Mira shower problem, hot and cold

Benedict XVI

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same peoblems as I am having with a Mira Elite 2 electric shower.

It has been in for about 11 months and has been on the same hot\cold setting (top dial on High) all the time because that was the perfect tempature.
However over the past month or so it has become much much hotter at that setting which means I have to turn it down and as a result the 'Low Flow' light comes on.
I have changed the top dial to Medium the pressure goes.

I know someone who had a sinilar problem with a Mira Elite 2 and they heard that it's limescale building up that causes the proble, not sure how they fixed it though.

Any got sugestions or have similar pronlems ?

seanmc

Hi,
I had a similar problem with a Triton T90i. As it turned out it was just limescale. If you take the head off and soak it in a limescale remover for a while it should do the trick.

I think there are other threads here on removing limescale.

Try1ng

We had the same problem - filter on shower was blocked. Your shower should still be covered so just give them a call

Mike2006

If you can, take out the filter and clean it with limescale remover. As was also said, clean the shower head with limescale and a needle for stubborn pieces that won't budge....

It is not very difficult to remove filter if you are any way diy minded.

Mike.

Benedict XVI

Mike2006 wrote:

If you can, take out the filter and clean it with limescale remover. As was also said, clean the shower head with limescale and a needle for stubborn pieces that won't budge....

It is not very difficult to remove filter if you are any way diy minded.

Mike.

Thanks for the info folks.
I sacked the showerhead in limscale remover overnight and it did not do nuch good.

Where exactly is the filter loacted, in the head or in the hose where the head screws in.

beldin

Check the user guide
http://www.mirashowers.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/p3559_1a.pdf
Sectio 7
The filter seems to be on the inlet pipe , so you would have to turn off the water to the shower , turn of electricity at the fusebox.
Then remove the plastic cover to get access to the filter.
Then remove the filter to clean it.

Nevyn

ah that is what causes it, been having the same problem but I do tend to descale the shower head about once a month.
Cheers for that pdf beldin it will make daking it a part a lot easier.

rebellad

Fot he last week or so my mira elite 2 shower has not been heating the water properly at all. I now have it on the high setting and the temperature know up to the last and the water is just about hot enough to have a shower. I took out the filter which wasn't that dirty but cleaned it anyway and checked the showerhead which was fine. It is 2 years old. Is it time to be buying a new one or is there something else which can be done??

Monkwood

I had the same problems and found a related thread here:
http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=36821
Using just a screwdriver, wrench and an old toothbrush, I fixed the problem in just 10 mins, and saved myself about 350 euro to replace and fit a new shower! Beware, fitters and repairmen are very quick to say you need to replace the whole unit, when all it needs is to clean the filter.

rh5555

I hope someone still reads this old thread. I have a MiraElite2 shower and got the LowFlow warning. So after checking boards.ie I removed the water filter and cleaned it in vinegar for 15min. Only could do 15min bc water kept running and I didnt know where to turn it off.

It looked pretty clean after even those 15min and after putting it back it worked great for 3weeks and then I got low flow again. I cleaned it again in vinegar 1hour this time and again it worked for about 3weeks.

So last week the LowFlow light again went on and I cleaned the filter one more time. This time I left it in vinegar for about 24h. I put some kitchen towel in the pipe which stopped the water and it worked great.

Now could there be another problem that causes the LowFlow light every 3weeks or so. Well it may work this time after the 24h cleaning. I am sure its somehow related to the filter bc. before the filter cleaning the lowflow is on and afterwards it works.

Not sure if there could be another problem. If it happens again in 2 weeks I try to get a completely new filter but just wanna make sure that this should be the main cause for the problem

Goodne

Are you sure your shower head is clean? Pour some regular toilet descaler into the shower head and soak for a few mins. Make sure you rinse it well. You should be doing this every week if you have hard water. I got sick of my shower not working so last year I got a water softener in & I haven't had a problem since.

rh5555

TY. I havn't tried that yet. Was pretty certain it was due to the filter bc. everytime I cleaned the filter Shower worked fine again. Well, worked fine for 3weeks or so that is

piskins72

Just found this thread when looking for information on the Mira Elite 2 shower, I have one also, and when you turn up the temperature past the half way mark, the flow drops a lot, over all its not the most powerful shower in the world compared to other electric pumped ones that I know, just wonder if it could be the internal filter causing this which I have just read about here.. the shower head is not clogged with limescale or that. I am going to investigate the filter to see if it is blocked or that, but just wondering if there is any other suggestions outside of that or are they just a poor shower overall?

rh5555

Ok I cleaned the showerhead which was actually pretty clean but the water filter got clogged again and I am 99% the problem lies with the water filter inside shower unit.

