Cold shower

The shower in my master bathroom is no longer staying hot. It's hot enough for me if the knob is all the way over to the hot side, but not hot enough for my wife. I used to set the handle to more or less the center, so something has changed. The downstairs shower and all the rest of the faucets are fine so I don't think it's the boiler (domestic coil).

I've replaced the cartridge in the Moen mixing/diverter valve (the Moen site said either a 1220 or 1225 - I used a 1225) but the problem remains. I've been told that a hot-cold transfer is possible at any faucet so I've tried shutting off the supply to them; nope. I would have thought this would affect all faucets anyway. Any ideas?

Reply to
krw
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Does sound like a Hot\\Cold transfer. The 1220/1225 is not a scald-guard type so it's not that kind of problem. It's remotely possible that the cartridge is not sealing properly in the bore, but I doubt it.

Have you overlooked some faucet/device which could be backfeeding Cold to Hot? A single handle bath faucet nearby? Another shower/tub faucet? Even a washing machine solenoid valve?

Reply to
Speedy Jim

hello Keith,

I would try seeing what hot water flow rate you get at the shower.

Put a small bucket under the shower and run only the hot water for a timed minute .

That will show you if there is some constriction problem.

Do the same for the cold water to compare.

If you get very hot water from another faucet its not a heater problem.

Reply to
marks542004

This would mean the entire assembly would have to be replaced? Oh my aching drywall. :-( I already had to tear out the ceiling below because of a leak (turned out to be the drain and caulk).

I put ball valves to cut off each room/device last year. I shut them all off and took a shower. ;-) No change. :-(

Reply to
krw

I'll do that, though there doesn't seem to be a problem with the sink in that bath (I'll try that too just to make sure).

It can't be a constriction after the mixing valve (would be the same as a "saver" shower head) or before the split to the sink (assuming the hot isn't a problem there). There is only about a two foot long piece of 1/2" copper inbetween (the connection is directly under the head-end of the tub).

Reply to
krw

Isn't this fun, owning a house? This is much better than relaxing on the sofa with a good book, playing golf or fishing, ya know? :-)

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

3.8GPM to the spigot (the shower head is more work)
4.3GPM

Hot enough for SWMBO. When the ground gets cold the bath in question may not even be enough for me.

The bath in question is a long way from the boiler (30-40') of

3/4" copper. I insulated the heat and hot water pipes, where I could get at them but it was fine before. I would suspect the distance but that hasn't changed either.
Reply to
krw

You don't even want to know! This house was built by a complete moron. I just took the red carpeting out of the bath in question and put down tile.

Actually, I'm getting ready to sell the house so I've got it *all* torn up fixing things that I should have years ago. It seemed that happened with my last house too (got everything all nice and pretty for the next owners).

Yep. Not much of that stuff in my immediate future but once I sell the joint...). ;-) Got the outside stained and now the only thing I need to do outside is some repairs to the deck before the snow is

3' deep over it. Let see... Paint, carpet, cabinet repairs. Hmm, where is that honey-do list...
Reply to
krw

Only complete fools put carpet in a bathroom. Really.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Is there a possibility that some sort of water filter (strainer screen) may be partly clogged on the hot water side?

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

It was a master bathroom so supposedly no kids, but you're getting the picture.

Reply to
krw

To followup: I measured the downstairs bath (working fine) and I get 3.5GPM (hot) and 5.0GPM (cold). These number seem rather reasonable to me.

Reply to
krw

There is a possibility of anything. Where?

Reply to
krw

Unless I've misread, you say the faucet worked, but now performance has degraded. That would seem to indicate that recently something has been misadjusted, clogged, or broken.

I think you said you recently put in ball valves. My suggestion would be that you go through the entire system and insure the valves are in the proper position, whether it be open or closed. If there is another faucet on this supply line, for example, having a valve that should be closed open can allow bleeding of cold into the downstream hot, giving downstream tepid water. I suggest doing this first, as it is simplest.

If that doesn't work, I would close the ball valves lead> The shower in my master bathroom is no longer staying hot. It's

Reply to
Not

Yes, something's changed. But what? There isn't much in line that wouldn't also affect the other bathroom.

Yes, I mentioned this. I shut everything else off and no joy. This line is the only one I haven't yet added ball valves to.

That's not easy to do since I'd have to add the ball valves to this line. I have them, but haven't installed them yet. This is a good idea though. If everything is shut off except that hot then there is no chance of intermixing and then the flow rate would tell me something, even without pulling the cartridge.

Perhaps a call to Moen might be in order...

Thanks all!

Reply to
krw

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