Aqualisa is a British manufacturer of smart, digital and mixer showers. Typical Aqualisa shower problems include: pressure issues, water temperature problems, broken stop/start buttons and air-lock related-issues, especially in Quartz and Rise Digital models. Many common Aqualisa shower faults are covered by their customer warranty, but limescale damage, accidental breakage and installer-related faults are not.
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Check Your Aqualisa Guarantee (Warranty)
Like all showers, things will inevitably go wrong. Fortunately, most Aqualisa products come with a consumer warranty lasting between 1 and 5 years. If your Aqualisa shower was installed by a qualified professional and an issue arises which isn’t your fault, you may be entitled to free replacement parts or repairs.
It’s in your best interests to check the terms and conditions of your shower before attempting to repair shower problems yourself – doing so could void your warranty and place your life in danger.
According to the official Aqualisa shower guarantee Terms & Conditions, some Aqualisa shower problems are not covered by their 1, 2, 3 and 5-year guarantees, including:
- Limescale/scale damage
- Accidental breakage and damage
- Products purchased second-hand or anywhere except Aqualisa themselves
- Installer-related faults (i.e. damaged shower tiles)
- Showers installed outside of the UK and the Republic of Ireland
- Non-domestic shower (i.e. those installed in workplaces, schools, swimming pools etc.)
Aqualisa Shower Pressure Problems
If your shower has unusually low or high water pressure, or suffers from inconsistent water pressure, here’s what to do…
First, double-check that the problem is in your home. According to Ofwat (The UK’s Water Services Regulation Authority); maintenance work, flooding, high water demands and ongoing water access issues in your area could be causing shower pressure problems.
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To rule this out, check the water pressure elsewhere in your home. If your kitchen tap is running fine, but your Aqualisa shower isn’t, you can be fairly certain that the issue is either; a water boiler/heater, the shower pump or another shower-related problem.
Next, remove your shower head and hose. Limescale will slowly build-up inside these parts after continued use – this is especially common in the East of England and other hard water areas.
If you see white or brown deposits inside these Aqualisa shower parts, you may have located the root cause of your pressure problem. You can safely and easily destroy limescale with baking soda or other kitchen descalers.
Limescale damage and scale build-up are not covered by Aqualisa product warranties.
Adjusting Water Pressure in Aqualisa Showers
All models of Aqualisa showers can have their pressure adjusted to some degree, either manually or automatically. Digital showers, including the Aqualisa Quartz range, feature electrically-controlled water pressure controls while traditional shower models
Different Aqualisa showers have different operating pressures; these can range between 1 bar (14.5 psi) and 7 bar (100 psi). The maximum and minimum water pressure also changes depending on the type of shower installation.
But it can get even more complicated, as the same model of Aqualisa shower can have unique operating pressures for different installation types (i.e. gravity-fed, UHW, thermal storage, combination boiler or pumped systems).
Consult your Aqualisa shower manual for more details.
Installing an Aqualisa Shower Pump to Increase Pressure
Most older properties in the UK still use gravity to control water pressure. You may have a gravity-fed shower if you have a water tank in your loft or elsewhere near the top of your house.
These archaic devices are notorious for providing poor shower pressure but this can be easily remedied by installing a water pump. A single pump can provide enough boost to dramatically increase pressure over multiple showers around a house; they really are that powerful!
If you already have an Aqualisa shower installed, your best bet may be to purchase an official Aqualisa water pump. Two models are available; Aqualisa Mach 250 and Aqualisa Mach 340. The numbers refer to the maximum pressure increase delivered by each water pump.
Correctly installing either of these approved shower pumps will not affect the warranty of any existing Aqualisa showers. However, the same protection may not apply to other (non-Aqualisa) pump brands.
Aqualisa Start/Stop Button Not Working: Diagnosis & Repair
Some models of Quartz, Rise and Digital Aqualisa showers use buttons to control the shower. If the shower control button no longer works as expected, it’s likely to be one of the following issues:
- Aqualisa Shower Button Stuck/Jammed
- Shower Air Lock Valve Malfunction
- An Electrical Fault
The most common source of button issues in Aqualisa digital showers is the built-in air lock. This often occurs after long periods without use, after power cuts and after balancing or resetting water tanks.
To fix this issue, first place the shower head as low as possible (just over the plughole). This will slightly reduce the pressure needed for water to be pumped against gravity, out of your shower.
Next, locate the shower’s control unit – it may be labeled as the “Digital processor” on some models. This nifty device is often hidden away in a cupboard or cubby-hole close to the shower.
Make sure that no water enters this unit while doing so, as electricity and water should never mix! Switch the shower off on the control unit – there will be a switch or button on the exterior of the device. Do not interfere with the Shower controller in any other way.
Wait 1 minute while the controller is switched off, then turn it back on again. This will reset the system.
Return to the shower, reduce the water temperature to the coldest temperature setting, and turn the shower back on. If you can hear all sorts of strange noises emanating from your device, the problem is nearly solved!
Continue turning the shower on and off, slowly extending the amount of time that the shower is on. Eventually, any air should purge itself from the shower system leaving only water in the pipes.
Aqualisa Shower Temperature Problems
Most showers are “mixer showers” fed by 2 separate water feeds: one cold and another hot, from a gas, oil, wood-fired or electric water boiler. Some Aqualisa shower models heat cold water inside them, bypassing the need for an external boiler – these are referred to as electric showers.
If your water is heated by an external boiler, check the hot water temperature elsewhere in your home.
The following Aqualisa shower models contain a built-in water heater: Quartz, Lumi and eSERIES Digital/Electric Showers. A problem with the heating elements inside Aqualisa showers is a common source of temperature problems.
There are 2 or 3 heating elements in Aqualisa showers, depending on the model. One or all of them could fail at the same time. If only one heating element stops working, there will be shower temperature problems.
This could result in: a worsening decrease in hot water temperature over time, a shower that doesn’t get as hot as previously or no hot water at all.
However, when all of the heating elements in Aqualisa electric showers stop working, only cold water will flow from the shower head. This is less likely as heating elements are made to withstand years of daily use. If there is no hot water at all from your digital shower, it’s more likely to be an electrical fault!
Consult a qualified professional for further advice. Never attempt to work on devices where electricity and water could mix – it’s extremely dangerous!
Aqualisa Shower Head Holder Problem
The shower head holder (sometimes referred to as a clamp bracket assembly) keeps the shower head in a static position during use. On most Aqualisa models, the height of the shower head holder is adjusted by sliding it up and down, by either pressing a button or pinching a pinch grip.
These parts are usually made from plastic and stainless steel. Aqualisa shower head holders are not electrical but usually rely on an internal spring or friction to stay in place.
If there are any exposed screws holding the mechanism together, ensure that they’re tight.
If possible, look up the user manual for your exact model of the Aqualisa shower; it may contain device-specific instructions.
In spring-loaded Aqualisa shower head holders, a replacement spring (costing a few pounds at most) is a quick and easy fix suitable for home DIY-ers. Pinch grip Aqualisa shower head holders may also contain a spring in their mechanism – consult your shower’s Aqualisa Installation Guide for further guidance.
The quickest and easiest fix is to buy a complete replacement Aqualisa shower head holder!
Replacement parts can be bought directly through Aqualisa or other approved retailers. You’re more likely to find niche shower parts online than in-store. Be careful not to damage your shower while replacing the sliding shower head mechanism.