Well at least this time it worked 3 weeks instead of the 2 weeks. Now here is my question if I clean the filter and it always looks clean afterwards would it make sense to get a completely new filter?

Maybe the filter after my cleaning just isnt perfectly clean even if it looks that way. I have no idea what other reason could be there that the filter is clogged every 2-3weeks.

Anyways I attached 2 photos of what the filter looks right now before cleaning yet again. Sorry I go no photos after cleaning yet but will attach one tomorrow after what looks to me is clean.

Any other suggestions why the filter gets clogged every 2-3 weeks would be welcome

Thanks

P.S. Sorry photo quality not the best (camera phone)

BarryM

General reply....

Usual precautions, as mentioned, TURN OFF at the fuseboard by removing the fuse, or clicking the fuse off. You can do this while shower is running if you don't know which fuse. If you don't know how to switch off/remove fuse DON'T go any further. Also turn off water - not so important but saves getting wet....

OK, the order of trying - head of water for the shower unit; showerhead; inlet filter; mains water filter (fit one if you can);

Head - the distance from the showerhead to the bottom of the tank in the roof, in most cases. This effectively controls the pressure in the showerhead. In most houses this is at the limit specified, since the shower is upstairs and the tank is just above. If the distance is 1 metre or less you'll never get good pressure, since the input to the shower pump will be controlled by the head pressure. Not much can be done without moving the tank. Similarly if the water feed comes directly from the mains, will depend on how far/how high it has to push the water....

Shower head - as discussed keep it clean, if it won't clean buy a new one.

Inlet filter - clean out as discussed, the 2/3/4 week problem mentioned is most likely because there are calcium/chalk deposits in the cold water. Again if the supply come from a tank in the roof, have a look in it if you can, often there is rubbish/calcium deposits in there.... While your at it make sure the supply to the shower isn't kinked somewhere.....
NOTE - be very careful taking out the screws on the shower unit, they are into the plastic and can break the surround and allow water in to the unit. Also, be very sure you fit the cover completely, otherwise water can leak in.

Mains water has a lot of chalk/rubbish in it, clogging filter.... maybe a professional job, but if there is a filter have a look at it. Worth installing a filter/settlement bowl (like oil inlet on central heating) if your in a hard water area.

Ultimately a water softener is a good idea if you've hardness problem, is your sink tap furred up or your kettle? If so, so is the element in your immersion if you have one and your heating a lot of chalk.....

Finally, if you have consistent problems with Mira heating/flow.... buy a new one, they don't last forever.

Bye, Barry

rh5555

ty Berry. Great tutorial.

Couple interesting points especially about the water quality. i do live in an apartment building (well there are only 4 apartments) and I am the only one having this problem. I know its actually my Landlords task to repair it but it first happened on dec. 24 and there was no way to get a plumber so I started the repairs myself and I also I got a rent reduction so I figured I do it myself.

Anyways I never really cleaned the water inlet which is probably a good idea. Any good suggestions how to do it?

Also while I am the only one with this problem out of 4 apartments I am on the top floor and I am not sure if the water comes from the bottom floor or a tank on the roof but I am fairly sure it comes from the street level. So I should be the last one to get the water in our house.

I just talked to my landlord and she will provide a completely new filter after I said I will install it myself. If the cleaning of the water inlet + the new filter won't help I guess she has to get a professional plumber (if he can do anymore) or as you suggested a new shower which is several years old by now.

I assume newer Mira showers use bigger water filters or are they as small and easily clogged as the Mira elite2?

Thanks again for the reply

BarryM

rh5555 wrote: »

Couple interesting points especially about the water quality. i do live in an apartment building (well there are only 4 apartments) and I am the only one having this problem. I know its actually my Landlords task to repair it but it first happened on dec. 24 and there was no way to get a plumber so I started the repairs myself and I also I got a rent reduction so I figured I do it myself.

If you are on the fourth floor it could be a combination of grit/dirt/chalk in the water and low pressure. In most Irish houses the reason there is a tank in the roof is that mains pressure is poor, and the tank creates a head of pressure. I'd be surprised if your cold water to the shower is from the mains. Is it a new development or an older place converted?

