Triton PRD replaced but still problems

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by L POWELL, Jul 27, 2019.

  1. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Evening all. Petite lady DIYer making first post. Triton Enrich shower installed about 8 years ago. PRD blew so replaced with new. Tried 2 different types - the original PRD type with the black ball and the newer type with the disc. Both continued to blow. Did the recommended slow turning from 10 (low pressure) to 1 (high pressure) at cold setting to flush, several times without shower head attached. Some debris came out but could hear air being sucked into valve. Re-fitted PRD numerous times and tried all procedures with and without shower head with both types of valve. Ended up in desperation putting PTFE tape carefully around seal where PRD fits into housing. Didn't blow and water pressure steady with and without shower head BUT temperature is alternating scald and freeze. Guessing it's still a PRD issue. Any advice please?
     
  2. Joe the Plumber

    Joe the Plumber Screwfix Select

    In my opinion, an eight year old electric shower (in fact any electric shower more than a couple of years old)
    is not worth repairing.

    Have a look at where the water inlet and electrical connections are and buy a new shower of the same kW with
    a similar arrangement.

    You're just wasting time and money trying to repair the old one.
     
  3. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    I agree with Joe ,fit a new shower. Not worth trying to repair an 8 year old one.
     
  4. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thank you, chaps. Was afraid that might be the case. Was hoping to repair it as the shower room is due for a refit in a few months time and it would be good to keep the old unit going just a bit longer. Ah, well ...
     
  5. Joe the Plumber

    Joe the Plumber Screwfix Select

    Buy a nice new shower and then re-fit it in your new shower room. You're just staggering the purchase a bit!
     
  6. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thanks Joe, yes that's true. What a pain though. Still very curious however to understand why replacing the PRD didn't solve the issue and appears to have created another. Tried one last time this morning to flush the unit but still scald/freeze with or without shower head in place. Looks like I'll have to fit a new unit. A woman's work is never done ...
     
  7. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    The PRD reacts to excessive pressure ,if the hose / shower head / or the internal parts of your shower ( heating canister for example ) are causing a restriction to the water flow it will cause the problems you indicate. If the heating elements are encrusted with limescale ,the overheat stat cuts off the electricity to them ,then shower runs cold ,it then closes the circuit ,water heats again and the cycle repeats.
    Buy a new shower.
     
  8. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thanks Terry, it might well be the heating canister. The water here is the hardest in the country (officially!) and it's almost like liquid concrete coming out of the taps (slight exaggeration there). The Enrich has been a decent little shower which suits our needs and I've noted it's still available at the price it was 8 years ago so that's good. I'll have a go at fitting it but if I reach my limitations will get a man in ... Which leads me to ask what I'm sure is a dumb question, but will it be a job for an electrician or a plumber? I hope it's not a plumber - rarer than hen's teeth here.
     
  9. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    Plumber usually , electricians don't seem to like water !! A good handyman maybe ? Its quite easy to fit an identical model .
     
  10. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thanks again Terry. Handymen are equally rare - we live in the sticks, but I'm game for a go at it. Cheers!
     
  11. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Just an update for anyone who may be interested in the outcome of the above issue.

    Bought a new Triton Enrich (Screwfix) which is identical to the old one. During commissioning the prd didn’t blow so that was good. However, it still has the same problem that the old one had - when on the high setting it cuts out so the water is scald/freeze. The water pressure was unchanged from before replacement - in fact it had never been changed in the eight years since the initial installation - and the house water pressure has been stable for weeks. Did the commissioning procedure numerous times.

    No debris came out during commissioning and the water flow is steady at all temperatures.

    Checked the stop valve in the loft above the shower room and opened it full, to see if it was a pressure issue, but nothing’s changed - still scald/freeze. The shower will run without cutting out on the Economy setting, but this will only be good for the warmer weather.

    Desperate now and more than a little frustrated. Any ideas, folks?
     
  12. Joe the Plumber

    Joe the Plumber Screwfix Select

    I'm certainly not an electrician, but as the water supply is okay, I'd suggest making sure (very carefully) that you have 240V (+/-) at the connections inside the shower once it's switched on. You'll need a voltage tester or multimeter for this I'm afraid (or an electrician). I use one of these:

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-mas830b-digital-multimeter-600v/75337

    It could be the heating element is coping with the economy setting, but as soon as you ask it for its full power, it's not getting enough electricity to heat up (you can tell I'm only a plumber....)

