Leaking shower tap

[Charlie]

I've noticed the tap for the shower is dripping. If you wiggle the tap you can get it to stop sometimes but I'd like to fix it permanently.

Here are a couple of pics showing what it looks like:

is a spindle thing in the centre, and going into it is a screw that actually protrudes about 10mm (although that's not clear from the photo) I'm not sure what this is for? Should it be screwed firmly in or pulled out somewhat?

The previous owner left no spare tiles but the wall behind it a partition wall - I really don't to go that route unless I have to.

Does anyone know how I go about fixing it?

Thanks

Charlie

[ss]

I am no plumber so others should be able to give better advice but I think it is a cartridge in the center which needs to come out and probably a service kit (seals etc) to sort it, if so you would need to get the model and is it high or low pressure, the kits are (I think) around £15

[Roger Mills]

I've got no direct experience of that sort of shower mixer, so can only guess.

In the second photo, there's something that looks a bit (but not a lot!) like a circlip behind the knurled bit. If you remove that, does that allow the back-plate to be removed over the spindle, thus exposing the innards?

With regards to the screw, it might just adjust the hot/cold balance, so be careful - or the whole thing might end up too hot or too cold. [How do you control flow and temperature - presumably rotating does one and moving in and out does the other?]

[ss]

Charlie I would wait until you get more difinitive answers before you start pulling bits off. I did a Mira mixer a couple of years back (serviced & then a cartridge replacement) Its easy enough to do but you need to progress with instruction (google may help) as there was quite a few bits to dissemble, like previous poster mentioned re back plates etc these will probably need to come off first, mine just prised off. You need proper access to the complete cartridge unit. I think the plumbers are busy just now as they are usually on by now with good advice.

[Charlie]

Thanks for you words of caution, it's not actually a hot/cold mixer but the on/off tap but I guess what you and Roger say still holds true.

Thanks

Charlie

[Dave N]

Charlie wrote, on 26/01/2012 15:01:

There's what looks like a hexagonal nut back behind the knurled spine. I'm guessing that the ceramic cartridge is removed by unscrewing the hexagonal nut with a box spanner and taking the whole assembly out.

As others cautioned, however, I think it essential to try to identify the make and model of shower valve and research as much as possible for diagrams/manuals. You need to understand what to expect to find when starting disassembly.

Beware my experience recently when a ceramic cartridge came apart as I was unscrewing the carrier, and left parts inside the valve manifold which I had to tease out by making my own tool. The problem was caused by a build-up of limescale around the outside of the ceramic valve body inside the valve manifold. :(

[Charlie]

Dave,

Thanks, the shower head says it's made by a firm called 'Aston Matthews', had a quick look at their website and it's probably a 'Zyam' value. Think this is the one:

anyone know how easy it is to replace these sort of things? Alternatively is worth removing it soaking it in vinegar and replacing it? Sure I read somewhere that was good for limescaled cartridges.

Charlie

[Dave N]

Charlie wrote, on 26/01/2012 18:12:

Judging from the picture that valve body is one piece of brass and, if so, it should unscrew intact without any particular difficulty.

(The problem I experienced was that my valve was constructed from a brass outer-carrier with a push-fit plastic valve body. A picture illustrates the issue here:-

which shows that it is nothing like yours. As the brass carrier was unscrewed, it left the plastic body behind inside the manifold. I don't think you'll have the same problem.)

As regards limescale, whilst I believe that can affect the ceramic discs, I thought your problem was a leak around the central spline. If it is just a leak around the spline, I suspect that the simplest answer is to replace the valve. You can, of course, try to repair the old valve upon removal but if it's caused by wear around the spline it might be a difficult job to repair if there's no 'O' ring seal on the spline.

The valve you've linked to looks as though it is a very simple job to replace by simply unscrewing the old and screwing in a new one, using a box spanner.