT76 · Mar 4, 2021

Scroll to around the 30 second point:

Cheshire Cat · Mar 4, 2021

Turn the water off before you start.

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

AIT76 said:
Scroll to around the 30 second point:

Thank you. I suspected that it would involve unscrewing the little knobs. I’ve tried this already, and they won’t budge, but I suppose this could just be because they’re all limescaled up. I’ll have another go and give it more welly.

Wrong-Direction · Mar 4, 2021

It may well take longer trying to find the right cartridge than it does to just replace the whole thing, Hugo Rune had the same problem and after a couple of weeks trying to fix it himself, I ended up fitting a new unit.

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

Wrong-Direction · Mar 4, 2021

Me and my Monkey said:
Thank you. I suspected that it would involve unscrewing the little knobs. I’ve tried this already, and they won’t budge, but I suppose this could just be because they’re all limescaled up. I’ll have another go and give it more welly.

All these fabulous showers are held together by tiny little grub screws nowadays!

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

Goldstone1976 · Mar 4, 2021

Wrong-Direction said:
It may well take longer trying to find the right cartridge than it does to just replace the whole thing, Hugo Rune had the same problem and after a couple of weeks trying to fix it himself, I ended up fitting a new unit.

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

This in spades. I've got a place in London that had exactly this problem, with a near identical control system. I got the cartridge out in about 5 mins. I then spent 45 minutes trying to source a replacement before giving up in frustration. I got a local plumber to come and replace the whole thing.

Mr Bridger · Mar 4, 2021

Always use the shower doctor for spare parts.

https://www.showerdoc.com/

Weststander · Mar 4, 2021

Take it all apart late on a Friday afternoon.

maltaseagull · Mar 4, 2021

Goldstone1976 said:
This in spades. I've got a place in London that had exactly this problem, with a near identical control system. I got the cartridge out in about 5 mins. I then spent 45 minutes trying to source a replacement before giving up in frustration. I got a local plumber to come and replace the whole thing.

That's way better than my DIY efforts.
I usually remove the part, find I have got the wrong replacement, then after trying to fit it back together, miss something out.

All jobs lead to calling a professional to fix it.

I have learned to go straight to the professional now.

LamieRobertson · Mar 4, 2021

Wrong-Direction said:
It may well take longer trying to find the right cartridge than it does to just replace the whole thing, Hugo Rune had the same problem and after a couple of weeks trying to fix it himself, I ended up fitting a new unit.

Sent from my SM-A715F using Tapatalk

Ye I had some chap doing that on mine ..he seemed to know what he was doing

LamieRobertson · Mar 4, 2021

Cheshire Cat said:
Turn the water off before you start.

Now you’re taking the fun away

AIT76 · Mar 4, 2021

Me and my Monkey said:
Thank you. I suspected that it would involve unscrewing the little knobs. I’ve tried this already, and they won’t budge, but I suppose this could just be because they’re all limescaled up. I’ll have another go and give it more welly.

As ever, the simplicity of the YouTube tutorial versus the real world do not align.

You may have to resign yourself to the fact that stuck part will inevitably suffer some colatteral damage to remove, and will need replacing too.

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

AIT76 said:
As ever, the simplicity of the YouTube tutorial versus the real world do not align.

You may have to resign yourself to the fact that stuck part will inevitably suffer some colatteral damage to remove, and will need replacing too.

Well, I did eventually manage to remove the little knob with help from some WD40 and lots of twisting and tugging. Collateral damage was only minimal. However, I now find there is no grub screw, or anything that looks like it will unscrew, just a gaping hole with another hole veering off towards the centre. Any advice?

BN9 BHA · Mar 4, 2021

Me and my Monkey said:
Well, I did eventually manage to remove the little knob with help from some WD40 and lots of twisting and tugging. Collateral damage was only minimal. However, I now find there is no grub screw, or anything that looks like it will unscrew, just a gaping hole with another hole veering off towards the centre. Any advice?

View attachment 134482

Please post a couple of photos.
1- The lever you have removed ( the end that was inside )
2- The rest of the shower ( with the shower head in photo )

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

bn9 bha said:
Please post a couple of photos.
1- The lever you have removed ( the end that was inside )
2- The rest of the shower ( with the shower head in photo )

Thank you, your time is greatly appreciated. Little knob to follow.

Me and my Monkey · Mar 4, 2021

BN9 BHA · Mar 4, 2021

Me and my Monkey said:
View attachment 134486

Thanks.
I may be wrong but I think you have snapped the lever/knob, as a rule the end that goes into the shower control should be threaded ( as video shows in another post ) I also cannot see a grub screw inside where you have removed the lever.

Someone did ask me if I could get a spare for a similar shower, he didn’t have the manufacturer’s instructions though, so we didn’t know the make or model. He did manage to buy a replacement bar mixer valve without the shower heads and hose. ( eBay I believe )

Many of these showers are sold by Victoria Plumb or Victorian Plumbing, but they do not sell spares. One customer of mine that tried to buy spares was told the showers are made in China in various factories, they didn’t know the exact factory her shower was made in..... :facepalm:

SIMMO SAYS · Mar 4, 2021

Whoops looks like you have snapped it off !
Doesn't the whole head just leaver off?

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