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Ritzsrh · Feb 18, 2010, 07:36 PM

Hello, I've got a problem with my shower water temp. When I turn my shower on and turn the knob to all the way hot it produces nice hot water for about 2 seconds then turns to luke warm. Sometimes it won't even go hot for the few seconds and just gets Luke warm immediately. All the other faucets in the house produce nice extremely hot water. I have a moen single handle moentrol faucet. The push/pull kind. I have take. Out the old cartridge and replaced it with a new one to no avail. Still Luke warm water at best. I've read about a scald guard and adjusting it but have no idea where to find the scald guard. Is that just another name for the cartridge that I replaced? If so, how do I adjust it. If not, where the heck is the scald guard? I've also tried rotating the cartridge 180 degrees and that just made it so cold is the left and hot to the right when rotating the handle. If anyone knows what I'm talking about or has experienced the same problm and was able to fix it... Please help!! Thanks ahead of time!

Mike

ballengerb1 · Feb 18, 2010, 08:07 PM

Reversing a Moen acrtridge actually reverses hot and cold so do not do that again. The Little H?C on the top of the cartridge goes on top unless your pipes are reversed to. Moen has some good tutorials , have you tried surfing their site? Installation Help / Animated Tutorials for Moen Faucet

Ritzsrh · Feb 18, 2010, 09:08 PM

I have looked everyone from forums to manufactures websites and have yet to find a solution. Which is why I posted here. Nothing on the morn website addresses my issue :(

Ritzsrh · Feb 19, 2010, 06:25 AM

Can anyone help?? Please??

Ritzsrh · Feb 19, 2010, 05:31 PM

Come on guys there has to be someone that knows what I'm talking about and can help me?? I'm so sick of taking luke warm showers!!

afaroo · Feb 19, 2010, 05:50 PM

Hello Mike,

Open the link and see if your faucet looks like this, Thanks.

John

http://www.moen.com/shared/pdf/3270pt.pdf

Ritzsrh · Feb 19, 2010, 07:07 PM

Hey John, thanks for the reply! No, its not that one. Its similar but mine does not have the balancing spool slot and balancing spool. Basically, when looking at it from the front. At the left is the hot stop check valve, in the middle is the slot for the cartridge and stem which connects to the handle, then to the right of that is the cold stop check valve. Also, look at the face plate (eschutcheon) in the diagram. See how the eschutcheon screws are diaganal from one another on each side of the handle? One is at 2 oclock and the other one is at 8? Well, my eschutcheon screws are straight across from one another on each side of the handle. One at 3 oclock and the other at 9 oclock. Hope this makes sense and helps!

afaroo · Feb 19, 2010, 10:39 PM

Was this OK before and it just happened that you have problem with the hot water?
Is any plumbing work done in house?
If it was like this before have you tried to open the hot check valve?
Can you tell us the model number of your faucet; because I didn't find a MOENTROL valve with out a balancing spool I may be wrong?
Can you post a picture of your faucet?
Please respond and some one will help you, Thanks.

John

hkstroud · Feb 19, 2010, 11:34 PM

You have a blockage in the hot water line. Most likely that blockage is a piece of solder that has move to block the port of a valve. Most likely the valve that is blocked is the integral stop valve, (what you are calling the stop check valve).

Remove stop valve stem and look for blockage in ports of stop valve. Then briefly turn water on to flush pipe. You are probably going to get a some water inside the wall make a bit of a mess. Try to rig up some kind of guide to take water out the valve into the tub.

Even with all that, what ever is blocking the stop valve may not come through the valve port. If it doesn't, you will have cut the pipe, unscrew the piping from the tub valve and clean the valve port.

PS:
If you have the old style pull on/push off Moen valve, I don't think it is a MOENTROL and you don't have a balancing spool.

Ritzsrh · Feb 20, 2010, 07:23 AM

Hey guys thanks so much for the replies!! I'm working right now but as soon as I get off and home I'll take a picture of the system and post it here. If it's not a moentrol could it be a château? Sorry I'm new to this stuff it's my first house, so I'm trying to learn. One note about the stop check valves; the one on the left (I'm assuming is the hot) I'm able to screw clockwise and counterclock wise with a flathead. But, the one on the right (the cold?) feels like it's stuck because I cannot screw or unscrew it. It's actually so tight that I've almost stripped it. Should it be this tough/stuck? Or should I be able to adjust it like I can to the one on the left? Again, I'll post a pic as soon as I get home. Thanks again for the help guys!

Mike

Ritzsrh · Feb 20, 2010, 07:29 AM

Oh by the way the problem just started about 2 months ago. It was fine before that. Don't know if it's a coisidence or not but it started when it got cold outside. Along with the pictures I'll also post the model number and all that. Thanks again

Mike

afaroo · Feb 20, 2010, 09:13 AM

Mike,

If you have the correct model number there is no need for the pictures, Most likely there is a blockage in the hot port of the valve as Hkstroud says.
Some Moen shower valves has check valves install on left for hot and one on the right for cold, when you post he model number we will tell you what is next, Thanks.

John

Ritzsrh · Feb 24, 2010, 04:51 PM

Hey guys. Sorry for the delay but I'm home now so I'll be taking a picture and posting it in the next few minutes. Also, do you still think thereis a clog even if the hog water comes on for the few seconds it does then goes away? I would think that if there was a clog that I wouldn't get any hot water at all. Anyhow, I look forward to hearing from you guys! Thanks, see you in a few.

Mike

Ritzsrh · Feb 24, 2010, 06:23 PM

Here are three pictures of the valve where the cartridge goes into:

Here is a picture of the cartridge and inside it is a stem that rotates:

Hopefully this helps! Like I said, I get nice hot water for about three seconds but then I lose it, every time. And every other faucets puts out that nice hot water so the problem is isolated to the shower. Please help! Thanks so much.

Mike

Ritzsrh · Mar 2, 2010, 03:35 PM

Hello?? Can anyone ID my stuff and help??

Ritzsrh · Mar 2, 2010, 05:51 PM

Sorry but I got to bump this. So tired of cold showers!! Please help!

afaroo · Mar 2, 2010, 07:31 PM

Hello Ritzsrh,

Now that the cartridge is out see the image below close both shut off valves as shown in the picture, open your main water shut off valve, open each shut off valve one at a time to flush out any debris out of the faucet, and see if you have a good flow, next open the PDF file and clean/ lubricate the cartridge per the instruction install and check if your hot water is OK now, if not you will need to replace, Good luck.

John

Ritzsrh · Mar 3, 2010, 01:33 AM

Thanks so much! I'll try that first thing in the morn. Oh yea, I've tried playing with those before actually. What if the one on the right won't turn at all. Like it's stuck. I actually almost stripped it it's so tough.

afaroo · Mar 3, 2010, 05:43 AM

When the main S/O valve is closed, close the left side and turn on the water see if water is flowing if it is then don't worry leave it as it is the only time you need these stop valves when you replace the cartridage in that case use the main S/O valve normally left is hot and right is cold see the PDF file below, good luck, Thanks.

John