Shower Cartridges
Shower cartridges to replace the worn or faulty insert at the heart of a mixer valve. The range is grouped by what each cartridge does inside the valve, regulating temperature, switching outlets, or controlling flow on its own. Pick the type that matches the part you need.
Shower Cartridge Replacements by Type
Shower Cartridges Routed by Function, Not Just by Brand
Shower cartridges sit inside a mixer valve and do one of three jobs. They hold the water at the temperature you set, even when someone elsewhere in the house flushes the toilet or turns on a tap and yanks at the supply pressure. They switch the flow between outlets, head, handset, bath spout. Or they control volume on a single outlet on its own. Same shape of part, three jobs. The route from this page goes by what the cartridge actually does inside the valve, so the right sub-category to pick is the one that matches the symptom you are dealing with right now.
Concealed and Exposed Valves Both Covered in the Range
Look at the wall. The valve body fixes how the cartridge is accessed and how the new one fits.
Concealed valve
Built into the wall, with handles and a faceplate showing on the surface. The cartridge sits behind the plate. Replacing it means removing the cover and unbolting the cartridge from the buried valve body underneath, which is fiddlier and longer than swapping a surface fitting.
Exposed valve
Surface-mounted bar across the wall, often with the head and handset attached straight to the bar. The cartridge unscrews from the bar end caps. Easier.
The range covers both. Across surface-mounted bar mixers and buried wall valves alike, the same brands and the same fitment dimensions appear, so the two families share the same identification logic when ordering.
Identification Help When the Old Cartridge Is in Hand
Get the old cartridge out and look at it. Filters on each type page sort by spline count, spline diameter, base diameter, length and brand, so a cartridge can be matched on physical dimensions if the brand or model number is unknown. The cartridge identifier tool covers the harder cases. Older showers and discontinued ranges often turn up matches by dimension that brand-only routes would miss entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions About Shower Cartridges
Which type of shower cartridge do I need?
It depends on what the cartridge does inside the valve. If the temperature swings hot and cold or scalds the user, the part is a thermostatic cartridge. If water no longer switches between the head, handset or bath spout when you turn the control, the part is a diverter. If only one outlet has lost flow or will not turn off, that is the flow or shut-off cartridge. The three sub-categories above split the range by job.
What is the difference between a concealed and an exposed shower cartridge?
The cartridge does the same job in both cases. The difference is the housing. A concealed valve sits buried in the wall behind a faceplate, with only handles and trim showing. An exposed valve is the bar that runs across the wall with the head and handset hanging off it. Both fit the same range of cartridge types, although the physical fitment dimensions vary by valve and brand. Identify the cartridge by what is inside, not by which kind of housing surrounds it.
Can I identify my shower cartridge without knowing the brand?
Yes, in the great majority of cases. The catalogue is filtered by spline count, spline diameter, base diameter, length and body material as well as by brand. Get the old cartridge out and measure the spindle and base, count the splines on the broach, and use the filters on each sub-category page to narrow the match. Older or discontinued showers often turn up matches that a brand-led search would never reach. The Cartridge Identifier tool helps when the dimensions are awkward or unclear.