No cold water through new shower bar?

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 12:35PM #1

Any ideas?

I fitted a new Grohe shower bar today and while there is hot water coming through the hot water outlet through the shower bar, there is no cold water from the cold water outlet getting through the shower bar.

It is thermostatic shower bar. Not sure if that is having an effect. And yes there is cold water in the cold water pipe at 2bar.

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 01:20PM

There is cold water through the shower valve if I switch off the hot water inlet (I fitted two isolation valves on the shower feeds). My impression is that it is something to do with setting the operating temperature of the shower valve. Is it possible to hire some kind of thermometer that I can stick under the flow to set the temperature?

Plombier · 24-05-2012 01:32PM

Is the cold water going to the right hand side of the shower ?

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 03:12PM

The hot water is coming up on the left and the cold water on the right. If I turn off the hot (at the isolation valve) the cold water comes through but cold water does not come through 'on its own'. I rang Hansgrohe in the UK and the rep was very helpful but obviously limited in what advice could be offered at a distance. What I got from it - and i may be wrong - is that these thermostatic shower valves are designed to operate at set temperatures and to shut off if the water is too cold or too hot. The instructions for setting the temperature (it is ready set at 38C apparently, or should be) are a bit opaque for me and without a handheld thermometer, it will all very hit and miss when the installation is finally finished. BTW: the line filters I had to dispose of in favor of something more rubber like and the universal shower fitting needed an arm roll of tape on each of the threaded outlets.

Outkast_IRE · 24-05-2012 03:18PM

Black Bloc wrote: »

The hot water is coming up on the left and the cold water on the right. If I turn off the hot (at the isolation valve) the cold water comes through but cold water does not come through 'on its own'. I rang Hansgrohe in the UK and the rep was very helpful but obviously limited in what advice could be offered at a distance. What I got from it - and i may be wrong - is that these thermostatic shower valves are designed to operate at set temperatures and to shut off if the water is too cold or too hot. The instructions for setting the temperature (it is ready set at 38C apparently, or should be) are a bit opaque for me and without a handheld thermometer, it will all very hit and miss when the installation is finally finished. BTW: the line filters I had to dispose of in favor of something more rubber like and the universal shower fitting needed an arm roll of tape on each of the threaded outlets.

some of the grohe stuff i worked on could be adjusted slightly, go to the sink and run the hot water , is it too hot to keep your hand under or just lukewarm.

Is there a possibility your hot water temp incoming is so low that no cold needs to come through.

Any of the grohe stuff i worked on came with a leaflet/manual and small adjustments could be made to it.

sullzz · 24-05-2012 03:23PM

If you are standing in the shower cubicle facing the valve , is the hot pipe connected to the left side ? It sounds as if it is piped backwards , thermostatic shower valves should run cold if the water is too hot or not work if there is no cold . Also check in the instructions which side you should connect h+c supplies as i came across one or two which needed hot on right and cold on left but 99% require hot on left.
Some valves have colour coded stickers on the underside of the valve.

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 03:24PM

Good point about the hot water temp being so low that no cold needs to come through. I turned off the immersion heater more than tow days ago and at the water is just about luke warm.

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 03:25PM

sullzz wrote: »

If you are standing in the shower cubicle facing the valve , is the hot pipe connected to the left side ? It sounds as if it is piped backwards , thermostatic shower valves should run cold if the water is too hot or not work if there is no cold . Also check in the instructions which side you should connect h+c supplies as i came across one or two which needed hot on right and cold on left but 99% require hot on left.
Some valves have colour coded stickers on the underside of the valve.

No, it is piped correctly.

Outkast_IRE · 24-05-2012 04:27PM

Black Bloc wrote: »

Good point about the hot water temp being so low that no cold needs to come through. I turned off the immersion heater more than tow days ago and at the water is just about luke warm.

A serious question here, how were you ever meant to check if a thermostatic valve is working properly without any hot water

Get he hot water heated to its normal temp and then check it.

Black Bloc · 24-05-2012 04:37PM

sullzz wrote: »

If you are standing in the shower cubicle facing the valve , is the hot pipe connected to the left side ? It sounds as if it is piped backwards , thermostatic shower valves should run cold if the water is too hot or not work if there is no cold . Also check in the instructions which side you should connect h+c supplies as i came across one or two which needed hot on right and cold on left but 99% require hot on left.
Some valves have colour coded stickers on the underside of the valve.

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

A serious question here, how were you ever meant to check if a thermostatic valve is working properly without any hot water
Get he hot water heated to its normal temp and then check it.

Fair point. The hot water is luke warm currently but since the unit is set at 38C I reckoned that should be good enough to test it but as you say maybe not.

BTW: any tips on adjusting the temperature to run the unit hotter? The instructions show lots of double arrows for twisting a screw in the hot side but don't say which direction (clockwise or ant-clockwise) is for increasing the temp. Not sure if I then need to do some adjustment on the cold side too.

Outkast_IRE · 24-05-2012 05:08PM

Black Bloc wrote: »

Fair point. The hot water is luke warm currently but since the unit is set at 38C I reckoned that should be good enough to test it but as you say maybe not.

BTW: any tips on adjusting the temperature to run the unit hotter? The instructions show lots of double arrows for twisting a screw in the hot side but don't say which direction (clockwise or ant-clockwise) is for increasing the temp. Not sure if I then need to do some adjustment on the cold side too.

have your hot water fully heated to its normal running temperature, then make one adjustment at a time you should be able to tell pretty quickly what effect its having.

No cold water through new shower bar?

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