hot water in the shower doesn't seem to work in winter

[definitefail]

Hi, I recently moved into a ten-year old house. The hot water of the shower worked fine in summer. However, when the outside temperature begins to drop down around 30, the hot water in the shower does not seem to work. The faucet water is hot, but the shower water can only reach warm level at the best. The heating system is in the garage and it is a new system with only 5 months on it. Two bedrooms have shower, it seems both showers have the same problem. The shower has one bolt - turning to the right is cold water and turning the same bolt to the left is the hot water. Would anyone please give me any hint on what might be wrong with the hot water in the shower? Thank you very much. - Lily

[John Stumbles]

If they're electrically heated they will not give as much hot water in winter since the incoming water is colder. However you should be able to get hot water from them, albeit at a pitiful trickle.

If they're mixer showers supplied off a combi boiler then the combi may be misbehaving. How hot is the water going to the mixer valves (feel the pipes)?

[Christian McArdle]

I don't know where you live, but it isn't anything like 30C for about 364 days of the year round this way!

It's probably just colder water entering the house. You need to turn down the flow rate of the shower so that the heater can keep up without going too cold.

I can't tell what type of shower you have. "Bolts" are not something I associate with shower controls. However, any instantaneous heater will have this issue. This includes electric showers and instantaneous type combi boilers. They can only produce a certain amount of hot water. If you ask for more, it will go cold.

Christian.

[Sadly]

Of course around this time of year the temperature is starting to dip to about 30F in most of the country!

[meow2222]

youd need to tell us what type of system youve got to get anything specific. Plain boiler or combi, hot water tank or heat store, electric or mixer shower or a start.

NT

[Richard Faulkner]

In message , [e-mail] writes

I have showers which run off combi boilers and thermostatic shower valves, (i.e. a tap which controls the flow, and a tap which controls the temp). When fitted, I often find that the temperature tap on the shower is set so it is blocked, (physically by a stop under the cover), from allowing more than a certain amount of hot water through, so the shower doesnt get hot enough.

I can usually solve it by taking the temp tap op, and rejigging how it sits on the cogs, or similar. It takes a bit of thinking about to get it right

Hope this helps.