I think my plumber has ruined my plumbing

[Evol Intent]

Hi guys,

My mum and dad recently bought a new bathroom suite and had a plumber fit it all. Now where we had the shower, both the hot and cold water came from the loft and were both gravity fed. Our plumber told my mum he is going to increase the pressure of water we are going to get by changing the pipes at the shower and she said that's fine. Now he capped off the cold water pipe coming form the loft to the shower and used a new cold water pipe coming from downstairs. Now with our new shower there is hardly any hot water pressure, and the cold water is really strong and completely overpowers the hot water and stops it from mixing when I try to! Is he in the wrong or do I have a duff shower? To make it even worse the area around behind the shower has been completely aquaboard backed, retiled and grouted, laid over the pipes. Am I going to have to rip it out and start again?

Many thanks!

 

[Dannypipe]

He's in the wrong. Big time. Unbalanced pressures are a pain. He shouldn't have altered it.

 

[Evol Intent]

Thank you so much for the prompt reply. I'll ring him tomorrow and get back with an update!

 

[SimonG]

I'd only be ringing him to get your money back. He obviously has very little knowledge of plumbing. This wouldn't be a case of paying peanuts and getting monkeys?

 

[REDSAW]

was he a plumber!!!!!!!!

sounds like a tiler pretending?

 

[Evol Intent]

I'd only be ringing him to get your money back. He obviously has very little knowledge of plumbing. This wouldn't be a case of paying peanuts and getting monkeys?

Well my friend, unfortunately it is. I'm from a Pakistani family and although modernised, I still see my parents are backward people, being that I have only ever seen them hire Asian people to do the job. I have confronted them both on this time and time again, but I've been told they are much cheaper haha. What a load of rubbish, it's blatant ignorance with a slice of racism. The problem is in Pakistani society is that it is totally unacceptable to take advice from someone that is younger than you and so they don't listen. £1050 he is charging to fit the shower/enclosure, bath, toilet (which he never anchored to the floor, only used silicone), cladding/trims (including purchase of cladding and trims), sink and pedestal (which he didn't anchor to the floor again, had to do it myself with some nails). The tiling was done by my uncle and he is going to flip when finds out what's happened, because he was just mentioning that our plumber was a bit of a cowboy.

 

[SimonG]

Needed a shower pump or a pumped shower, but water storage needs assessing. You really need somebody who knows there stuff.

 

[REDSAW]

The problem is in Pakistani society is that it is totally unacceptable to take advice from someone that is younger than you and so they don't listen

interesting!.
does this include doctors aswell?

i was right then, he was not a plumber as he clearly did not have any knowledge of plumbing systems.
i doubt he will even return the call.

 

[Dotty]

Think we can all relate to our parents not listening to us. As said before thermostatically controlled showers need the hot and cold supplied at the same pressure or you'll get exactly the problems you have.

Sack the guy they've got in, get someone in who knows what they're doing. Sounds like they need a hot and cold water booster pump to be honest.

And welcome to the forums me old mate!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

single impeller booster pump on the hw is your only option in this stage

 

[dns1]

Novice question from curious DIY plumber here...

Clearly this muppet has converted the cold to mains pressure, so would it be realistic to simply get the appropriate pump fitted to the hot supply, so that it matches the pressure delivered from mains?

 

[dns1]

Ah, apparently my question was answered whilst I was typing

 

[SimonG]

No... In a word. It's to convert it back to tank fed cold and then go from there.

 

[Evol Intent]

Cheers guys! Would the shower pump be added to the hot water pipe in the loft?

 

[dns1]

Usually under the bath

 

[REDSAW]

the pressure has to be equal and mains is an unknown variable!!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Agree with SimonG , this will be ideal situation , but if cold water pipe is been cuped of and bathroom is fully done then only option they have is to stick a pump in the hot , not ideal but will be better then the set up they have now !

 

[tamz]

Yourt easiest and best solution is to change the shower valve for a Trevi Boost. They come in various guises that would probably allow you a straight swap with no mess.
They use the cold mains supply acting as a venturi effect to boost the hot water and give a really good shower without the noise of a pump.
Here is a link but i'm sure you can find others
Trevi Boost Showers - Trading Depot

Btw if you add a pump in the loft chances are it will constantly cavitate unless it is done correctly, even then it is less than ideal.

 

[on31ll]

not seen that product before tamz you fitted them ?

 

[ecowarm]

Agree with Tamz, Trevi Boost. It could be the "Plumber" has fitted one but not set up correctly though. Also the hot supply must run independently from the cylinder in 22mm pipe for it to work.

 

[secret squirrel]

Usually under the bath

No, not usually under the bath,

needs air circulation and easily accessable for maintenance, normally airing cupboard close to the hot water cylinder.

 

[TBServices]

No, not usually under the bath,

needs air circulation and easily accessable for maintenance, normally airing cupboard close to the hot water cylinder.

Lol, top advice from the self confessed novice.

 

[tamz]

not seen that product before tamz you fitted them ?

I've fitted a few and they work very well.

 

[dns1]

No, not usually under the bath,

needs air circulation and easily accessable for maintenance, normally airing cupboard close to the hot water cylinder.

Ok, I stand corrected. I have however seen many fitted under baths and working perfectly...

As a sparks, I've also been asked to connect a fair few up, all under baths. Of course this may relate to the fact that bathroom electrics are notifiable so not permitted by unregistered persons. I'll assume that I've never been asked to connect up an airing cupboard pump as most plumbers will just do it themselves!

 

[Guest123]

He has connected your cold supply from the mains and the hot is still gravity fed, so no wonder there is an imbalance of pressure. This is needing fixed and the only way he can do this is to fit a pressure reducing valve on the cold main before it enters the shower and adjust it to balance the pressure from the hot supply. Failing that the whole lot will need ripped out.