Shower problem

anksta · 24 Jul 2012 at 07:45

Alright, I live in a rented flat in London, been here since new year.

Anyway, when I moved in the shower was really good, hot and good pressure. For about the past 2 or 3 months though it's just been getting hotter until now it's a point where none of us can barely stand it.

It's a mixer tap so the only control you have is the tap. I used to have it all the way left (hot) for the most pressure but now it doesn't make much difference where you have it, you can either have it scalding hot and high pressure or a scalding hot drip.

If you move it all the way to the right it will go cold, but only all the way to the right and only after about 30 seconds and the instant you move it anywhere else, it goes back to scalding.

I've turned the boiler all the way, the dial literally doesn't go any further on both the hot water and the heating. I've rang the landlord, he's a nice guy but a bit clueless, he just said turn the boiler on and off see what that does, obviously nothing.

Tried lowering the shower head in case the water pressure struggles, tried finding a tap under the sink in the kitchen, nothing.

Any ideas? We can't keep having showers that scald the hair off us.

agnes · 24 Jul 2012 at 07:51

I don't know a single thing about plumbing, but I would valve valve has gone.

anksta · 24 Jul 2012 at 07:52

Blue160 · 24 Jul 2012 at 07:56

Since its rented surely you just call the landlord and get them to sort it?

anksta · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:02

Blue160 said:
Since its rented surely you just call the landlord and get them to sort it?

you would think but he really doesn't have much of a clue about anything, just a guy who bought a flat for some money I think.

I've spoken to him about it before and as I said his idea was to turn the boiler on and off.

If I can narrow it down to a most likely problem, like if there actually is a valve or something that I can say I've checked it and this is the problem, he'd probably get someone to sort it.

But saying 'the shower is a bit hot' isn't really cutting it with him.

I live with 2 girls and they've been complaining about it for ages, one of them has rang him as well. I told them it wasn't a big deal as it wasn't that hot then but it's got way hotter since and now it's like you've just gotta either mess about with the tap going from freezing cold dripping to scalding hot in about 10 seconds or dip in and out of the lava.

j0s · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:05

Has the thermostat near the boiler been turned up?

anksta · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:06

j0s said:
Has the thermostat near the boiler been turned up?

No it's on its minimum, been on its minimum since about February.

EDIT, wait, the thermostat on the boiler has been on its minimum, the heating one in the living room won't make a difference though will it? That's just turned off.

Blue160 · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:10

It sounds like the kind of thing the landlord needs to get a plumber in for. You need to tell him the shower has become unusable and convince him to get it sorted. Leaving you without a working shower isn't on. It might be worth having a read through your rental agreement and finding the clause that says he's got to get it fixed.

SMN · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:16

I have a similar issue with mine, but mine is an electric shower - no matter what setting from 1-10 you put it on, the water coming out is boiling hot (like scald your skin off hot), but when you take the shower head off the temperature control works fine - try a new shower head maybe?

Quint · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:18

Yeah just tell landlord it's gotten worse and is unusable to the point it burns you. Don't call a plumber yourself or try fixing it yourself as he might try and hold you responsible.

garak112 · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:18

My electric shower did this when the filter became partially blocked with debris from the pipe.

Edit: It sounds like the mixer bit is broken?

Slade2 · 24 Jul 2012 at 08:19

If as you are saying the shower run very hot and only very hot it might be that the TMV inside the shower has given up. TMV`s are normally fitted to prevent people from scalding themselves in the shower and if your shower has one then it shouldnt go above 45c. I would suggest you tell the landlord that you believe the TMV (Thermo Mixing Value - Its whatr mixxes the hot and cold water to prevent scalding) is faulty and you need someone to look at the shower.

JonnyT · 24 Jul 2012 at 11:01

New showerhead or take the showerhead to bits. Any hard water area (South East in general!) will cause the showerhead to clog up and exhibit exactly the same problem you've described.

