If your Aqualisa quartz electric shower turns off shortly after starting, this article will explain how you can diagnose and repair your broken shower.
Broken Quartz Shower Symptoms
After pressing the on button, the blue light briefly turns for half a second. A short pulse of water comes out of the shower head before the shower turns off. If this is our problem keep readng to get the fix.
Why Does the Shower Turn Off
First of all turn off the power to the shower via the isolation switch that should be located just outside of your bathroom. Even beter go to your main fuseboard and switch off the circuit that your shower is on.
Next you need to take off the shower front cover. Do this by removing three small phillips screws, one at the top of the cover and two underneath. Be careful when removing the cover which is connected to the main assembly by four small cables. Disconect the cable by unplugging the white connector block.
When you look inside the outer shower cover you will see a green PCB/circuit board which controls the power supply to the shower. If one corner of it appears scorched or burnt (circled red below), the issue is likely that a component on the board has failed. This appears to be a common issue.
Assuming this is the issue all you need to do is to order a new shower cover part. Be usure to get the one that fits/matches the kW rating of your shower. Quartz electric showers come in thre kW ratings: 8.5kW, 9.5kW and 10.5kW. At the time of writing this cost me £120 from Aqualisa. When speaking to them they offered me a fixed price callout/fix fee of over £300. Unsurprisingly I opted to buy the cover and fit it myself given how easy it is to replace.
To fit the new cover simply connect the cables via the white connecter block. Next align the cover and fix the three grub screws back in pllace. Turn the power supply back on and the shower should now work again.
What if the PCB/Board looks fine?
If the PCB/board does not appear burnt/blown/brown then it may be an issue with the solenoid. This may mean you need to buy a new Engine assembly unit which unfortunately will be a more expensive fix and need either a plumber or electrician to fit.
I hope this article helps resove why your Aqualisa quartz electric shower turns off shortly after turning it on.
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If you have a problem with your Aqualisa Quartz Digital shower then this article may help.
This post will tell you exactly how to take Monstera cuttings. We’ll share the easiest and quickest method of propagating your Monstera Delicisoa plant. By taking cuttings and rooting them in water you’ll
Personally I find that rooting your monstera cuttings in water has the added benefit that you get a nice elegant looking cutting in a vase while you wait for it to root. In addition you’ll be able to see exactly how the root growth is going at any given point.
In terms of timing I like to take them in Spring when increasing light levels will help the new cutting soak up energy from the sun to put down to it’s new roots. That said Monstera are robust plants and I’ve had success in taking cuttings throughout the year. If doing this in the depths of Winter be sure you have a nice light place to put the cuttings.
All you need is a sharp knife and a tall (ish) vase or jar. The vase will need to be tall to support the long stem that Monstera’s typically have.
How to Take Monstera Cuttings
The fat that Monstera’s are vine like plants means there are usually plenty of good points from which you can take a cutting.
First of all you need to locate a node. This is usually just below where a leaf meets the stem. Where the plant grows out a new leaf there will be a small node just below. Often the plant will have a small nub or the start of an ariel root. This is where the roots will come from so cut just below this node.
Once you have taken the cutting simply place it in a large jar/vase of water. Ideally use rain water. If you’re using tap water leave it to settle for 24 hours before using to allow any chlorine to burn off.
Place the cutting somewhere with lots of indirect light. I tend to use a North Easterly facing window that gets some early morning sun and lots of indirect light throughout the rest of the day.
After a week or two you will likely see a small root appearing out of the nub. Here is a photo of one of my cuttings after ~2 weeks.
Change the water once per week (if you can remember) and keep the cutting in lots of bright indirect light.
After 4-6 weeks your Monstera cutting should have a good amount of roots on it. Now is the time to pot it on in to some soil. Below is the same cutting from above after 7 weeks (note this cutting was taken in winter – summer cuttings tend to root much quicker due to the higher light levels).
Monstera Potting Mix
I use a simple mix of regular multi-purpose compost with a few handfuls of sand and perlite. I’m not too fussy about exact measurements. The sand and perlite are there to aid drainage and aeration to the roots.
When potting the cutting up, you will need to firm down the compost around the roots to help stabilize it and keep it upright. Be firm but try to avoid damaging the roots.
As before try to keep the potted plant in lots of bright indirect light. While it adapts to having its roots in compost try not to dramatically change its environment to avoid putting the plant into shock.
