How do you tell if the faucet has this device or not? Until i read through some of the other posts that mentioned this anti-scald device i wasnt even aware that the faucets could contain such a thing. My shower goes lukewarm after 5 minutes and I was going to pull the dip tube to check it(50 gallon NG tank type built in 95/96 and on the list of ones with bad dip tubes) but now I'm wondering... could it be just the shower faucet? Eric
It could be the problem. Or not. The faucet manufacturer may be able to help you ID the model and tell you more about what's inside. I'd call them and try that before disassembling for inspection.
On some it is little more than a physical stop under all the trim pieces, only allows so much hot and is set during install.
Run it until it turns cold. Then turn on the hot in the sink. If you get hot in the sink (give it a minute or two) then it is likely the shower control. If you don't get hot, then it is likely the dip tube or maybe a bad heating element on an electric, or a real clogged up heater.
Most anti-scald shower controls are single handle. They have one handle coming out of the wall that you turn until you get the heat you want. Some have a second smaller handle in the middle of the big one that is used to adjust the heat, and the big handle controls flow. If yours has separate hot and cold handles it probably isn't an anti-scald.
Bill Gill
your tank is 10 years old?
just replace the tank its likely filled with crud. buy a 75,000 BTU model for larger capacity without adding size.
know in advance that attempting to do anything to such a old tank will likely result in a immediate or long term leak.
if stuff can be damaged by leak replace tank.
to troubleshoot run shower till it gets cold, try other faucets let run for awahile if they are cold too its the tank.
if all others are hot its the faucet.
there are both pressure balance and temperature control faucets.
temperature control is wonderful
To answer your first question "How do you tell if the faucet has this device or not?" the test is quite simple.
Turn the shower on to a lukewarm to warm temperature and hold your hand in the flow as someone flushes the toilet. If the shower output gets suddenly hotter as the cold water fills the toilet, it is not an anti-scald device. An anti-scald fixture senses the change in pressure on the cold (and/or) hot side and rebalances the output to keep the shower temp constant.
of course this test assumes anti scald is working..........
if its broke you still wouldnt know for sure:(
I'm not saying it can't happen, but I've never known one to fail. Do they?
Seems kind of dangerous if they are able to fail, especially for little kids and the elderly.
so whats 100% FOREVER? everything can fail........
even things designed not to fail..........
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