Anyone good at diagnosing Whale tap faults?

[sibeer]

Hi there,

Just after a little help getting to the bottom of an issue with my whale tap in the shower of my van. Currently the hot tap activates the pump, but the cold one does not (though you can hear the microswitch). The taps in the kitchen are both fine however (now I have glued the leak in the split spout). I am a little worried as I am off to a site with no facilities at the end of the week and don't want to be showering in either cold or scaling water for a week.

Any advice on what to do to diagnose the fault and what is likely to need replacing? It's a mid nineties Swift Challenger if that makes any difference, though the mechanism for the whale taps seem to be this one which is still available:

Thanks in advance

 

[Damian]

Most likely the microswitch in the cold tap has failed and needs replacing.
However, as long as you actually have water coming out of the cold tap when you operate the hot tap just enough to close the microswitch, the pump will supply both hot and cold to the shower.
If you have no water from the cold tap with the pump operating(and open the shower cold tap), then the operating spindle has broken which is under the tap top.

 

[sibeer]

Thanks for that. So basically run the hot tap and then turn the cold on. If the water flow increases then it's the micro switch, if not it's the spindle?

Are the spindles easy to get hold off or it is a case of replacing the whole thing? Also am I likely to have to take apart the vanity unit (and therefore have to re-silicone, etc) or can you take the tap apart from the top?

 

[Damian]

If it is the microswitch, it depends how much room you have under the tap to change it, it is easier to remove the tap in most cases.
If it is the spindle, the tap top pulls off and replace with a new one: http://www.leisureshopdirect.com/caravan/water/whale_tap_accessories_and_spare_parts/whale_elegance_tap-shower_knob.aspx

 

[Trevormc]

This is a problem that I have had turn on tap small trickle.

I had to replace both micro switches in the kitchen one last year one while away last month.

All working fine now.

Trevor

 

[sibeer]

OK, tested again today. As the van is in storage I am not able to heat the water. I did however test turning the cold tap on and then turning the one in the kitchen on which pulled water to both locations. I take it this means that the issue is the microswitch only?

If it is the microswitch only am I right in thinking that the water will be able to mix hot and cold as usual and the only thing I can't do is run cold separately? If so I will probably leave fixing till I get back from this trip.

By the way, are the microswitches standard or are there a couple of ones to use?

Thanks again for the help and advice here

 

[Damian]

You have isolated the problem to the microswitch on the cold tap.
That needs changing and in the link above for Leisureshop Direct you will see the microswitches just above the tap spindle replacements, sold in packs of two.
I would be inclined to change both whilst you have the tap out.

As far as mixing water, yes with any one working tap, the pump will deliver cold water to the cold tap at the same time as the hot.

 

[sibeer]

Thanks for all your help. As I can balance the heat it will wait till we get back from our hols. These look like the ones in the kitchen, but will probably remove the existing ones to check before ordering