Shower cartridge - name that tool

[davidjatt]

Hi all, hope someone can help - I have an Arezzo shower I need to replace the thermostatic cartridge on. It's buried deep in the valve body so it needs a deep tool of some kind. What do I need for this? I've got plenty of hex end box spanners but this is square (3/4" across the flats) and they won't grip. What is the name of the thing I'm supposed to be googling here?

 

[Deluks]

Circlip pliers and an adjustable spanner by the looks of it.

 

[davidjatt]

What to grip the fitting with? Seems a bit of a bodge.

 

[Madrab]

Show us the one in the shower, how deep is it recessed?

Can you find out who manufacturers Arezzo and ask them?

 

[davidjatt]

Not a great photo! The front of the flats is recessed about 30mm. I did get a 12-point 21mm deep socket on there and was able to get a few turns in but then it became much harder to turn and it started to slip.

Arezzo is Victorian Plumbing's own brand I think, VP are of course useless and say they don't have any installation or servicing documentation and will have to get back to the manufacturer to get some details. I was hoping some experts here would know the magic solution!

 

[davidjatt]

hmm, looking at the picture below from a different Arezzo valve it has just suddenly occurred to me that perhaps that whole tube surrounding the shaft (below pic is a chromed one) is supposed to actually unscrew from the valve body and give me another 15mm to reach in with. And it possibly is also stopping the cartridge from turning any further as there is some kind of ridge/lip inside.

That sound plausible?

 

[gary plumb]

can't you take the gold plate off

 

[davidjatt]

yeah I was just trying that, stuck on well with silicone so need a flexible blade to get behind it as the stanley can't get flush (and I don't want to scratch my marble). Will give it a try tomorrow.

 

[gary plumb]

On some of them plates the outer rings undo then plate comes off

 

[omph]

yeah I was just trying that, stuck on well with silicone so need a flexible blade to get behind it as the stanley can't get flush (and I don't want to scratch my marble). Will give it a try tomorrow.

Take the blade out of the stanley knife put some masking tape on the marble, wear some thick gloves and slowly gnaw away at the silicone.

 

[davidjatt]

Turns out the ham carving knife is flexible enough. Anyhow a bit of agricultural digging with the grinder has got me in there, next time perhaps I'll try to be less clever when fitting and leave a slightly bigger hole. But then again next time I won't buy an arezzo shower that arrives already faulty. Thanks for assistance all.