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-   -   Low hot water pressure at the shower/tub (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=9109)

  • Apr 16, 2005, 09:15 AM
    azunknown
    Low hot water pressure at the shower/tub
    Hi,
    I have a serious problem in one of my bathrooms. The cold water pressure of the shower/tub is fine. But when I turned the knob towards the hot, the pressure drops all of a sudden, too low to take a hot shower. The sink 3 feet away has both excellent hot and cold water pressure. I suspect some is wrong with the shower switch. I took the knob off and tried to see what's wrong, but I didn't see anything removable from that point on.

    Everywhere else in the house is good.
    Please help!

    Thank you
    Aaron
  • Feb 13, 2008, 10:23 AM
    Thewlyn
    Did you ever get an answer to this question? I have just encountered the same problem.
  • Feb 13, 2008, 11:18 AM
    massplumber2008
    Thewlyn... can you tell me if single handle valve... two handle.. Is there a name on the face plate or the shower head? Let us know and we will see what we can come up with.
  • Mar 7, 2009, 05:14 PM
    margog85
    I'm having the same problem as well-
    Never had great hot water pressure, and when you turned the shower on you'd hear a groaning sound in the wall as the water switched from coming out of the faucet in the tub to coming out of the shower head...
    But within the past week, the water just dribbles out, and there is no way to take a hot shower. Water pressure is decent in the sink in the bathroom (cold has always been better than hot, but not a drastic difference), and perfect in the kitchen for both hot and cold.
    Single knob shower- with a little silver rod sticking out of the wall that you push in to turn on the shower head-
    All the knobs were turned to open in the basement along both hot and cold water lines... I'm lost and have no idea what it would be.
    Any ideas?
    And any clue what it would cost to have a plumber come fix it if I can't?
  • Mar 7, 2009, 05:51 PM
    Milo Dolezal

    Single handle shower/tub faucets have built-in anti-scalding device. It is always factory set so you get little hot water. Remove the handle and there will be either plastic or brass ring . Toss it. Reinstall handle - and you should have more hot water.

    Let us know how you did...
  • Mar 7, 2009, 06:29 PM
    margog85

    I will try it when I get home---
    But why would I have had hot water pressure before, and now absolutely none?
    It was never wonderful, but definitely never this bad either.
  • Mar 7, 2009, 06:50 PM
    Milo Dolezal
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by margog85 View Post
    I will try it when I get home---
    But why would I have had hot water pressure before, and now absolutely none??
    It was never wonderful, but definitely never this bad either.

    Margog85: the faucet has buit-in anti-scalding device. Depending on brand of the faucet the this device could be a small ball, or rod, moving from left to right to balance pressure and h/c water demand. That moving part is probably calcified or you have debris inside the cartridge preventing it from balancing h/c water mixture as it should.

    It is a common problem. We have dozens of such a posts in this Forum...
  • Jan 5, 2010, 11:10 PM
    nofunshowers
    I replaced a single-hand faucet for my bath tub, and hot water drips out. I stop using that bath tub a year ago. Now I replaced single-handed faucet knob in the main bathroom, and now it drips out. I replaced it due to knob not turning on water properly. Everything was replaced inside the pipe, the white plastic thing, and the main copper (I believe) screw, or it looks like a screw any how. Now taking showers is unbearable, can someone advise me what to do or what to check for please? Hot water pressure in all sinks works just fine, and I had my water heater checked out and it was in good shape. Thanks for any suggestions or help :)
  • Jan 16, 2010, 01:04 PM
    JCAT3094
    What is there are two faucet handles? Only the hot is not flowing in the shower - cold is fine and both the cold and hot in the sink are fine?
  • Mar 4, 2010, 10:59 AM
    luv_tanner
    I have the same issue with no hot water in the shower/tub - doesn't matter if it is coming out of th faucet or the shower head. We have a 3 handle system. The handle on the far left (while looking at handles) controls on/off, the center handle controls tub/shower, the far right handle controls temperature. So which handle do I look for the anti-scalding device? I would assume the temperature one... but can you verify. We just remodeled this spare bathroom a few years ago, hadn't really used the shower, until now when we are remodeling the materbath. Nothing more frustrating then to demo the master bath and want a hot shower to have no hot water in the spare bath.
  • Mar 5, 2010, 01:09 PM
    luv_tanner
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by luv_tanner View Post
    I have the same issue with no hot water in the shower/tub - doesn't matter if it is coming out of th faucet or the shower head. We have a 3 handle system. The handle on the far left (while looking at handles) controls on/off, the center handle controls tub/shower, the far right handle controls temperature. So which handle do I look for the anti-scalding device? I would assume the temperature one...but can you verify. We just remodeled this spare bathroom a few years ago, hadn't really used the shower, until now when we are remodeling the materbath. Nothing more frustrating then to demo the master bath and want a hot shower to have no hot water in the spare bath.

