Removing cartridge from Bristan thermostatic shower (Prism)?

Does anyone know how to remove the retianing nut from a Bristan Qube Thermostatic Bar Shower - I just cant get a socket that is thin enough to fit inside the shwer bar to get at it!

Chelsea
October 2012

There are some very good answers here but on the Bristan website it shows a video of how to! I have just bought a seal kit from a local plumbers merchants for a fiver!!!

handyman Malc
January 2012

After 3 months installed my Prism mini twin line has become very difficult to turn off.

I'm beginning to realise that Bristan have a big design problem and I'm wishing I'd never installed one of theirs.

I've got to try to remember,go German all the time!!

(and don't get me started on Gledhill)

weeble
November 2011

I've just removed the thermostatic cartridge from my Bristan Qube, and would just like to point out something extremely obvious (for the benefit of those, like me, who didn't already know it): the cartridge on my shower was retained by a big nut, which didn't appear separately in the schematic, and which was not mentioned in any posts about getting the thing out. After removing the nut, the cartridge came out easily.

Greg Garrard
October 2011

Can anyone help with how to remove the bleedin' control knob off first!! I have a Bristan Sonique/Capri which has only been fitted 11 or 12 months, and the cartridge has gone. Removed the grubscrew but the control knob is wedged on fast... any suggestions ?

Dont particularly want to pull the shower off the wall as the whole bathroom was fitted at the same time....

Thanks

hartski
August 2011

Same problem with Bristan 1901 shower cartridge removal. I understand that when the shower eventually runs cold, the cartridge has scaled up, due to the low tolerance for limescale of the valve on the hot side. The dead end left by the hot pipe constitutes a serious health risk namely legionnaires disease. Write to Bristan and threaten legal action if they don't come and fix it. if no reply then contact the environmental health department.

kevin
August 2011

We tried all the solutions listed without success. We tapped it - no help. Pulling with pincers seemed to do damage, as did trying to lever the metalised plastic of the flow control handle. Trying to take the whole thing off the wall was less than easy.
In the end we undid the unnamed bolt at the top of the whole and looking down onto the thermostatic valve, rotated it until a slot was uppermost. A screwdriver in there, a bit of leverage, Voila!

George
May 2011

Excellent advice - thanks guys! This did it for me: "REPLACE THE BIG FLOW LEVER AND THE C CLIP, WITH A FLAT SCREW DRIVER PLACE IT INBETWEEN THE VALVE BODY AND THE HANDLE THIS WILL MAKE THE CARTRIDGE POP OUT". The cartridge had one yellow seal missing (must have totally disintegrated) and one yellow seal half crumbled, with the other two intact. Altho we have fairly soft water the yellow seals (probably 5 yrs old) had turned green with lime.

Dave Witho
January 2011

Hi Just done all this had to remove complete valve as spline had broken on CP valve. Put all back to together and refitted - no drips shower working but 'HOT' only - what did I do wrong?

Dave
January 2011

If this cartridge is the same as the Sceptre mixer then get a long piece of batton and drill a hole in it about 2/3 of the way along. Put a machine screw through it the same size as the thread into the temperature adjustment knob. Then using it the batton as a lever pull. It will eventually come out with a pop.
City plumbing got me new seals at no charge as the old seals had shredded.

JJW
January 2011

I have previously managed to remove the cartridge to service it without too much difficulty but this time I managed to snap the spline off the cartridge deep inside the body of my Bristan Prism. This was stuck 10 cm down a deep hole with nothing to grip on to remove it.

I rang Bristan who were very helpful but admitted that it would be difficult to get out. They suggested tapping it with a long screw but this didnt do anything.

I found that the chuck of my cordless drill was just small enough to fit into the chamber and I drilled a 3mm hole into the brass spline. It was tricky getting it central as I was doing it completely blind.

However the hole was enough for me to screw a long screw in till it gripped tight and I was able to pull the spline bit free.

I now need a new cartridge. Cheaper than a new shower!

I had looked at replacing the shower unit but they have changed the pipe centres from 153 to 150 on most of their showers. Why on earth dont they do a conversion kit (ie new elbows) to fit a new shower to a previous fitting?