Anyways I never really cleaned the water inlet which is probably a good idea. Any good suggestions how to do it?

Do you mean the inlet in the Mira or the mains? If it is in the Mira you need to follow my advice re disconnecting electricity and water and then taking off the cover, finding the water inlet and cleaning it as described in earlier messages.

I just talked to my landlord and she will provide a completely new filter after I said I will install it myself. If the cleaning of the water inlet + the new filter won't help I guess she has to get a professional plumber (if he can do anymore) or as you suggested a new shower which is several years old by now.

If it is the filter in the shower you won't need a new one, just cleaning the older one should work.

I assume newer Mira showers use bigger water filters or are they as small and easily clogged as the Mira elite2?

In my experience the new models (I fitted one myself during the Summer), are almost indistiguishable from the old, just some different bits, probably cheaper to install.....:( If yours is several years old it may need to be changed, but try cleaning the inlet first.

Bye, Barry

P.S. you have cleaned the shower head? Thats the quickest/easiest first thing to try.

rh5555

Hi Barry,

thx for the recommendations. Yeah I have cleaned the shower-head before but only the cleaning of the filter allows it to work again for 2 to 3 weeks. After I had cleaned the showerhead but not the filter it kept showing low flow.

Anyways just to specify what filter I am talking about. I disconnect the power by turning off the shower fuse switch and I have an extra shower switch outside the bathroom which I also switch off. There is def. no electricity coming through. As you said water + electricity is not a good combination.

After that I remove the plastic shower faceplate. On the lower left side is another smaller plastic cover and I remove that too.

That reveals a six sided plastic screw that I unscrew and at the end it has a filter attached. Thats the filter that gets clogged as you can see from the photos. When I loosen the screw water comes out but I just stuff some kitchen towel in there and water stops. I dont know where to turn off the water. Its not in my apartment so I use the kitchen towel method.

I am not sure it the screw with the filter is actually called the 'filter' but it looks like a filter and when it gets clogged is when I get the Low Flow warning. The water inlet I mentioned btw is what I am referring to the little pipe where now water comes out because of the removed screw. It provides the water for the shower. Again not sure if i use the correct term here. Anyways i cleaned that too.

The reason why I want to try a completely new filter is that I dont know if I can actually clean it perfectly. I guess we'll see.

As to where the water comes from. I thought it would come from street level and the pressure is build up by the shower itself but you might be absolutely right that there is some sought of tank in the roof area. If that is the case I would be the first to get the water and also the first to get all the dirt etc. in the water and would explain why the filter gets so dirty so quick and why nobody else in the building encounters the same issues.

I will double check with my landlord to see if there is a tank and if the new filter gets clogged again if they can retrofit a filter to the tank if there is one.

Great suggestions Berry. I hope I will break the 2-3week cycle. Its not much work to remove the shower filter and clean it but it gets a bit annoying.

Anyways thanks for your help again

BarryM

Sorry rh555 in my haste to answer I didn't recall which of the posters you were!!

Yea, you seem to be on the right path it looks like you're the 'victim' of a location where the rubbish in the water all lands on you!!

It is very irritating, you get in the shower one day and its fine and the next day....

As your problem seems to be the water supply then changing the unit won't make much difference. Your landlord seems to be reasonable so maybe a GOOD plumber would sort it out. However, good plumbers on this sort of problem are hard to find.....

Good luck, feel free to post again if you have other questions.

rh5555

Thanks Barry. Appreciate all the help.

personguy

hi there.
great instructions.

our area has very little limescale buildup. the kettle's clean, etc. i checked the shower head anyway, and the filter. both were very clean. i crawled up in the attic and checked the tank and tubes for blockage/kinks/anything. everything seems to be in good, working order.

the problem: the shower itself was working fine for months. then this morning it suddenly made clunky sh-sh-sh-sh-sh coughing and low sputtering noises, showing the "low flow" light. the water does come out warm, as per the temperature setting on the front dial. but there is very little pressure, and the noise, of course, just sounds all wrong. (instead of the normal high-pitched electric shower scream, it sounds like this one suddenly caught a cold).

has anyone else had this problem?

thanks a mil.