Fortunately with the Triton show in my shared house it came with a tool to remove the nozzle area from the head and then I sat there for half an hour with a medium-sized safety pin poking it through all the little nozzle holes from both sides to clear this horrible green gritty stuff. The difference afterwards was amazing...

anything I don't mind · 24 Jul 2012 at 11:24

My shower is the same in summer. it sucks. The water at my place has no temp control, well the landlord just ignores my question on how to turn down the heat of the water. The taps are boiling hot or ice cold. In winter the cold water is ice water.

My shower has three pressure settings, one of the crappy electric ones with a pump in it. Most of the year i put it on full pressure with medium level heat setting. But in summer it is too hot so i put the heat setting down to its lowest possible but it is still too hot. If i turn the pressure down to the next setting then the shower is too weak but i can get it too the right temperature.

Claim to be a first world country but the majority of houses still have a pump shower over a bath compared to a real shower with a gravity fed. it annoys me.

crinkleshoes · 24 Jul 2012 at 11:37

anksta said:
you would think but he really doesn't have much of a clue about anything, just a guy who bought a flat for some money I think.

I've spoken to him about it before and as I said his idea was to turn the boiler on and off.

If I can narrow it down to a most likely problem, like if there actually is a valve or something that I can say I've checked it and this is the problem, he'd probably get someone to sort it.

But saying 'the shower is a bit hot' isn't really cutting it with him.

I live with 2 girls and they've been complaining about it for ages, one of them has rang him as well. I told them it wasn't a big deal as it wasn't that hot then but it's got way hotter since and now it's like you've just gotta either mess about with the tap going from freezing cold dripping to scalding hot in about 10 seconds or dip in and out of the lava.

Had similar with a mixer tap - although it was the other way around, not getting hot enough.

Turned out to be the inbuilt valve that mixes the hot and cold needed replacement.

You're renting - it's irrellevant whether or not the landlord has a clue about it - he should get a plumber involved & quite quickly... too!

Pester him.

Do it by letter/email so you have a record.

If he doesn't fix it within a reasonable time, you are entitled to bring in your own plumber to fix it & send the bill to the landlord.

If he doesn't pay the bill, you can deduct the money from the rent eventually (one of the very few scenarios you're allowed to deduct money from rent and that's only after you've exhausted all other options).

Unless it's something much more complicated - it'll likely cost him under £100 to fix.

First step is to get him to get a plumber involved... don't just go straight and initiate it yourself otherwise you will be liable for the cost... the steps I've laid out above take quite a few months to go through...

Dis86 · 24 Jul 2012 at 12:15

Really...simplest answer is tell your landlord to pull his finger out of his behind and get a plumber in.

If he fails, get one in yourself and withhold rent to the value of the bill.

DirtyJester · 24 Jul 2012 at 12:38

Just curious, what's your water (cold water) pressure like when turned full on in shower? If it's very poor I'd suggest the inline (in pipe) filter needs replaced or cleaned. That said it could as mentioned be the mixing valve, either way you won't be fixing it so get the landlord on the case.

Nunzio · 24 Jul 2012 at 12:48

Its the land lords duty, under law, to fix it, you can withhold rent until its fixed.

crinkleshoes · 24 Jul 2012 at 14:34

Nunzio said:
Its the land lords duty, under law, to fix it, you can withhold rent until its fixed.

Please don't give mis-information.

In a situation like this, you cannot simply "withold rent til it's fixed"... that will get you in legal trouble!

There are many steps & quite a bit of time involved before you can actually withold rent - and even then, in a situation like this, it's only up to the value of the repair - not a penny more.

MeEsH BaKkA · 24 Jul 2012 at 14:45

groen said:
My shower is the same in summer. it sucks. The water at my place has no temp control, well the landlord just ignores my question on how to turn down the heat of the water. The taps are boiling hot or ice cold. In winter the cold water is ice water.

My shower has three pressure settings, one of the crappy electric ones with a pump in it. Most of the year i put it on full pressure with medium level heat setting. But in summer it is too hot so i put the heat setting down to its lowest possible but it is still too hot. If i turn the pressure down to the next setting then the shower is too weak but i can get it too the right temperature.

Claim to be a first world country but the majority of houses still have a pump shower over a bath compared to a real shower with a gravity fed. it annoys me.

You are strange, are you saying you prefer a gravity fed shower over a pumped system or mains pressure hot water???