Leak on screen on shower bath

youtheman

I’ve recently replaced my shower with a shower-bath, complete with glass shower screen, 2 bar pump and thermostatic mixer. I’m delighted with the new facilities overall, but I’ve just one concern about the small leaks that you inevitably get around the shower screen.

The screen was ‘designed’ for the bath. I’ve warned the kids that all it takes is for them to forget to align it correctly and they could flood the house. Even if it’s aligned correctly you still get a small leak at the inside edge of the screen (at the bottom of the hinge). This can be far worse if the shower is directed against the screen (given the power of the shower).

So I’m considering using silicone to essentially ‘fix’ the screen in place (thus sealing the complete bottom of the screen). The only real down side I can see is that it makes it more awkward to clean the inside of the screen, and around the shower mixer. Aesthetically, you won’t notice the difference

Has anyone ever done this before?.

Joey the lips

a common problem. Is your bath flat at the edge.If it is it will not change or stop Your simple solution would be to relocate the screen along the inside edge of the bath.

or else buy a 4pnl/5pnl and locate the folds in the bath if that makes sense.

i knew this would happen so I just put a face cloth at the edge.

However with kids you need to foolproof your ideas

Max Headroom

Thnk you'd be better off just putting silicone on the outside of the wall bracket and around the hinge area...if you do it on the bath top too it wont last long as the bath "moves" when in use..and silicone wont stick to the rubber seal...you could put a stop on the bath top to stop the screen from opening out past the bath assuming its plastic...

Joey the lips

Max Headroom wrote: »

Thnk you'd be better off just putting silicone on the outside of the wall bracket and around the hinge area...if you do it on the bath top too it wont last long as the bath "moves" when in use..and silicone wont stick to the rubber seal...you could put a stop on the bath top to stop the screen from opening out past the bath assuming its plastic...

wont make the slightest difference to the problem and will give you a hole in the bath. Pointless. I have seen this problem on many and as advised the only real solution is

1. Locate the bath screen to the inside edge if there is a slant on the bath

2. Use a face cloth.

3. Replace the screen.

youtheman

Thanks for the feedback. The bath has a flat edge. I cannot move the screen inwards as this would mean I'd have to move the vertical bracket, which is fixed onto very expensive marble tiles.

I'm still inclined to try the silicone. The bottom of the screen has a seal with a 'double wiper'. I'm thinking of removing the wiper from the glass and putting silicone in the recess, then putting another bead between the two wipers and the bath edge. Hopefully if it all goes to 'rat 5hit' I can remove the seal and restore it to the original configuration. The problem is the power of the shower, it has enough of a 'throw' to put water out the main door. So I have to give the kids a lecture before I let them loose.

I'll never give out about my old weak shower, where you had to run around to get wet !!!!!!Only Joking.

I'll let you know how I get on later.

crótach

Is it a type of shower screen that's hinged on the wall and can be moved to allow easier access and cleaning?

If so, the bottom of the screen has a "seal" that you push into it or over it, a rubber strip. If pushed too high up the screen it won't seal properly and will let some water through. You can open the screen, pull down the rubber strip a bit, and move the screen back on to the bath. It does the job for me.

GreeBo

Do you have access to fit some pressure reducing valves to the bath/shower?

Delta Kilo

Ha, pressure reducing valves...I don't think so.

Its a really common problem that has a realy simple explanation as to why it happens. When your bath is installed, it is put in with a fall towards the drain plug so that all the water will drain away. Secondly, your shower screen is fixed to the wall, a wall that is probably plumb, ie vertically level and the screen is perfectly square. So you have a level edge (the bottom of the screen) coming against an edge that isnt level (the bath due to the fall to the drain plug). This leaves a small gap near the hinge between the shower screen and bath and water will leak through it.

It happens on my bath, what I normally do is pull the screen in towards me a few inches when I am standing in the bath, then when the water hits the screen and runs down, it falls into the bath.

Dont go near your bath with silicone, you will destroy it!

GreeBo

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Ha, pressure reducing valves...I don't think so.

If your shower can fire water out of the door and you have kids I dont think reducing the pressure is a crazy idea. But each to their own.

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Its a really common problem that has a realy simple explanation as to why it happens. When your bath is installed, it is put in with a fall towards the drain plug so that all the water will drain away.

Secondly, baths are installed level, they have a fall built into the floor to drain the water from the plug. The top surface of the bath is level. You wouldnt have this gap issue if you followed the installation instructions that came with the bath. Its a common mistake to ignore them and create your own (unneeded) fall creating this gap and tiling/seal issues.

youtheman

Regarding the pressure, I can limit this by just not opening the valve fully. I’ll have a look at the manual for the mixer valve to see if there is a mechanical stop.

The bottom of the screen is parallel to the bath, but the plumber left a bigger gap than I would have if I was installing the system. This means that the screen is fairly ‘loose’ as the seal is not compressed enough. I think there is a grub screw adjustment to lower the complete screen, thus compressing the seal.

I can get the system to work fairly well, but I have to make sure the inner and outer lips of the seal are set correctly (not inverted), and the screen is along the edge of the bath. But I feel like a sergeant major when I have to lecture the kids before I let them loose.

I’m just looking for a way to ‘fool proof’ the system.

Thanks for the constructive feedback .

Joey the lips

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Ha, pressure reducing valves...I don't think so.

Its a really common problem that has a realy simple explanation as to why it happens. When your bath is installed, it is put in with a fall towards the drain plug so that all the water will drain away. Secondly, your shower screen is fixed to the wall, a wall that is probably plumb, ie vertically level and the screen is perfectly square. So you have a level edge (the bottom of the screen) coming against an edge that isnt level (the bath due to the fall to the drain plug). This leaves a small gap near the hinge between the shower screen and bath and water will leak through it.