BarryM

personguy wrote: »

hi there.
great instructions.

our area has very little limescale buildup. the kettle's clean, etc. i checked the shower head anyway, and the filter. both were very clean. i crawled up in the attic and checked the tank and tubes for blockage/kinks/anything. everything seems to be in good, working order.

Good, eliminates some of the possible causes.

the problem: the shower itself was working fine for months. then this morning it suddenly made clunky sh-sh-sh-sh-sh coughing and low sputtering noises, showing the "low flow" light. the water does come out warm, as per the temperature setting on the front dial. but there is very little pressure, and the noise, of course, just sounds all wrong. (instead of the normal high-pitched electric shower scream, it sounds like this one suddenly caught a cold).

Have you checked the flow at the point where the water enters the unit?? If not be careful, disconnect from supply or make sure the switch outside the shower is off, better, drop the fuse for the shower. (Sorry, if your familiar with all this stuff, just being careful). You should have a nice steady flow.

Sound like you've a basic flow problem, the coughing is probably the pump being short of water, and the change of noise. OTOH, it is possible the pump has packed up, is the "new" sound any sort of whine? If the pump is kaput, no choice, change the unit.

Bye, Barry

galah

may have been mentioned before (apologies if it has) - check the shower hose (from the unit to the shower head) as well, there may be a blockage there, or it may be damaged/clogged up.

That was our problem (after I kept cleaning the filter and descaling the shower head, and still getting 'low flow') - just had to buy a new hose.

personguy

BarryM wrote: »

Have you checked the flow at the point where the water enters the unit?? If not be careful, disconnect from supply or make sure the switch outside the shower is off, better, drop the fuse for the shower. (Sorry, if your familiar with all this stuff, just being careful). You should have a nice steady flow.

Sound like you've a basic flow problem, the coughing is probably the pump being short of water, and the change of noise. OTOH, it is possible the pump has packed up, is the "new" sound any sort of whine? If the pump is kaput, no choice, change the unit.

Bye, Barry

barry, thanks very much for taking the time to get back to me/us.

i've familiarised myself as much as i can with this machine, finding out the various part names and getting a better/basic understanding of the general mechanics. however, i'm not sure i completely understand when you say "check the flow at the point where the water enters the unit." do you mean the free flow of the water at the inlet before it even passes through the filter? or after it's passed through the filter and where it enters into the transfer/inlet tubes, before the main pump?

that said, i should mention that i made sure that all the bits and wires were secure enough then turned on the shower while the cover was off. i was treated to a very disheartening light show given by sparks flickering madly at the copper spindle at the top of the motor/pump.

in this diagram it's where #12 is pointing at (the thermal trip pack?)

the chunky clunky sound seems to be coming from the struggling motor itself.

also, i should mention that i got it working for about ten minutes this morning after cleaning off the pcb board with rubbing alcohol and then the rest of the unit, insofar as i could access the parts and wires, with more rubbing alcohol. there was loads and loads of black build up, like one would find under the hood of an oft-driven car. it's like a very very fine dark black dust, and it was all over the body cover, all over the motor, coating all the wires. i at first assumed that this was just "normal" build-up, but after cleaning it all down and checking various contacts for good connection, it did work.

for ten minutes.

then it sounded like a cartoon bomb falling from the sky, as the normal high-pitched whine descended back to the grumbling sputtering i heard yesterday. it was then that i took off the cover again and ran the shower and found the sparks flying.

so: what is that copper spindle at the top? there are two contacts touching the spindle, which are small coils/springs that are connected to the fine copper electromagnet coils; one contact in the front and one opposite on the back side of the motor. there are small vertical gaps in the copper spindle. i assume this has something to do with the alternating current that makes the motor spin, but that's as far as my knowledge/guessing takes me. and i don't think this could be a correct guess, because, i assume, that kind of basic function wouldn't be so exposed. it would be contained inside the motor, not outside, on a spindle ... right?

anyway, that's all just blurry guessing.

any ideas? i know the sparks bode ill (and they are fairly large, by the way. creating a constant show of spark finger clumps the size of a small head of broccoli, and flashing whitish-green). but is there a diy way to fix this?

thanks a million.

BarryM

personguy wrote: »

barry, thanks very much for taking the time to get back to me/us.

i've familiarised myself as much as i can with this machine, finding out the various part names and getting a better/basic understanding of the general mechanics. however, i'm not sure i completely understand when you say "check the flow at the point where the water enters the unit." do you mean the free flow of the water at the inlet before it even passes through the filter? or after it's passed through the filter and where it enters into the transfer/inlet tubes, before the main pump?