    I once swapped a faulty electric shower for a customer, stupidly not checking the electrics as the lights on the ceiling switch and on the shower itself were on, and when the new one didn't work, I discovered it only had 67V at the shower. The ceiling switch had had it. A new one sorted it out immediately. Most embarrassing.
     
  13. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    What kW enrich is it ,8.5 kW or higher. I doubt its a voltage problem. Your shower has two heating elements ,on the eco setting ,only one is energised. Both are energised on the high setting , the other " cold" position of the top knob has no elements energised.
    The enrich is not thermostatic ,that is to say when heating element/s are electrically energised they get to temp very quickly and the heat they generate is fairly constant ,the water flow thru the heating canister is what gives you the temperature at the shower head. So the faster the flow of water ,the lower the temperature at the shower head ,and vice versa. Your problem is not that the elements are not heating ,but the heat being generated is not being dispersed ,and the thermal cut out is intervening ,cutting off the voltage,hence it then runs cold.
    So ,when you fitted the front cover ,are you sure the spindles were correctly aligned with the two knobs on the front panel ? Do this test , turn bottom knob fully ANTI clockwise ,with both heating elements on ( high setting) and tell us the result. I am expecting you will get a very forceful spray of water from the shower head ,at a very lowish temperature. Is that so ?
     
  14. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thanks again chaps, sorry for delay in replying. On unpacking the lower knob was misaligned, i.e. it was turned so that it sat between the 1 (cold) and 10 (hot) numbers. I tried it without altering it in case it had some unknown relevance but of course it wouldn't turn fully round to the 10 setting - stopped at about 8/half. Took it off and altered it to match the position of the face plate removed from the old one and it turned as it should from 1 to 10.

    When the heating is on high (therefore both elements on) and bottom indicator turned to 1 (fully-anti clock to cold) the water flow is cold and strong.
     
  15. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Also forgot to answer that it's 8.5 kw (bit flaky today - stuff going on ...)
     
  16. Joe the Plumber

    Joe the Plumber Screwfix Select

    Please check the voltage (with great care, of course). I know it's unlikely, but it's still worth doing.
     
  17. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Thanks Joe. With luck I might be able to get someone to test that and the flow for me later today. Long story which I'll not go into, but we have a small (tiny) upstairs bathroom which is in a semi-derelict state (hence the extra importance of the shower which is downstairs). Yesterday found a local guy who's coming this evening to see about refitting the upstairs bathroom. I'll see if I can get him to check out the shower while he's here, but I've never met him and don't know if he's any cop. (If he looks to be the business I'll get him to do the shower room refit later). It's such a gamble getting in tradesmen so you never know ... Will post again when more info.
     
  18. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    Good . Now run the shower with both elements on ,then turn the bottom dial slowly clockwise ,one digit at a time ,until you get the temperature at the shower head that you require. Its unlikely that you will need the dial on more than 4 or 5 . let us know the result.
     
  19. L POWELL

    L POWELL New Member

    Well ... the bathroom fitting chap has just departed and I explained the shower issue to him so he went and tried it for himself and the bleeping thing worked okay. He suggested to keep going with it for the next few days and as he's coming back to do another small job here, he'll see to it if necessary at the time. He speculates that among other things it might be that our water pressure is too good. He tested it at 6.5 which he said was mighty (we thought it was feeble). So ... in the interim therefore we'll see how it performs. Sod's law that something only works when the fixer turns up.

    Anyway, thanks again for your advice which is greatly appreciated and I'll report back on how stable the darned thing is over the next few days.
     
  20. terrymac

    terrymac Screwfix Select

    6.5 what ? Litres per minute or ,surely not ,6.5 bar !!
    High water pressure would NOT ,give you the problems you told us about. However low water flow rate would. If you have been running the shower with the lower dial not correctly aligned ,and the flow rate is too low ,combined with the current water temperature of your incoming mains water being fairly high due to the current weather, that would certainly explain your problem.
     

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