Change of cock stop affecting electric shower

[Cazza]

Hi Everyone,

I recently had a new hot water cyclinder installation at a rental flat I have . The tenant tells me ever since the new hot water cylinder was installed the electric shower is acting weird. It runs purely on the cold water mains. She says she used to have it on setting 4 out of 10 but now needs it turned higher but then the temperature is going from really hot to cold to hot to cold (a sign element cutting out as on max temperature). If she lowers it slightly then its too cold. Also i noticed the dial is not lined up with the temp marker, its not going all the way to 10.
They put in a new cock stop which was ceased up at same time of boiler installation, had had the water off in the street.
I asked the boiler installer to look at it whilst he was there today putting in a new thermostat (which was faulty) and he said it was just a faulty old shower nothing to do with water pressure.
I think its too much of a coincidence this happened at the same time. I've rang Triton showers for advice. They think the new boiler installation has flushed through debris and blocked the filters. So I rang the boiler installation company to have a chat, they think since the new cock stop was installed this has increased the water flow which is why the shower is too cold now on setting 4.
I'm inclined to agree with the boiler installation company as makes most sense. What I can't understand is why the dial is misaligned. I'm going to take off the cover to the shower and see if I can realign it. It may have been over turned by the tenant causing it to snap inside or something or perhaps the change in water flow is messing up the dial units?
Just wondering if anyone has had this sort of thing happen before?

 

[Riley]

An electric shower will produce xx lpm of hot water depending on kw and water flow. I would strongly doubt that anything the boiler installer has done will impact the shower and it sounds unfortunately coincidental. The flow will not affect the shower dial calibration. The shower will restrict the water flow to the lpm it can cope with and it’s likely it is just scaled

 

[Cazza]

Thanks. I didn't realise they contain a flow reducer in them. I do understand the unit requires a minimum flow rate (having just googled it). So I'm now wondering if the water flow is too low. Triton requires 8 liters per minute. So I think I will test this myself first on a tap (using a bucket) and check that the street mains was fully turned back on.
Does the dial on the shower reduce the flow in order to increase the heat? If its already too low perhaps its making it even lower and that's why its overheating (ie. going hot then cold etc).

 

[Riley]

I would say most likely is the heat exchanger is scaled up and cannot transfer heat quickly

 

[Cazza]

Ok thanks

 

[Ben-gee]

Sounds like the incoming filter to the shower is blocked.

 

[Cazza]

Is this filter easy to unblock if I take the cover off the shower?

 

[Cazza]

I still think it has to do with the flow rate. As triton help page says if the shower is going hot then cold its because

• The flow rate of water through the unit could be too low, causing the thermal cut-out to activate. Check there are no restrictions to the flow of water through the unit

So its either there is a blocked filter as suggested or the new cock stop isn't fully opening or there is a blockage in the pipe work to the shower

 

[Burger]

Have you checked that your internal and external stopcock are open fully? Check filters, sounds of kettling may suggest your heat exchanger is scaled as others have said. The filter on those I think is easy enough to check.

 

[SimonG]

Have you checked that your internal and external stopcock are open fully? Check filters, sounds of kettling may suggest your heat exchanger is scaled as others have said. The filter on those I think is easy enough to check.

Winner.

Last one i had like this it was the stop tap only a quarter turn open.

 

[Cazza]

Well I checked the mains water flow 27 L / minute. So that was okay. But the water flow from shower only 4 L / min. So too slow, hence the cold then hot etc.
I want to try unblocking the filter. I took the cover off but unfortunately its been installed using a pushfit elbow inlet connector. Triton won't touch it, and they said to fit a new shower it has to be a compression joint. So i'm going to have to get a plumber to help me lift the whole unit up slightly off the wall for the solenoid valve to come out of the pushfit pipe (IF I can release the pushfit that is? not sure how to do that). Also it will depend if I can get enough slack in the electric wire coming out wall to lift the unit up, it looks a bit tight. See photo, the bottom right yellow plastic pipe is the pushfit and to the left of that is the grey electric wire, both coming out hole in the wall. The filter gauze sits in the bottom of the solenoid valve.

 

[Coby kenny AGUILAR]

Considering its for a tenant and there's electrics and water, you're not entirely sure where to start, it's probably best left to a pro.

No point in repairing them, get the unit changed, as the plumber has the old unit off get him to flush the pipe through.

Find push fit is better on connection not sure why Triton wouldn't

 

[Ben-gee]

That looks like ancient speedfit, I would probably change that as I have found when they go yellow they can be brittle and prone to failure.
It is time to get a plumber in.

 

[Cazza]

Thank you both Coby kenny AGUILAR and Ben-gee.
Yes flushing the pipe through and getting a new shower and inlet pipe is probably best