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[Martin_1962]

I am doing some plumbing changes to the house and one of them is fit new taps to the downstairs loo sink,

Only problem is - how do I undo the nut deep under the sink?

Do I cut the pipe and get a deep drive socket?

[Phil B]

Twist the tap?  

[Marks DTM Calib]

[Tony H]

There's a special tap wrench that you can get it looks a bit like a horseshoe on the end of a bar that you grip the tap locking nut with underneath the sink

[Bandit127]

You need one of these:


It's called an Adjustable Basin Wrench

Tony H beat me to it.... MTF

[Marks DTM Calib]

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14631/Bathrooms/Plumbing-Hand-Tools/Adjustable-Basin-Wrench

[theolodian]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

[Phil B]

Seem to remember something about these pumps having a limited run time as they overheat. Could be wrong though

[Marks DTM Calib]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

Is the header tank filling ok......you could be emptying that which would possibly result in you still having hot water (depends on the type of take off for the hot water feed for the shower from the tank)

[Taxi_Driver]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

Power showers take a feed from the hot water tank and the cold water tank (that feeds the hot water tank)
I dont think the pump can be stopping as the pump drives both the hot and cold.....so if the pump stopped the water flow would reduce to a dribble.
However what it sounds like to me is the cold water tank is running out of water.....ie the mains feed to it carnt cope on keeping it filled.
Especially if the shower has aleady been running 12 mins or more.

A way to check is.... when this happens....is turn on the hot tap of the basin or bath....if no hot comes out.....then cold water tank has run out...

If this does prove to be the problem.......a bigger cold water tank is the solution....

I had to have a 'coffin' cold water tank (so called coz its the size and looks like a coffin) to feed a 3bar power shower I had at my previous house......it kept the shower fed but the hot use to run out after 5 mins  

[theolodian]

Yes, most of the time the pump stops and the water becomes a trickle.  The hot tap still works.  Other times only the cold stops.

I was thinking it might be the header tank not keeping up.

[Big_Al]

Thinking that you only have a small capacity seperate header tank  just for the shower. I usually tap into the main header tank that supplies the hot water tank to supply  the cold to these power showers.

Remember though that a power shower will pump a lot of water in 12 mins

[gsdtrainer]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

If this is happening,you have a faulty shower.they are thermostatically controlled and should shut down if it goes over the set temperature.

[gsdtrainer]

Another theory on the connection of the shower-it might be connected to the hot water feed tank,so it uses the up the water which should go to the hot tank causing a rise in temperature,possibly??

[Marks DTM Calib]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

If this is happening,you have a faulty shower.they are thermostatically controlled and should shut down if it goes over the set temperature.

Not neccassarily, it could be a simple shower valve witout thermostatic control