And there you have it, you have created a new Monstera plant from your cutting. You can see in the above example that about a week after I potted it it began to throw out a new leaf. That’s a sure fire fine the cutting has taken well to the compost.
If your PIR light stays on permanently it is most likely that there is an easy fix. Most common LED PIR lights have a set up routine you need to run. This switches them from ‘always on’ mode to ‘sensor’ mode where they only come on when the PIR sensor is triggered.
If you PIR light will not turn off or stays on all of the time try running the routines below. One of them should re-activate the PIR sensor in your light.
Try running the following routine.
Start with the light on
Turn the light off for between 1 and 2 seconds before turning on again
Hopefully now the light should go off based on the internal timer
If the above routine doesn’t work try the following:
Start with the light on
Turn the light on for between 30 and 40 seconds before turning on again
Hopefully now the light should go off based on the internal timer
If the above doesn’t work it may be that the sensor in your PIR has failed in which case it is time to replace your PIR light.
Other PIR Light Settings Worth Checking
PIR lights commonly have other settings that it is worth looking for and adjusting. Most lights will have a small dial on the rear of the unit to adjust each of the below settings.
1. Light Sensitivity
This setting simply adjusts how light or dark it needs to be before the PIR light becomes active and can come on. Once you have installed you light it is worth playing around with this setting as I have found that out of the box many PIR lights come on very early in the evening, well before dusk.
2. Time
This is simply the amount of time you want the light to stay on after it has been triggered.
3. Sensitivity of the PIR
This is perhaps the hardest setting to get right and will. usually need to be adjusted based on the location of the light. For instance PIR sensors can be very sensitive and be set off by small animals passing…which can be very common particularly in the countryside. I find most PIRs needs to have the sensitivity turned down after installation, particularly if you want to have the light trigger only when a person passes the light.
Over time broadband connections can slow down, typically this is caused by fragments of data stuck on the line. Over the last couple of weeks our connection slowed down to a crawl and was suffering periods of not working all together. After a call to BT I spoke to a very helpful chap in Lancashire who ran a series of checks, confirmed there was no issue on the line and seemingly sped up the connection by doing some resets.
Below is what a BT engineer told me to do that can help clear these data fragments and speed up your connection.
Disconnect your router (ethernet cable) from the BT master socket and wait 60 seconds
Unplug the power lead from the back of your router and wait 60 seconds
Plug the router back into the BT master socket and wait 60 seconds
Reconnect your routers power lead
He told me this is likely to speed up the connection for a few weeks, possibly months depending on usage. When speaking to him he performed a series of line checks that did a similar thing.
He also mentioned that the reset button on the back of our home hub can be used as a last resort to do an even deeper reset back to the exchange. However he warned that doing this regularly can result in the exchange throttling the speed on your line so not to do this more than 2 or 3 times a year.
One of the most common reasons for a Aqualisa Quartz shower unit to suddenly stop working is an air lock in the system. If you’ve experienced a power cut or have had to drain your hot/cold water tanks recently then an air lock is likely to be the cause.
This issue is particularly common on older rural properties that have a gravity fed water/heating system (usually characterised by a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard).
The main symptom of an air lock is that when you turn the shower on no water comes out of the shower head. After trying a few times (turning the shower on and off )you may find that all of a sudden no lights appear on the control dial altogether. Also you might hear a loud whining/rushing sound from the shower. Water may come out of the shower head in splurts if at all.
How to Fix An Air Lock In Your Electric Shower System
The good news is an air lock is relatively straightforward to fix. It should only take you a few minutes and won’t need any tools or plumbing skills.
The control unit may have to be reset if none of the lights are on and no water is coming from the shower head. To do this locate the control unit and switch the power off for 30 seconds. Then turn it on again. The control unit is usually in the loft or the airing cupboard close by.
Here’s a picture of the pump/control unit which in our case is located in the airing cupboard near the bathroom.
Remove the shower head from the hose and let the hose dangle to the floor. This will reduce the pressure required to get water back through the system to the absolute minimum.
Next simply turn the dial to the coldest setting then turn the shower on. Let it run for a few seconds and hopefully you’ll get some spluttering of water out of the hose. If not, turn the shower off, wait a few seconds and try again.
When you turn the shower on and assuming some water is coming out, try leaving it on for a few seconds longer each time before switching it off. You should notice the spluttering decrease and more water come out of the hose each time.