Peter

Peter Harris
December 2010

In my experience, Bristan's quality has deteriorated in recent years. For example, I am now on my third set of taps in ten years as the chrome finish is so thin, it wears off with cleaning

Nick
October 2010

I have just had a similar experience with Bristan. I paid £129.00 for the part and an engineer to come and do the job. After one hour HE left, unable to get the cartridge out. After 30 mins in a phone queue was told afterwards if there was lime scale and had not been serviced..it would not be covered and ..unable to help!!! Can anyone give further suggestions before I go to the officer of fair trading? Their direct line number I have found is: 01827 254002 ..just to save giving them MORE money on an 0845 number!

Annabelle
October 2010

The temperature control stopped working on ours. After a day messing about I tried the following which worked.
Remove the valve, take the seals off it (if you don't have the instructions make a note of exectly where the seals go and their orientation, they go back in a specific way).
Pour limescale remover into the valve, turn the dials and repeat. It turned out the mechanism had jammed on our valve (presumably some scale debris).
Rinse thoroughly, I was concerned any limescale remover residue would damage the seals so I also coated them in silicon grease as recommended in the instructions. Refit the valve.

Mr T
September 2010

Anyone know where I can get a thermostat cartridge for the same shower?
Den

Den dennis
September 2010

Emily, are you up to being brutal?

The way to get the cartridge out of the Bristan Artisan bar-valve shower-mixer is to take it off the wall, then put it on the floor, put your left foot and all your weight on it, and then with as long a pair of grippers as you can get just yank anti-clockwise on the teeth that the control knob slips onto. If you tighten the gripper well you won't do too much damage to the teeth and anyway if you are replacing the cartridge you needn't worry because you'll be throwing it away! Use the same method to put the new cartridge in.

Just be brutal. You might have to yank it about half a dozen times before it budges.

Good luck.

Chris
August 2010

I've got a Bristan Artisan bar-valve (shower mixer) and after only a few months it's gone cold. My plumber has had a look at it and he says there's hot water getting inside the unit without any problem but it's just not getting mixed any longer. It has worked fine until now.

I rang Bristan and after waiting in a queue for about ten minutes a woman answered who said they would send an engineer to me but only if I gave them my credit card details there and then! I asked them why I should give them my credit card details given that the unit has a five-year guarantee and has worked fine until now and my plumber has said there's a problem inside the unit. (He checked the filters too and they're perfectly clean.) The woman in Bristan's Customer Services said that without my Credit Card details "We cannot help you further!"

So I decided to just order a new cartridge or anything else that may be visibly broken inside the unit. This means I need to open the unit as described in the instruction booklet.

The instruction booklet makes it clear that to get the inner unit out of the Bristan Artisan you HAVE TO unscrew the whole thing out of the external casing. I have found this impossible to do. It just will not turn. It's so tight.

So I have tried to call Bristan to tell them this but each time I ring they keep you in a queue for ages. There must be an enormous number of people ringing Bristan with problems OR they they can't have many people answering their phones! After FIFTEEN minutes of being kept in a queue, I've just hung up in disgust!

What can I do?

I'm seriously thinking of asking the plumber to rip the Bristan Artisan pipe fittings out and put in something that is reliable from a company that is genuinely helpful. It will mean disturbing the tiling but I just want rid of this thing. I can't have this nonsense year after year.

I'm retired and all I want on my bathroom wall is something to mix the hot and cold water!

The plumber told me that Bristan says their showers need servicing every twelve months! I couldn't believe it! The unit was expensive enough and now I discover I am supposed to pay out every 12 months to have a thing that just mixes hot and cold water together for a shower in the morning!

When I was a child we had a shower in our house and it worked fine for twenty years before we got a new bathroom put in and another good shower mixer replaced the earlier one. All my father had to do now and again with both shower mixers was switch off at the mains, drain the water out of the unit and then pour in a little limescale-remover and leave it there for a couple of hours before rinsing etc.

If anybody can give me any good ideas I would be most grateful.

Thanks.

