How easy/difficult is it to replace an electric shower unit?

[Darren Griffin - PocketGPSWorl]

Our Galaxy electric shower is less than 3 yrs old and has had the flow valve replaced twice already. It's started to fail yet again and cannot be shut off completely so drips constantly.

I'm considering replacing with a unit that has an ON/OFF switch for flow, the water supply has an isolation valve which makes life easier and I'm not completely inept with such things but have the presence of electricity and water is the reason for my enquiry!

Are these things relatively simple to replace or would I be best leaving to a plumber?

TIA

Darren

[Rick]

Its easy-ish. It depends if the new one lines up with the old one - which it won't. So then it depends on how much space you have to play with. OK< its a real PITA, but its not technically challenging, its just a fiddle.

I gave up with my shower, and fitted a handle in the water supply pipe, which shuts the water to the shower off, its a 1/4 turn between on and off, which is great. The handle is inside the shower cubicle.

Rick

[robkgraham]

The biggest headache is whether both the supply and the electric cable line up with the replacement unit. I stuck with Triton for two units because they did line up. When they changed the design I moved on but had to strip off tiles and change the feed pipe channel.

The other thing to be sure of is that there is an isolation valve - a friend of mine tells a wonderfull story about changing a shower without being able to find an isolator anywhere - in the house or a toby in the road. He had to do it live - got very, very wet and very, very cold but he did succeed.

If yu're not into plumbing, electrics, tiling and a bit of chasing then call in the plumber.

Rob Rob

[jacob]

Easy if you replace like with like which of course you don't want to do as it keeps failing. Big pain in bum if not a straight swap. Consider a straight swap nevertheless but in future ALWAYS turn off the stopcock when not in use. If yours is anything like mine (Gainsborough) the flow valve diaphragm thingy is the weakest link and won't stand up to continuous mains pressure. I took mine apart and although beautifully engineered the diaphragm was bust and about as strong as a Durex Featherlight.

cheers

Jacob

[jacob]

PS I forgot to add - keep the paperwork some things are guaranteed for

2 years and in any case even if over the guarantee period you can argue that the thing is not fit for it's purpose if it keeps beaking down i.e. it should last much longer than the guarantee.