Once water is running constantly from the hose slowly turn the temperature up a little at a time. Hopefully now there will be enough pressure in the pipes to ‘pull’ the hot water through the system.
If the above doesn’t work simply try turning the dial to the hottest setting instead and work backwards to the cooler temperatures.
You might need to repeat the process a few times before the shower returns back to a normal.
If the above doesn’t work another thing you can try is the following:
Isolate (turn off the power to) the control/processor box
Turn off the cold water supply entering the processor unit
Unscrew the cold inlet to the processor box – inside there is a small gauze/filter. Remove it and clear any debris in it
Reattach the cold supply then the power to the unit
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Radiator lock shield valves are the small valves on the other side of the radiator from the TRV valves (the ones with the 1-5 dial on). The can be used to ‘switch off’ the radiator effectively taking it out of the heating loop such that no hot water is pumped through that particular valve.
Here’s which direction to turn the valves:
Turn anti clockwise to open
Clockwise to close
The best tool to use is a small set of mole grips. Be careful not to over tighten these valves, you don’t need much pressure at all to close them.
One of the best things about the house we moved in to about 5 years ago is the fact thjat it has a wood burner in the living room. We’ve been amazed how much please a fire in the living room can provide.
Of course owning a woodburner means that you need to have a constant supply of seasoned (dry) wood. For the last few years the only practical place to store our wood was down at the bottom of the garden which involved barrowing all delivered wood 50 yards and then carrying it back up to the house as and when it was needed – not ideal in the bowels of winter!
So, I finally decided to sacrifice a heavily shaded flower bed on the drive next to the garage and make a wood store from old pallets in a more sensible position!
The construction was pretty simple really after I’d managed to scavenge 3 pallets from a local garden center. The only thing I had to buy was the roofing felt used on the roof.
I’m pretty pleased with the result. I can fit roughly 1.25m3 of logs in the store which is enough to keep us going for a couple of months in winter. I’ve got a similar sized store at the other end of the house too so hopefully I’ve got enough storage next to the house for a winters worth of logs. Now I just need to find a good source of free logs…
I’m increasingly keen on using what nature has to offer to replace man made and shop bought alternatives. This probably explains the ever increasing amount of fruit and veg plants in the garden.
Last summer while out walking we collected a load of fallen pine cones with some vague ideas about making Christmas decorations with them. Instead after drying out over the summer they ended up being used as fire lighters/kindling in our wood burner.
Pine cones make remarkably good kindling and I’ve found with just a sheet or two of newspaper and a few pine cones i can get the wood burner lit in just a minute or two.
So on Sunday while out walking we found a plentiful in a local wood and managed to re-stock our supply to get us through the winter!
Oh and while we talking about recycling there’s no need to buy nasty chemicals to clean the glass on your wood burner. Instead here’s how i clean it with the ash inside the burner.
While out for a walk on Sunday we spotted several blackthorn bushes laden with sloes. This reminded me of last years failed attempt to make sloe gin. We left the picking far too late. By the time we finally headed out to pick some sloes, those that the birds hadn’t eaten were all well past their best.
Here in South East England September is usually the month when the sloes ripen. Obviously weather variations can shift the ripe period back and forth. It’s best to just keep an eye on the bushed local to you when you head out for a walk. I’ve detail our tried and trusted sloe gin recipe below.
What is Sloe Gin?
If you’re keen to start dabbling in a bit of foraging or like the idea of making some home brew then sloe gin is a great introduction to both. Sloes are one of the most common hedgerow berries in the UK and are a distant relative of the plum. They are small blue/grey fruits that grow on the blackthorn bush which is common amongst hedgerows throughout much of England.
To make sloe gin you simply infuse regular gin with sloes, adding some sugar which helps extract the juice from the berries as well as sweeten the final drink. After allowing the juice to infuse with the gin and sugar for a few months you simply strain and end up with a ruby red gin with a great flavour.
When Are Sloes Ripe?
Depending on the weather the best time for picking is September and October. The fruits are naturally hard and bitter so don’t expect to be feasting when picking sloes. When they’re ripe sloes should not be rock hard but have a little give.
In late summer/early autumn keep an eye out in the hedge rows and you should spot the purple/blue berries appearing. If you can try not to pick them too early as unripe sloes won’t produce too much flavour for your gin.
Once you’ve picked your sloes, the only other ingredients you need is some granulated sugar and some gin. I don’t use premium gin as the sloes and sugar will add a lot of flavour enabling you to get away with using cheaper liquor. Oh and you will also need some large kilner jars (available here).
