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Shower Plumber · Brentwood & Essex

Shower Repairs & Shower Replacements

Many shower problems can be repaired without replacing the entire shower — a worn cartridge, a failed thermostatic valve or a tired tray seal is usually a same-visit fix. When a full swap does make sense, FFT Plumbing & Heating fits new mixer, thermostatic, concealed and electric showers across Brentwood, Chelmsford and the wider Essex area, with the pipework and valve installation done properly first time.

  • Repair-first approach — we don't sell new showers you don't need
  • Thermostatic & concealed valve specialists
  • Mixer, electric, digital and pumped shower replacements
  • Common cartridges & valves carried on the van

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Common shower problems we repair

If your shower is doing any of these, it's almost always repairable. Shower repair in Brentwood and across Essex is one of our most common call-outs — and most jobs don't need a brand-new shower.

Leaking showers

Drips behind the wall plate, around the tray or from the valve body during use.

Faulty shower valves

Mixer or thermostatic valves that stick, drip or won't hold temperature.

Poor shower pressure

Weak flow from the head — often a scaled cartridge, blocked head or pump issue.

Dripping shower heads

Constant drip after the shower's switched off — usually a worn cartridge or seal.

Shower pump faults

Noisy, intermittent or failed pumps on gravity-fed and twin-impeller setups.

Thermostatic valve repairs

Temperature swings, scalding or cold-shock — typically a worn thermostatic cartridge.

Concealed valve replacements

Behind-the-wall thermostatic valve swaps with careful tile access and alignment.

Electric shower replacements

Failed Mira, Triton and Aqualisa units replaced with like-for-like or upgraded models.

Shower tray leaks

Water tracking behind a failed tray seal — usually fixed by a proper reseal, not a new tray.

Shower upgrades

Old mixers swapped for thermostatic, rain-head or digital showers — pipework adjusted to suit.

Shower repair or replacement? Honest advice first

Many shower problems can be repaired without replacing the entire shower. Here's how we look at it on every job.

Repair makes sense when…

  • The valve body is intact — it's a cartridge, seal or thermostatic element
  • The leak is at the tray seal rather than from the valve itself
  • Spares are still available for the model
  • The shower matches the bathroom you want to keep

Replacement makes sense when…

  • The valve body itself has failed or is corroded
  • The electric shower unit has burnt out or is over 10 years old
  • Parts are no longer available for the model
  • You're upgrading from mixer to thermostatic, rain-head or digital

Shower valve installations

Whether it's a straight cartridge swap, an exposed thermostatic bar valve or a full concealed valve replacement behind tile, we handle the pipework, the alignment and the test under full pressure before we leave.

  • Exposed and concealed thermostatic bar valves
  • Concealed valve replacements with careful tile access
  • First-fix hot and cold supplies chased neatly into the wall, perfectly level
  • Digital, dual-outlet and rain-head shower upgrades
  • Mira, Aqualisa, Hansgrohe, Grohe and Bristan serviced and installed

How a typical visit goes

  1. 1
    Send a photo or call
    WhatsApp a picture of the shower valve, head or leak — we'll often know the part needed before we arrive.
  2. 2
    Diagnose on-site
    We strip down the valve or trace the leak, confirm the fault and advise honestly whether repair or replacement is the right call.
  3. 3
    Repair or replace
    Most repairs are completed same-visit. New valve and full shower installs are pressure-tested and sealed before we leave.

Repair first, replace only when it makes sense

Most shower faults are a cartridge or seal — not a new £-hundreds shower. We say so.

Concealed & thermostatic valve specialists

Behind-the-wall valve work needs careful tile access and accurate pipework. That's where we live.

Left clean, sealed and pressure-tested

Every shower job is pressure-tested under full flow and silicone-finished before we leave.

Recent shower projects

A couple of recent shower jobs across Essex — a first-fix thermostatic valve install and a shower tray leak investigation.

New bath installed with first-fix pipework for an exposed thermostatic shower valve in a Basildon bathroom renovation
Basildon Specialist first-fix stage

DIY Bathroom Renovation — Bath, Exposed Thermostatic Shower Valve & First Fix, Basildon

Challenge: The customer was tackling their own bathroom renovation but wanted the specialist bath plumbing handled professionally before the room was plastered and tiled. The new bath had to be set perfectly level in position, an exposed thermostatic bar shower valve had to be first-fixed into the wall with hot and cold supplies chased neatly into the brickwork, and every measurement had to be planned so the valve, bath taps and finished tiled walls all lined up correctly. The customer also wanted a tiled bath panel rather than a standard plastic panel, which meant building a solid, fully waterproof substrate ready to be tiled directly.

Result: The customer was left with a fully prepared, watertight first-fix ready for plastering and tiling — exposed thermostatic shower valve pipework set true and level, bath in position, and a tile-ready bath panel that gives the finished bathroom a high-end, bespoke look once the DIY work is complete.

Water damage visible on the wall and ceiling below a leaking shower tray in Ongar
Ongar (CM5) 1.5 hours

Shower Tray Leak Investigation & Reseal — Ongar

Challenge: Customer called about water damage showing on the wall and ceiling below an upstairs shower. The source was not obvious from downstairs, so the tray and enclosure needed checking before more damage spread.

Result: Leak path stopped, shower tray left watertight again, and the finished seal matched the bathroom far better than a standard all-white bead.

Shower repairs & replacements — questions answered

Need a shower plumber near you? Let's sort it.

WhatsApp a quick photo of the valve, head or leak — we'll usually know the part needed before we arrive.