Author Topic: Home plumbing mystery  (Read 961 times)

Hawkmoon

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Home plumbing mystery
« on: September 08, 2019, 04:02:21 PM »
I live in a house that was built by my parents in 1950. It's a pretty basic ranch. Two full bathrooms, both on the ground floor. The original shower control valves were both replaced by Symmons Temptrol pressure-balancing shower valves a number of years ago. Temperature at the water heater is set at 125 degrees. The two bathrooms are adjacent, fed off the same 1/2" copper line running from the water heater in the basement to the two tubs.

In one bathroom, the shower water can be cranked up as hot as I would want to stand under. In the other bathroom, the shower water is barely warm enough to stand under semi-comfortably, even with the shower valve wide open. Since my wife died five+ years ago that second shower hasn't been used except when a friend of my wife's visited from South America a year ago, and she commented that the shower didn't get very hot.

I took the valve apart and found that the piston was locked up by mineral deposits (I'm on a well with very hard water). I followed Symmons instructions, soaked it in white vinegar, and got it freed up. I have also adjusted the hot temperature limiter twice, to allow the valve to open farther in the HOT direction. Doesn't seem to help.

Any ideas?
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charby

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2019, 04:09:12 PM »
Any ideas?

Temperature Limit Stop Screw set to low?
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2019, 04:43:23 PM »
Temperature Limit Stop Screw set to low?

As I posted above, I've adjusted it twice. In the "good" bathroom, 3/4 of a turn on the shower handle gets me plenty of hot water. In the "cold" bathroom, 380 degrees or so of turn only gets me luke-warm water.
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Ron

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2019, 04:51:08 PM »
Maybe needs more soaking/deliming.

Does adjusting it make any difference at all ?
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Fly320s

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2019, 08:14:01 PM »
Maybe the hot supply line is partially blocked in the one bathroom.
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Ben

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2019, 08:21:12 PM »
Maybe the hot supply line is partially blocked in the one bathroom.

That was gonna be my guess if the water is that hard.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2019, 11:14:54 PM »
Maybe the hot supply line is partially blocked in the one bathroom.

I also considered that. But the system is old enough that the tub fill spout has separate faucets, there isn't a diverter on the shower control valve. The hot water coming out of the tub faucet is hot.

I'm baffled.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2019, 11:16:16 PM »
bad mixing valve, or the limiter is set too low.  Are there shutoff valves behind the tub?  (should be an inspection panel, but tubs don't always have shutoffs) Turn off the cold water and see what you get for hot.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2019, 03:19:49 AM »
bad mixing valve, or the limiter is set too low.  Are there shutoff valves behind the tub?  (should be an inspection panel, but tubs don't always have shutoffs) Turn off the cold water and see what you get for hot.

No shutoff valves. To service the shower valve I have to shut off the water to both bathrooms in the basement, open the faucets at the basement laundry sink, and then open the tub faucets to drain the lines. There's no way to just shut off the cold water supply.
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230RN

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2019, 04:24:54 AM »
Now you know why they call Maxwell's Demon....  Maxwell's Demon.

zxcvbob

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2019, 09:58:10 AM »
Now you know why they call Maxwell's Demon....  Maxwell's Demon.

I had not heard of Maxwell's Demon before.  At least I knew who Maxwell was.  :cool:

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Hawkmoon

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2019, 03:29:49 PM »
In a world of craptastic customer "support," there are a few American companies that still care about their customers and their product. One is Amtrol, the company that made my water heater. That's another story. Symmons just made it onto my A+ list. I sent in an inquiry to ask if my next step should be to replace the regulator cartridge, and to ask what it costs and how to order. Within an hour, I received an e-mail saying they'll send me one under warranty and asking for my shipping address.

You can't complain about customer support like that. I have my fingers crossed.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2019, 04:25:29 AM »
Update: The new cartridge arrived on Friday. I installed it Saturday, and Saturday night I had a nice, hot shower.
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230RN

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2019, 07:21:21 AM »
So that's where the Demon was living.  Destroy the old cartridge utterly and completely and redundantly.  At midnight of a full moon,,,,

Now if only there were a Demon that would separate the water-hardening chemicals from the nice, pure water....

Fly320s

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Re: Home plumbing mystery
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2019, 10:00:56 AM »
Now if only there were a Demon that would separate the water-hardening chemicals from the nice, pure water....

Water hardening?  You want hardness in you water?  That seems unusual.
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