Sloe Gin Recipe Ingredients
800 grams of sloes
70cl of gin
200 grams of sugar
Method
1. First of all wash your sloes and ensure you’ve removed all of the leaves, twigs and bugs. You don’t have to be too fussy as you’ll be filtering all of the impurities out after 12 weeks anyway.
2. Next you need to pierce the skin of the sloes to help them leach their juices into the gin. The slow method is to prick each one a couple of times with a fork or pin. The quick method is to freeze the sloes over night then take them out of the freezer for a couple of hours and as they defrost the skin bursts, saving you the hard work.
This freezing method has the added benefit that some people believe that you shouldn’t pick the sloes until just after the first frost – it is thought that this freezing activates the sugars in the sloes which in turn enhances the flavour of the final liqueur.
3. Next you need to sterilise your bottles/jars. The easiest way to do this is the pop them into an oven for 10 minutes at about 170 degrees. To sterilise the lids/rubber seals boil them in a pan of water.
4. Place the gin into your bottle/kilner jar then simple add the sloes to almost fill up the bottle. Next add in the sugar and seal tightly before giving it a good shake.There’s no need to worry about dissolving all of the sugar as this will happen over the next few days. Try to fill the bottle/jar as much as possible, the more air that is in there the greater the chance of bad bacteria spoiling the flavour of your final liqueur.
5. Store the bottle/jar in a cool dark place and for the first couple of weeks give it a little shake/turn every day to help dissolve the sugar and get the flavours mixing. After this first week or two turning the bottle once a week should suffice.
6. After three months it’s time to decant the gin, removing the solids so it can mature further and be stored for a long time (if required). I use a small kitchen funnel and tea strainer to help separate out the sloes from the gin. Once you’ve strained it you should end up with a clear dark red liquid.
7. Now i simply re-bottle the gin into freshly sterilised bottle and store. You can start drinking it straight away but it will keep for many years and it definitely improves with age.
While I’ve described the basic sloe gin recipe above some people recommend putting a small amount of almond or vanilla essence. I’ve also heard cinnamon complements the flavour of the sloes well but i haven’t tried it yet, maybe i’ll try that next year.
The Ascaso Dream is one of the best looking home espresso machines out there. With it’s retro styling and solid build it is a good blend of style and functionality. In this post I’ll write about my experiences with the Ascaso, sharing a few tips and provide as honest review of the device as possible.
Feel free to ask any questions or leave your own tips at the bottom of this post.
Using the Ascaso Dream
The manual I got with my espresso machine was not really that clear – the translation from Spanish (where the machine is produced) is a bit hit and miss. After some research online and some experimentation here are the procedures I follow to pull a shot of espresso:
1. Switch on the machine (ideally 30 minutes prior to pulling the shot)
2. Run a little water through the empty filter to warm the pipes
3. Load the filter with coffee
4. Turn on the coffee switch for 25 seconds exactly
It is generally excepted that 25 seconds is the perfect time to brew an espresso, which is generally accepted as being 1 fluid oz (30 ml) in volume. As a general rule you’ll need about 8-10grams of coffee for a single shot.
Of course all machines (even of the same model) are different so you’ll have to experiment with different beans, grinds and amounts until you find what works with your particular setup.
Ascaso Dream Review
The first thing you’ll notice about the Ascaso is it’s great build quality. The aluminum casing feel solid and strong compared to many other consumer level espresso machines that are often cased in plastic.
The styling hasn’t been neglected in favour of build quality and alongside the Francis Francis this if probably the most stylish espresso machine out there with it’s retro look and curved lines. I particularly like the metal switches…
The machine is easy to use and comes with just the core features (no pointless bells and whistles) required to pull good quality espresso and make good cappuccinos.
After switching on the Dream is ready to go after about 1.5 minutes, though it’s best t give it 15 minutes to warm up if possible. The pump provides 16 bar of pressure, more than adequate to pull a good espresso with every grind you can throw at it.
The steam wand works very well and after a little practice i was able to produce good micro foam. I’m not yet able to do latte art but now i have a tool that will enable me to try…
Here’s a great video review I found from Seattle Coffee Gear which is worth a look:
Priming the Ascaso Dream
This is the process of filling the boiler . Heating up an empty boiler can seriously damage your machine so it is an important procedure to do. Ideally you should prime your espresso machine….