I'll answer that in a minute but first PLEASE read what I say below

that said, i should mention that i made sure that all the bits and wires were secure enough then turned on the shower while the cover was off. i was treated to a very disheartening light show given by sparks flickering madly at the copper spindle at the top of the motor/pump.

YOU MUST NOT OPEN THE TOP WITH THE POWER ON.... PLEASE!

I know that may sound nannystateish but you are risking your life.

Overall, I think you have a major problem and I'd suggest, no I'd INSIST you change the whole unit. The sparks and the powder would indicate you have a significant problem with the electrics in the unit. I wouldn't dare to comment or suggest a solution without seeing the problem at first hand but my immediate reaction is that a replacement is the best option. You know the suggestion you get on the back cover of a lot of equipment "no user serviceable parts inside" this applies to shower units.

As part of the refit you, or preferably a qualified person, can test the water flow before it enters the unit.

I've eliminated the rest of your message because I don't believe any solution or suggestion is valid other than a complete relacement. I appreciate that this may/will be expensive, and maybe you cannot afford it, but your still alive, I hope, and that is better than cold showers. In any case the unit won't survive any attempts to sort it, you've already tried one and it lasted ten mins...., please learn from that.

Barry

personguy

thanks for the help and good advice, barry. i've been taking apart electronic stuff and learning (and getting some nasty shocks along the way) since i was a kid, so once i determined that nothing was going to come flying off the wall if i turned on the unit with the cover left off i felt confident to do a quick test, standing a good distance away still. but yes, that's very good advice for anyone who's not a silly daredevil. and thanks for recommending safety over risky troubleshooting. nice to know that someone with your info is also sensible.

landlord called in over the weekend and changed the whole unit out for a new "elite" model. nice to have a caring landlord, as well. (for a change. yay!!)

good luck one and all with your own units.
pg

zipzoc

Any good alternative to Mira thats not as noisy?

zipzoc

All you need to do is scrub the shower head (the holes obviously) with an old toothbrush. This solved the temperature problem and the weak flow problem for me.

stonemason1

Hi

Im doing abit of research to see if anyone would be intrested in a new device that would solve alot of these problems.Its a new invention that im hoping to bring to market and i want to gauge the intrest .

The manin point would be...
Easy to fit (no plumber needed)
Easy to use
Re-useable
Eco friendly
Reasonably cheap (€70 ish)tho dont hold me to that just yet im still researching costs .

The device would clean filters/heater element and the shower head.

Any input would be great
Thanks.

BarryM

stonemason1 wrote: »

Hi

Im doing abit of research to see if anyone would be intrested in a new device that would solve alot of these problems.Its a new invention that im hoping to bring to market and i want to gauge the intrest .

The manin point would be...
Easy to fit (no plumber needed)
Easy to use
Re-useable
Eco friendly
Reasonably cheap (€70 ish)tho dont hold me to that just yet im still researching costs .

The device would clean filters/heater element and the shower head.

Any input would be great
Thanks.

Interesting, and interested. Obviously you won't be publishing the details but it seems to be an eco based filter on the head. I'd only suggest you consider it for sinks and other taps. In Ireland a lot of people have hard water which makes deposits and a lot of kitchen taps come with a crude filter.

I think the EPA have data on hard water locations which may help your research.

However, €70 sounds a bit pricy in these straightened times.... what is the cost benefit, can you have a shot at it??

Keep us posted.

Barry

stonemason1

Hi BarryM

IM afraid its specifically designed to work with electric showers as this is the most expensive and hardest to clean.The main idea is that replacing your shower or heater element (remember labour costs aka Plumber)is extremely expensive.Even if you replace said parts the problem will return.

The cost could be cheaper, i am touting the highest of prices at this stage as its easier to drop prices than to raise them.Like most things its an economy of scale i.e. the more components i can buy in the cheaper they are and the price will drop accordingly.

The savings come in the form of a longer life for your shower. a system that most people can use with out having to get a plumber in.All machines eventually break down this is just a means of perhaps doubling or tripling the life expectancy of your shower.
It may even be longer ive been using my proto type for over 2 years now and alls well.That said i only need to shower 3 times a week other people shower every day or even 2 times a day.But the fact remains the more you use a machine the quicker it will break.