Leaking Shower Mixer

This mixer cartridge really had passed it’s sell by date.

The shower enclosure was showing signs of a leak on the outside of the door. I was asked to report if the pipe work was leaking inside the wall lining. To do this I had to take the handle off the shower mixer, which has clearly been leaking for some time. The mixer cartridge handle snapped off whilst I was trying to remove the handle, when the cartridge was removed it literally fell apart. The black sludge that you can see is Manganese. After replacing the mixer cartridge the shower mixer worked perfectly fine. After removing the mixer plate I was able to ascertain that the pipe work within the wall lining was not leaking. However, the sealant inside the shower enclosure had perished and was more than likely tracking to the outside of the enclosure, soaking into the gib wall lining and MDF skirting.

If your shower mixer is leaking, replacing the mixer cartridge usually stops the leak, if your unsure, give me a call. Meeting your plumbing needs.