After using the machines steam function
If the machine has not been used for some time
If you’ve just refilled the water reservoir
Here is the procedure I use to prime my Ascaso Dream espresso machine:
1. Turn on the machine
2. Turn the steam tap on
3. Turn on the coffee switch
4. Allow water to run from steam wand for 5 seconds)
5. Turn off the coffee switch
6. Turn the steam tap off
Ascaso Dream Tips
If possible always switch the machine on 30 minutes before use in order to warm not just the boiler but parts like the portafilter
After pulling a shot of espresso run a little water through in order to clean the pipe from the boiler to filter
If possible use mineral or filtered water at all times. This will reduce the build up up of minerals, reducing the need to descale as regularly
Always descale the machine a minimum of quarterly, more regularly if you use it multiple times per day
Sometimes I’ve noticed that the espresso produced by the Ascaso is not as hot as I’d like. After doing a bit of research it seems this can be a fairly common problem with the Dream machine.
The main reason is that the boilers cycle operates between a set range. This means it heats the water to a pre-determined temperature then shuts down and the water is allowed to cool until it reaches a lower limit before it kicks in again. If you’re pulling a shot in between you’ll probably get a slightly cooler shot than the machine is capable of.
The first thing to do to get a hotter shot is to listen to the boiler. When you switch on the machine, or if you’ve left it on for a while (aim for 30 minutes) you should hear the boiler click on. Listen carefully and after a short time you’ll hear the boiler click off when the temperature reaches the thermostat’s higher limit. Try pulling a shot straight away and you should get improved results.
I saw another great tip on the excellent website coffee geek to try and get the boiler a bit hotter. Again wait for the boiler to switch off (when the water is at it’s hottest) then flick on the steam switch for a few seconds. This will add quite a bit of extra heat to the boiler which will enable the Ascaso to produce a much hotter shot. You may need to play around with the amount of time you put the steam switch on for as you may find the water is too hot.
How to Descale an Espresso Machine
Descaling an espresso machine is essential in order to keep it in great shape. I use Dezcal, a detergent free, citric acid based descaler, commonly available over the internet. If your machine has light use aim to do this at least every 3 months, more if you use your machine regularly or live in an area with soft water.
When descaling your machine always start with a cold machine. In total allow about 90 minutes to thoroughly descale the machine. Here are the exact steps i follow:
1. Fill the water reservoir 3/4 full of warm water (this helps dissolve the descaler faster)
2. Empty the descaler into the water reservoir and stir until fully dissolved
3. Switch on the machine
4. Turn on the coffee switch and run about 1/4 of a cup of water through the filter
5. Open up the steam knob, allowing 1/4 of a cup of water to run through the steam wand too
6. Turn off the coffee switch then switch off the machine and close the steam knob
7. You have now replaced the water in the boiler and pipes with the descaler water
8. Allow to sit for 20 minutes
9. Repeat the above process twice more until the water reservoir is almost empty.
10. Remove the water reservoir, rinse out and fill with clean water
11. Proceed to run the whole reservoir through both the filter and steam wand as before to clean the tank.
12. Refill the reservoir with water and repeat to ensure all of the descaler is removed from the boiler and pipes.
As you run water through the filter and steam wand while cleaning it is normal to see a bit of sludge and deposits come through into the cup. This is normal and shows the descaler is working well. Assuming you descale regularly you shouldn’t see any big deposits get flushed out.
If the machine has not been descaled regularly descaling might dislodge larger bits of scale which can occasionally block pipes when flushing through. If this does happen you may need to take the machine apart to try and find the blockage or take it to a repair center. In the [unlikely] scenario that this does happen don’t keep running the machine if it appears blocked as this can damage the pump.
Ascaso Dream Summary
Advantages
Great consistent crema
Ease of Use
Retro design
Full metal casing
Basic temperature gauge
Disadvantages
Not always hot espresso (see above workaround)
Temperature gauge is not very accurate/appropriately scaled
Supplied instructions are poorly translated to English!
Cost – it’s not the cheapest on the market!
All in all I am very pleased with the Ascaso Dream. It looks great in the kitchen (so the wife likes it!) and produces consistently good espresso. As with all espresso machines it takes a while to ‘learn’ your machine and perfect the results you get out. If you not interested in this element then you’re probably best off buying an automatic machine like a Nespresso.
If however you are interesting in becoming a home barista and learning to pull good espresso then I’d definitely recommend the Ascaso Dream.
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