Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This page contains common questions about problems with showers, what shower spare you might need, how to use our website, etc.

Please click on a question to reveal its answer (and again to hide the answer). If you are still stuck after reading through these questions, please contact us and we'll be happy to help you directly.

Please note that this section is still under construction.

Our Website

How do I use the Shower Spares Finder on your website?

You can view our unique Shower Spares Finder on this page. To use it, simply select from the provided drop-down menus the Manufacturer and then the type of Item required. After that, use the remaining two drop-down menus — Shower Type and Shower Model — to narrow down your search (you can either use one or both of these). The more selections you choose, the more accurate and relevant the results will be.

Depending on the Manufacturer you select, the Shower Spares Finder will also show results for some shower pumps and toilet cisterns that we sell spare parts for too, not just showers.

If your search is too broad, the Shower Spares Finder will tell you and give you the opportunity to provide more information if you are able to. If you're struggling to find what you need using the Shower Spares Finder, please contact us, use the main blue navigation menu at the top of any page, or use our website's main search box instead.

Can I still buy products that are marked as "obsolete" or "discontinued" on your website?

No — unfortunately, products that are marked as "obsolete" or "discontinued" on our website cannot be bought. This is because production of these products have been stopped by the manufacturer, not us, and therefore we cannot buy in any more stock. In rare cases, we may still have residual stock left over on such products — please contact us directly to enquire about this. Please understand that if we do still have stock of products that have recently been marked as "obsolete" or "discontinued", any remaining units do tend to sell very quickly. If we know of an product that can serve as a replacement for a part that is "obsolete" or "discontinued", we will do our best to make this known via a link on the "obsolete" or "discontinued" product's product page.

Are all the products you sell on your website in stock?

Most of the products listed on this website are in stock — our warehouse stores in excess of 10,000 different spare parts. When viewing information about a particular product, please take note of the "Despatch time estimate" which gives you an indication of our current stock levels. If we have sufficient stock, the despatch time will be very quick (usually 1 working day); otherwise it will be longer. If we know of a particular product being out of stock, we do our best to state this on our website — however with 10,000 products stocked regularly, it is unfortunately unavoidable that a few products are missed from time to time (please see the question below).

Can you show live stock figures on your website?

Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have the ability to show live stock figures on our website, although this is something we are looking into. Occasionally you may purchase an product and we may then email you afterwards saying that the product is currently out of stock. This occurs because the product wasn't specifically marked as "out of stock" on our website first, due to live stock figures not being implemented. If this does happen, we will always offer you the option of cancelling your order for a full refund should you not want to wait for your product(s) to come back in stock. If you paid for express/special delivery and still want to wait for your product(s), we will happily refund the postage charge on your order. Please rest assured that in "out of stock" situations, we are normally able to obtain new stock within 2-3 working days on average (individual cases will vary).

What is the cost of Post & Packing (Shipping & Handling)? What are the delivery times / delivery options that you offer?

We only use Royal Mail and ParcelForce to deliver products, so there is no need for you to look out for "white van men" or unknown couriers when ordering from us. We aim to despatch all orders that we have stock for within 1 working day (same day if ordered before 3:30pm Monday-Friday) because we fully understand that an out-of-action shower is not what anyone wants! 95% of customers receive their product(s) 1-2 days after we despatch it, even on standard delivery services. For exact prices and further details on the various delivery options we offer, please see our Delivery Options page.

What is your Returns Policy?

We are very proud to offer a 30 Day Money-Back Guarantee on all products purchased from us. For full terms and conditions, please see our Returns Policy page.

Where can I read more about you (National Shower Spares)?

We are an award-winning company that has been trading since 1999. We have rapidly grown to become trusted by all types of people and companies nationwide and are market-leaders in the shower spares industry (we even supply to some of our competition!). Check out our impressive Trustpilot feedback — it backs up everything we stand for. For further reading about us, please see our About Us page.

How can I contact you directly?

You can get in touch with us by phone, fax, email, letter, or online — please see our Contact Us page for exact details. Please also look at our Opening Times page for information on when best to contact us. We always aim to answer all queries within 1 working day.

How can I see if I am able to apply for a Trade Account with you?

If you are associated with the trade — either as a plumber, merchant, or trade company — we are able to offer you one of our fantastic Trade Accounts. Enjoy generous payment terms, extra discounts off RRP, and unique special offers / clearance deals from us. To see if you are eligible to have one of our Trade Accounts, please apply via our Trade Accounts page (subject to terms and conditions).

Do you have a showroom? Where are you located?

Yes — we have a showroom in Gloucester, which is where our offices are located as well.

Our address is:

Units 16-17 Bamel Way, Gloucester Business Park, Brockworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL3 4BH

Directions on how to find us are on our Visit Us page. For our opening times, please see our Opening Times page.

Do you have Cookie Policy / Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions pages?

Yes we do — see the links below for the respective pages:

Our Cookie Policy page can be found here.

Our Privacy Policy page can be found here.

Our Terms & Conditions page can be found here. (Please bear in mind that you will need to accept/agree to what is on our Terms & Conditions page during the checkout process.)

General Help

I'm not sure what a particular term / name means — do you have a shower spares glossary for me to check?

Yes — we realise that some terms (especially product names) can be a bit confusing to the general public, so we have created a page dedicated to explaining our industry jargon. You can view our Shower Spares Glossary page here.

What types of showers are there and how can I tell the differences?

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What types of boilers / water systems are there and how can I tell the differences?

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Will specific shower heads / shower hoses work with my shower?

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What is the standard connection thread size for shower heads / shower hoses in the UK?

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What is a "pressure relief device"?

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What is a "clamp bracket"?

A "clamp bracket" is an industry term for the product that slides up and down the vertical bar (usually by pushing a button or squeezing a part of it) that is generally fixed to your wall. Its primary function is to hold and position your shower head. Different manufacturers call this product different names — as well as "clamp bracket", they are also known as shower head brackets, shower head holders, hand shower holders, handset holders, slider assembly, sliding brackets, etc. All these names are interchangeable and refer to this type of product. If you're having trouble finding a particular "clamp bracket" on our website, try searching using one of these alternative names instead.

What is a "cartridge"?

A "cartridge" is an industry term, first coined by Mira, for the main "engine" of a shower, usually a mixer shower. It is responsible for regulating temperature. Many shower problems stem from worn-out or faulty shower cartridges (such as temperature issues and constant dripping out of the shower body or shower head) — replacing a cartridge will usually cure such problems, but please seek advice first as they can be expensive.

What are the differences between thermostatic and ceramic cartridges?

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What are the differences between thermostatic and non-thermostatic showers?

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Common Shower Problems

What are the most common problems with electric showers?

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What are the most common problems with mixer showers?

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What are the most common problems with power showers?

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My shower is in "thermal shut down" — what does this mean?

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My shower head keeps dripping even after I've turned the shower off — what is the problem?

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The temperature of my shower is very hot / very cold — what is the problem?

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Still Unsure?

I'm still stuck — can I send you a picture of my shower for your team to identify it and/or diagnose the problem?

Yes — if you can send us a photo of your shower we will do our best to identify it and any problems you may be experiencing. If you can include a description of anything you know about the shower, your water system, and/or the problems you're having with it, that will greatly help us. We have a fully trained technical team ready to help with over 25 years' experience in the shower and bathroom industry. To send us a photo, please use our Help Identifying Your Shower page.