No hot water in tub/shower, new tankless water heater
Hi,
A month or so ago I decided to remodel my bathroom. The bathroom is very small and a portion of it was taken up by the water heater tank. To get more space, I decided to install a tankless water heater. I demolished the bathroom, taking it down to the studs. A handyman friend of mine took over from there. He installed the tankless water heater, hanging it on the wall above the spot where the old water tank sat. He then installed new drywall and tiled the floor and shower. When I tried to run hot water through the tub spout, the tankless water heater shut down. It appeared that I needed larger pipes for gas. We had 1/2 inch pipes and the chart in the tankless water heater's manual (Bosch 2400) indicated a minimum of 3/4 inch gas pipes. I brought in a certified heating/cooling professional and he increased the size of the gas pipes to 3/4 inch. Now when I run water through the tub spout, the water heater no longer shuts down but the water does not get any hotter than about 80-90 degrees. Same with water through the shower head. I get hot water in the kitchen sink just fine. I had the gas utility company come out to increase the amount of gas pressure from the meter (3/4 inch gas pipe is maximum allowed by my meter). They basically doubled the gas pressure (from 6 to 12) but it did not change the situation. I still have only lukewarm water at the tub/shower. The tankless water heater diagnostics indicate that I have about 3 gallons per minute of flow at the tub spout, and a little more than 1 gallon per minute at the shower head. The kitchen sink flow is about 1.5 gallons per minute.
During the remodel I installed new Price Pfister fixtures in the shower. The hot/cold is a single-handle control (automatic balancing?) that you turn a small amount for cold, a larger amount for hot.
I am at wits end, and my co-workers would be really pleased if I were to take a shower!
All suggestions appreciated!
Terry