Big problem with bath shower mixer tap

[Smithles]

Hi guys, i hope this isnt a stupid question, i know very little about plumbing.

Some background: renting a flat shortterm (6 months) and the bath has a mixer tap with shower attached. The flow out of this is awful, more detail below.

The hot water is fed from the cyclinder with immersion heater (floor standing) and this is fed by cold water tank, approx 6 feet off the floor.
the cold water to the taps is mains fed.

When the shower is run, there is a weak flow of hot water. When cold water is turned on also, all flow stops and water floods into the cold water tank through the return pipe. Sometimes it is possible to prevent this by spending ten minutes balancing the amount that the taps are turned on.

The plumber that the agent sent said only option is a power shower, which the agent ruled out.

Can anybody help with an alternative solution that is both inexpensive and simple to install?
I realise that the flow can never be amazing, but for it to be at least useable would be a start!

Thankyou for your time,

James

 

[TBServices]

Hi guys, i hope this isnt a stupid question, i know very little about plumbing.

Some background: renting a flat shortterm (6 months) and the bath has a mixer tap with shower attached. The flow out of this is awful, more detail below.

The hot water is fed from the cyclinder with immersion heater (floor standing) and this is fed by cold water tank, approx 6 feet off the floor.
the cold water to the taps is mains fed.

When the shower is run, there is a weak flow of hot water. When cold water is turned on also, all flow stops and water floods into the cold water tank through the return pipe. Sometimes it is possible to prevent this by spending ten minutes balancing the amount that the taps are turned on.

The plumber that the agent sent said only option is a power shower, which the agent ruled out.

Can anybody help with an alternative solution that is both inexpensive and simple to install?
I realise that the flow can never be amazing, but for it to be at least useable would be a start!

Thankyou for your time,

James

The cold should also have been fed from the cwsc/tank to balance supplies. Not much to be done unfortunately as it sounds like your landlord is a tightarse which is likely the reason it's been plumbed wrong in the first place. .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Phil]

Inbalanced pressures, not fit for purpose as a shower but it does sound as though the hot outlet is partially blocked, can you post a link to a similar one or a pic if you can??

 

[Dotty]

Inbalanced pressures, not fit for purpose as a shower but it does sound as though the hot outlet is partially blocked, can you post a link to a similar one or a pic if you can??

I can see where you're coming from Phil, but if you've roughly 0.2 bar pressure dhw and, for argument's sake, 4bar mains water on the cold back filling the cwst then there's not a blockage but a severe imbalance.

To Smithles, you may need to convince your landlord to fit a pressure reducing valve on the cold water feed and a check valve on the hot water feed, both at the bath.

 

[Phil]

Agreed, I wonder if the shower hose is kinked aswell, a pic would help judge condition of mixertap. The cold is taking easiest path as you would expect.

 

[tamz]

Can anybody help with an alternative solution that is both inexpensive and simple to install?
I realise that the flow can never be amazing, but for it to be at least useable would be a start!

Thankyou for your time,

James

Only thing i can suggest James is you get yourself a new woman with a decent shower and move in with her or spend your own cash (same thing really)

 

[Smithles]

Phil: Its funny you should say that, The hot water did stop for a while, it didn't work again until i removed and reattached the shower hose, twisted seal blocking the inlet maybe?

separate taps for hot and cold, shower bit rises vertically out of the tap body. the device to change between bath or shower is attached to the base of the shower hose. When i took the hose off, there were two small oval holes as inlets.

Croppie: thanks, I'll try and persuade the landlord to see the potential benefits of this.

Phil: I don't think hose is kinked, when the cold get turn on full it comes out FAST.

Tamz: if only, but i've already got myself a woman, unfortunately shes 200 miles away because I'm a 3rd year student on placement (hence I have no cash to spend)

Thanks for your responses

James