Emily
July 2010

thank you bristan service engineer your suggestion worked perfectly
regards

Nigel Earle
July 2010

Hi all, I have a question. I am having problems with my shower, it has the stopcock on off valve and an arm underneath for the hot/cold. The on off is stiff and the shower is continually dripping. I have tried to remove the on off tap thinking this was the issue, but after reading you posts above, could it be the hot/cold arm. The temp. control is fine, but I really need to get this sorted as we exchanged contracts today to sell the house and they have stipulated in the contract that the shower must be fixed. HELP!!!! the emotions displayed above are very familliar.

Mark
July 2010

Addition to my previous post. I ordered a seal kit recently from Bristan (out of 5-yr guarantee period but only 6 pounds something) for our other shower. Delivered in 2 days. They advised by phone that the cartridge should be removed annually to spread silicon grease on the seals. We have no docs on the showers - previous owner had them installed.

Clive
May 2010

Excellent advice - thanks guys! This did it for me: "REPLACE THE BIG FLOW LEVER AND THE C CLIP, WITH A FLAT SCREW DRIVER PLACE IT INBETWEEN THE VALVE BODY AND THE HANDLE THIS WILL MAKE THE CARTRIDGE POP OUT". The cartridge had one yellow seal missing (must have totally disintegrated) and one yellow seal half crumbled, with the other two intact. Altho we have fairly soft water the yellow seals (probably 5 yrs old) had turned green with lime.

clive
April 2010

Thanks to whoever suggested putting the lever back on then using a screwdriver to prise off. Worked a treat

Ike
April 2010

I've successfully removed the cartridge from my Bristan Java thermostaic valve twice by screwing the long section of a Wickes Restaint Strap through the middle, to the end of the cartridge and using both hands to pull it out. The Strap allows you to put a hand above and below the cartridge so it can be pulled squarely.

The screw required to fit the end of the temperature control spline has the same size thread as the ones (30) which hold the retaining ring (31) into the valve body - though I'd recommend using one with a longer thread. I use one with a 15mm long thread.

This is the Strap: http://www.wickes.co.uk/Restraint-Strap/invt/246012

Matt Watson
March 2010

For me I put a screw driver on either side of replaced BIG FLOW LEVER in order that the force was equalised.

I had to refit the seals twice. The big seals both looked more or less the same but swapping them around stopped the small drip I had the first time I replaced the cartridge.

Also obviously make sure that everything is clear of limescale when refitting.

Will S
February 2010

Thanks all of you!!!
I took mine off the wall-best thing i could have done -placed it on a towel on the floor gently stood on the hot and cold feed pipes and pulled up firmly on the temp control with the tap back on -after soaking for a while in vinegar -and eventually it came apart -but a very large force was needed!!!!!!!!

Simon
January 2010

I would just like to say a big thank you to previous contributors for the helpful hints in dealing with this component. The valve did appear to be stuck fast initially. However, replacing the temperature control and use of large adjustable spanner as a lever did the trick with only a modicum of force applied. The seals were totally shot.

John
November 2009

I had the same problem, and it was easily resolved by replacing the large flow control handle with clip and using this with the assistance of a slot headed screwdriver to lever the cartridge out. It literally popped out.

Adrian
October 2009

Mine seemed stuck in place - I was advised by Bristan that it could be limescale. I found that after removing the retaining ring, twisting the entire assembly with an adjustable spanner then pulling with mole grips it eventually came out - it did take quite a pull though!

Bill
October 2009

no

billy no mates
September 2009

Hi, there is a very easy way to remove these cartridges,depending on the type of handle you have!
turn water off, remove temp control, this should expose a bronze c clip, remove the clip and the handle, (keep the clip safe!) remove the two grub screws from the front of the valve and take off the silver plate! NOW REPLACE THE BIG FLOW LEVER AND THE C CLIP, WITH A FLAT SCREW DRIVER PLACE IT INBETWEEN THE VALVE BODY AND THE HANDLE THIS WILL MAKE THE CARTRIDGE POP OUT!!!!

bRISTAN SERVICE ENGINEER
May 2009

Remember to turn off the mains

Karl
May 2009

I thought I would share with you a possible solution to the cartridge removal problem.

I tried all the various solutions posted to the forums on the net relating to this but to no avail.

In the end my final solution was to remove the shower from the pipework and get at the cartrdge that way.