    To add information it is a glacier Bay faucet. I tried to find a "scalding device" but haven't been able to yet, so any advice on where I can look that would be great.
    Thanks
  • Apr 10, 2010, 01:11 PM
    BBeck
    Hi,

    I have this tub/shower setup:
    Delta T17455
    Double Handle Pressure Balanced Tub and Shower Trim with Multi Function Showerhead from the Victorian Monitor Series

    The hot water just trickles out while in full cold I have pressure. I've checked the pressure with a gauge at the sink and both sides measure almost 100 psi. The city main was replaced to the house about 5 weeks ago. I thought I just might have some crud from that in the cartridge. I pulled the cartridge put as towel over it and had the wife turn on the main. Plenty of cold, so I covered the cold side with my finger, hot dribbled then became a stream ( but less than the cold was.why?) I'm ordering a new cartridge, hoping that solve it. But I have abother question; to get more volume out of the tub /shower I would need to increase the supply pipe size right? Even though the pressure is there right or is the water saver technology of the faucet going to stop me?
  • May 31, 2010, 04:52 PM
    danilee
    I had the same problem - cold water and pressure was great, but the hot water just dripped out, could not take a shower. Had a plumber come in. The cartridge was put in wrong - it was reversed. He corrected it and the shower was fantastic with both hot and cold water. But then guess what happened? My second shower, which was great, now has the same problem -- no hot water or pressure! Figure that one out.
  • Jan 17, 2011, 11:06 AM
    ara030
    I am experiencing a similar problem. I have a one handle shower. The pressure is low whenever the handle is turned to the hot water. I have removed the shower head, and that is not the problem. The water comes out with very low pressure whenever the handle is turned to hot. How can I fix this? Thanks in advance
  • Jan 17, 2011, 11:08 AM
    ara030
    I am experiencing a similar problem. I have a one handle shower. The pressure is low whenever the handle is turned to the hot water. I have removed the shower head, and that is not the problem. Can smoenone please help me? Thanks in advance
  • Jan 18, 2011, 03:41 AM
    Sunita1_sharma
    Luv_tanner... how did you solve? I have the same issue, with 3 handle system... it was always working really well, had a new bathroom installed a year ago and now this problem keep happening... please let me know your solution - [email protected]
    Many thxxx
  • Sep 2, 2012, 09:23 AM
    MistressCrys
    I have a h/c one handle tub/shower but it has a stopper too and I have no hot water pressure in the tub or shower but everywhere else is perfect it takes forever to fill the tub while running the hot water but the cold is running perfect... Please Please Please HELP!!
  • Dec 9, 2012, 01:07 PM
    sy3030
    I am having a similar issue. I have three handle tub. The water pressure is great in the entire house and hot and cold works everywhere else.

    When I go to turn on the hot in this shower it dribbles out gets warm, but not enough to take a shower. Any suggestions?

    Thanks,
    Sam

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