It happens on my bath, what I normally do is pull the screen in towards me a few inches when I am standing in the bath, then when the water hits the screen and runs down, it falls into the bath.

Dont go near your bath with silicone, you will destroy it!

Your wrong. A bath MUST be installed level as it already had a slope to the drain designed into it plus if you slope your bath it effects the laying of the tiles.

GreeBo wrote: »

Secondly, baths are installed level, they have a fall built into the floor to drain the water from the plug. The top surface of the bath is level. You wouldnt have this gap issue if you followed the installation instructions that came with the bath. Its a common mistake to ignore them and create your own (unneeded) fall creating this gap and tiling/seal issues.

your bang on....

The bottom line is these screens should be fitted on baths with slopeing edges or on the inside edge of flat baths.

Max Headroom

Seems that the screen isnt the problem....




















Get rid of the kids..........:D

youtheman

Max Headroom wrote: »

Seems that the screen isnt the problem....





Get rid of the kids..........:D

Now there's an idea. And here I was giving them every creature comfort under the sun. I should turn off the hot water, remove the seat from the jacks and hide the bog roll and meybe they'll move out.

eoghan.geraghty

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Ha, pressure reducing valves...I don't think so.

Its a really common problem that has a realy simple explanation as to why it happens. When your bath is installed, it is put in with a fall towards the drain plug so that all the water will drain away. Secondly, your shower screen is fixed to the wall, a wall that is probably plumb, ie vertically level and the screen is perfectly square. So you have a level edge (the bottom of the screen) coming against an edge that isnt level (the bath due to the fall to the drain plug). This leaves a small gap near the hinge between the shower screen and bath and water will leak through it.

It happens on my bath, what I normally do is pull the screen in towards me a few inches when I am standing in the bath, then when the water hits the screen and runs down, it falls into the bath.

Dont go near your bath with silicone, you will destroy it!

Is that what your plumber told you when you asked why is your bath not level?
As for silicone destroying your bath? I really don't know what to say to that.

youtheman, yes it is a common problem but it sure is nicer looking than a shower curtain. If the glass is down tight enough it should be minimised, but understandably with kids it might not be.
You may end up redoing the silicone annually until the kids grow up.

Max Headroom

I think the overall poroblem here is that the screen needs adjusting ..I've fitted loads of different screens and never had a recall..if you dont want to re-locate it in a bit, you could just take it down and enlarge the screw holes or drill new ones in the wall frame upwards with a drill to allow the bath seal to compress more onto the bath...I stick by my idea of putting a stop on the bath top to stop the screen from opening out past the bath..even just silicone it on if you dont want to drill a 3mm hole...

Joey the lips

Max Headroom wrote: »

I think the overall poroblem here is that the screen needs adjusting ..I've fitted loads of different screens and never had a recall..if you dont want to re-locate it in a bit, you could just take it down and enlarge the screw holes or drill new ones in the wall frame upwards with a drill to allow the bath seal to compress more onto the bath...I stick by my idea of putting a stop on the bath top to stop the screen from opening out past the bath..even just silicone it on if you dont want to drill a 3mm hole...

with respect I guarantee you all the adjusmet will not correct this. Its to do with 2 things

1. The bath is flat. The water runs along the edge of the screen and around it

2. The water runs butween the hindge mechanism.

Have been fitting them years.....

GreeBo

Joey the lips wrote: »

with respect I guarantee you all the adjusmet will not correct this. Its to do with 2 things

1. The bath is flat. The water runs along the edge of the screen and around it

2. The water runs butween the hindge mechanism.

Have been fitting them years.....

+1

The only semi-permanent way around it (rather than the face cloth) is to fix some bath trim/seal from the outside corner of the bath to the inside "corner" so that its sealed to the tiles and to the bath surface.

This will direct any water thats running down the walls back into the bath. It wont do much for water that is directed straight at the join or thats running down the shower door, but will help overall. (should at least mean that you dont have to replace the face cloth mid shower )

Max Headroom

Joey the lips wrote: »

with respect I guarantee you all the adjusmet will not correct this. Its to do with 2 things

1. The bath is flat. The water runs along the edge of the screen and around it

2. The water runs butween the hindge mechanism.

Have been fitting them years.....

I'm not disputing anything you're saying...cept that if theyre fitted correctly theres no leaks ...;)

I'm just trying to give the op some help as i'm guessin he/she is lookin for a cheap quick fix...we all know how to do it properly..

Joey the lips

Max Headroom wrote: »

I'm not disputing anything you're saying...cept that if theyre fitted correctly theres no leaks ...;)

I'm just trying to give the op some help as i'm guessin he/she is lookin for a cheap quick fix...we all know how to do it properly..

But you are without realiseing it. Its probable that its fitted perfect. Its a combination of factors that makes it imperfect. The most important being the flat bath.

youtheman

Folks, thanks for contributing to the lively debate.

Essentially there are three issues, some of which can be managed:

1. there is a small trickle at the bottom of the hinge, where the seal ends on the inner edge. I can 'live' with this by putting a small towel on the floor. This problem can get much worse if the shower head is directed onto the area of concern. The seal will never be 100% effective.

2. there is a real possibility that someone will forget to aling the screen properly, leaving it outside the edge of the bath, thus directing copious amounts of water onto the floor. As suggested, a small discrete 'stop' could be put on the bath to prevent this.

3. if the inner and outer lips of the seal are not set properly then you can geat water seeping through. If I dropped the screen a few mm then this would make the problem less of a concern.

I'm inclined to go for the silicone sealant to kill all three birds with the one stone. I don't believe for a minute that silicone will wreck the bath as suggested. Worst case, I'd have to remove the screen and remove the silicone bead from the bath (I assume it will come off the seal easy enough).