Be wary of novelty shower accessories - A plumbing repair story

Article by David Powell, 13 July 2018

I attended a property in Gosport, near Portsmouth to the report of a leak from the shower.

Upon inspection, the electric shower was spraying water from inside of its casing. I removed the casing and found that the pressure relief valve had failed, sending water out of its reservoir as well as the shower head which in turn caused a drop-in pressure.

When discussing the issue with the customer, they told me they had bought a novelty shower head which lit up in a multicoloured light display when the shower was in use. The shower head was very attractive but was not specific to this manufacturer of shower.

The shower head jets did not let sufficient flow through causing a back up of pressure within the shower and causing the pressure relief to blow.

The customer had continued to use the shower for a period after first noticing the leak this has resulted in water contact with the electrical supplies inside the shower, not only causing further internal damage but also risking electric shock.

The shower was beyond economical repair and a price was given to replace shower and shower head.

Important Note to Customers

These types of novelty shower heads are fine for gravity fed showers but when fitting them to any power assisted shower you need to be sure that the head is capable of the flow required by the manufacturer. 

Does your shower leak?

Don't hesitate to contact ACE and our expert plumbers can advise you further.

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