Shower stopped working: when is replacement the answer?

For an electric shower, check the pull cord or wall isolator is on and that nothing has tripped at the consumer unit. If it trips again when switched back on, leave it off; that points to an electrical fault inside the unit.

For a mixer shower, check that hot water is reaching the taps elsewhere in the house. If the taps run cold too, the fault lies with the hot water supply rather than the shower.

For any shower, unscrew the head and soak it in descaler. Hard water across the Thames Valley builds limescale quickly, and a blocked head can make a working shower seem broken.

Repeated tripping, burning smells or scorch marks on an electric unit are reasons to stop using it and replace it. Water leaking from inside the casing, controls that no longer turn, and temperature that swings no matter how the dial is set are also typical end-of-life signs, particularly on older units where parts are no longer easy to find.

Age matters too. An older shower that has needed attention more than once is often better replaced, because a new unit brings current safety features such as thermostatic control.

Some problems look like a broken shower but sit elsewhere. Low pressure throughout the house, water running cold only at busy times, or a tray that leaks at the edge each have their own causes, and we cover them in separate guides so you can rule them out before replacing anything.

If the new unit is the same type in the same position, it is a like-for-like swap. If you want a different type, or the tiling around the shower is failing, the job becomes an installation or a small refurbishment. We inspect the existing supply, surrounding finish and drainage before giving a fixed written quote.

Water outside the enclosure does not automatically mean the shower unit has failed. A tray that moves underfoot, a door that no longer closes evenly, failed silicone or water escaping where the frame meets the wall can all create the same symptom. The wet patch may appear beside the tray, under the flooring or on the ceiling below, so the visible water is not always beside the failed joint.

We do not advertise a leak-repair call-out service. Where replacement is the answer, we can remove and fit the shower tray, replace the door or enclosure, install the shower and make good the affected tiling as one planned job. That keeps responsibility for the tray, screen, seals and tile finish with the same team.

A sound tray can stay when only the shower unit needs changing. If the tray flexes, is cracked, drains poorly or no longer suits the enclosure, replacing it at the same time avoids fitting new equipment onto a weak base. The old tray comes out, the floor and waste are checked, the replacement is supported and levelled, and the waste is tested before the surrounding work is closed.

Shower doors and screens need to match the tray opening and the available clearance. Sliding doors can suit tighter rooms because they do not swing out, while a fixed screen forms a simpler walk-in arrangement. Wall alignment also matters: an enclosure fitted against an uneven wall needs adjustment so the door closes properly and the seals meet cleanly.

The final order matters. The tray and waste are fitted and tested first, waterproofing and any replacement tiling follow, then the door or screen is aligned and sealed. The shower is installed and tested as part of the completed arrangement rather than treated as an isolated appliance swap.

If the old shower was electric, the simplest route is usually another electric unit on the same supply, provided the rating suits the existing cable and protection. If you have a combination boiler or an unvented cylinder, a thermostatic mixer may give a stronger, steadier flow and is worth discussing on the survey.

It is also a good moment to look at what surrounds the shower. If the sealant is black, grout is cracking or the tray moves underfoot, replacing the unit alone will not stop water getting where it should not. We check these points when we visit and tell you honestly whether the swap on its own is enough.