Where the ceramic disc opens and closes you may just see the glimmer of one of the seals, in my case it was a creamy white. By using a small flat head screw driver against this point and using it for some leverage it just popped out, with a litte bit of effort.

Replaced all the seals and the ceramic disc and everything went back as was and now is as good as new.

This may not be a solution for everybody but it worked for me, after about 3 weeks of stressing on what to do!

Icemangooner
October 2008

This is going to sound completely mental, but the way I did it (completely by accident) was to turn the water back on temporarily, and the whole thing just simply popped out!

I found that the washers had perished also. Any ideas on where I can order new ones?

Colin
September 2008

Very useful advice all. Agree that its best to put the temperature control valve back on so you have somethging to grip onto when pulling it out. Then a hefty pull and it came out. One of the rubber washers had disintegrated and one was missing completely. When replacing the valve, look inside the housing and line up the holes inside (ours were top and bottom) where the water comes in, with the holes set to 'open' at the back of the valve. We had pre-ordered replacemnt washers and valve from Bristan. They sent them free as the kit has a five year guarentee.

tom and helen
August 2008

Leverage . Cut a whole in a small piece of hardboard large enough to allow the cartridge to come through . hold it on the face of the unit . Put the temp control head back on and screwtightly . Get a large adjustable spanner and open the jaws so they fit behind the temp control head . Pack any space between the spanner and the hardboard with strips of wood to create a leverage point ( three hands help) . Exert medium pressure . Out the Cartridge pops !

Chas
August 2008

Thanks guys! After developing tourettes from being unable to remove the cartridge (Bristan 1901) I read your advice: tapped around the unit to make sure it was loose - gripped the front brass valve with a pair of pincers - took a firm stand - pulled firmly - out it came! Hoorah One of the yellow washers has perished, I will order replacements.

Thanks again!

Ian H.
August 2008

Hi all

Fo those of u that r having problems removing the cartridge i would suggest that u reomove the whole unit from the wall, then grip the the spindle in a vice best to use rubber mallet or the like, once out purchase a overhaul kit from bristan they are usually about £3 make sure that the new oring go on the same way as the old ones came off (do one at a time) then grease new seals using silicone lube purchased from plumber merchant, dont use to much just a small smear will do on each one, then replace the cartride into the shower body taking not that the cold water must be in open position, once its all back togetherpull hot/cold control to the coldest setting and turn on water then slowely turn the hot/cold to calibrate it. Good luck

Dave DF Construction
June 2008

Wow, thanks guys. Had given up until i read this thread. Nearly went through the glass though ;). One word of advice to anyone carrying this out. If the shower mixer isn't firmly fixed to the wall then you've got no chance of pulling the cartridge out without pulling the shower mixer with it. Luckily mine was. Otherwise you'll have to remove the body and hold it in a vice or something as James did above. A bit of a pain but not nearly as much as trying to fix the shower you've pulled out the wall.

Thanks again guys.

Mike
June 2008

I just did my first cartridge replacement today - I removed the whole housing (4 simple grub screws etc..) and took it to a simple bench vice - gripped the large integral nut and heaved up and it came out first time. May be better that breaking threads and throwing the body around the room. No mention in the instructions of course. Anyway musn't grumble.

James the no-way-plumber
February 2008

Steve / Dazz

Thanks - just went for maximum leverage as you said. Also sprayed WD40 limescale remover and put the temperature control back on for something to grab and gave it a massive tug and almost fell backwards through the back of the house when it finally came out. Turns out it is just a decayed washer that needs replacing !

AT
January 2008

Hi Guys, would appreciate the same help here. Have tried and tried to pull out the cartridge and nothing happens. afraid i'm gonna pull something out the wall here.

any ideas?

Dazz
January 2008

AT
Brute force was the solotion. A large spanner behind the temperature control knob and a large screwdriver used as a cam between back of the spanner and the main casing and lots of leverage. Just be careful not to pull the whole thing of the wall !!

Steve

Steve
January 2008

Hmmm - having exactly the same problem with the Bristan Java. I wonder if you have to turn it first ?. It seems just stuck in place and my shower keeps on dripping so I need to do something pretty quick.

Did you phone Bristan yet ? I will try tomorrow.

If you succeed let me know

AT

AT
January 2008