Dear Plumbers;

we’ve got an Aqualisa Quartz shower (with the controller / mixer unit in the loftspace above the shower). Very pleased with it until recently, it’s starting to drip from the shower head even when the unit is off – not a lot but enough to keep the bottom of the bath wet and then beinjg a hard water it scales up.

Any idea what to do? Anyone have any knowledge of these and whether this is an age thing? It’s about 8 years old. Is it possible to renew valves and things in the box without renewing the whole thing?

I’m not a plumber, but I’ll give it a go as no one else has replied. What you have there is basically a big fancy tap, that will have seals and seats in it the same as any normal tap or valve in the house.

After 8 years it’s probable that one of those has become damaged, (by some scale forming in the seal perhaps?) and the only way you’ll be able to tell is to take it apart and see. If you are lucky it will be a standard size washer or O ring that needs replacing, if not then a specialist plumbers merchants, (Plumb Centre have lots of branches) or Aqualisa supplier should be able to help with bits for an 8 year old shower.

The only thing you need to decide now is do you have the skill to tackle it yourself or get a bloke in? Don’t forget to isolate it if you have a go yourself!

I had an aqualisa one, but the one that stuck on the wall, failed in a similar way at a similar age. I had to replace the whole unit. but being external it was modular so it pulled off and I pushed the new one on

Jon. Think you have a box in a loft or something somewhere? Not entirely familiar with this product but would have thought the water flow is controlled by a solenoid. Ring aqualisa they should be able to advise and give you a part no..

I’m not a plumber or a sparky but i replaced our shower with no problems.

To know what it is though you will need to turn the water off at the mains and locally then switch the shower on and run the water off.

Isolate the power supply at the mains fuse box and remove the shower by undoing the screws.

Once the shower unit is off the wall you will be able to see where the leak is coming from and the cause of the leak.

Easy job.

My brother in law used to work for Aqualisa. He turned out to be a right shit. Not that that helps you any………………………………..

I have had a similar problem with our wall mounted Aqualisa, I just opened it up to have a look. The problem was the Thermostatic Cartridge which is a simple replacement. Aqulisa wantedc £107 for it but I brought from http://www.tradingdepot.co.uk/ for £68

cheers all, will give them a call in the am.

SM +1

Exact same problem – how did you get on when you gave them a ring?

Not sure, but we had a aqualisa shower that was put in in the late eighties, was great and was working fine when we refurbished the bathroom 12 years ago. Then got another aqualisa shower that broke after a few years leaking very badly, we even had to have the wall on the other side replastered! Have to say we binned it and got a grohe shower. Was about the same price as fixing the aqualisa and has not missed a drop!

Afraid to say the aqualisa showers are not what they used to be….

Simone

my parents have had 2 – the replacement ran for a year or two, failed and was used as a non-power shower for 4 or 5 years then mysteriously sprang back into life last week. It sounds like the bearings are made out of crushed up rocks. 😯

I can’t say that I am impressed by them.

we have one – had a 5 yr guarantee and was replaced (whole box) twice in that time. My wife says it’s starting to drip again (about 8yrs in altogether). I’d have a look myself but the box is crammed into a really tight space in a wall and every time they’ve been here there’s been lot of muttering and swearing. Reckon I’ll wait til it fails (or really pisses her off) and get a new unit, prob different brand

If you live in a hard water area you get used to showers not lasting very long as the gubbins get furred up. I used to change the seals in mine regularly, then just gave up and let it drip a bit. Modern showers are so cheap now, you can just swap the whole thing out every few years.

skinnysteel – didn’t get chance to ring them yesterday. Monday job now.

There are different variants of that shower depending on your hot water system. If you’ve got a gravity fed cold water supply (with hot water tank) then the Aqualisa unit contains a pump vs a different unit for combi systems.

Doesn’t help much but worth clarifying which one you have before you start buying spares etc.