[austex]

I am having problems similar to what the following link describes
I have a Moen shower handle and the cartridge has been changed recently. Type 1225 without any change in shower pressure.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/plumbi...er-177341.html

Can someone explain what this meant from that post?

MASS has given you some very good directions but appears to be off line at this time. It appears that you have some junk getting stuck in the integral stops and most recently also that mixing valve. The mixer needs to be cleaned out again and don't reinstall it just yet. Close both integral stops and see if you can't find a short piece of hose or tubing that will fit inside or over the mixer body, maybe even seal a bit with duct tape because we are going to do some pulsing with no restriction. With hose in place, or what the heck it is a shower just strip and close the door, open and close one of the stops several times and then close it. Now open and close the other stop several times, now reinstall the cleaned cartridge. Any better, it should be all cleaned out because if tit isn't we're going to pull the whole mixer.

Also what's an integral stop?

Any and All help is really appreciated. Pretty newbie when it comes to this. If you can provide some basics that will help too.

Thanks and Regards.

[austex]

I was hoping there are some pros here who can weigh in.

I took off the shower head last night and the water pressure is definitely almost half for HOT as against the COLD. So I am trying to figure out if it has to do with the water coming out of the heater is being blocked in the pipe along the way?

The water temperature on HOT side is good.. its just the pressure.

Hopefully someone weighs in.

Thanks

[hkstroud]

First what type of shower valve do you have?

Also what's an integral stop?

An integral stop is a stop valve that is built into the body of the shower valve. Shower valves with integral stops are most often found in apartment buildings. In an individual residences you an turn off the water to service the valve. In apartment complexes that is not practical. The manufacture will build a stop in the valve where the water comes in. That way you don't have to turn off the water to the entire building to service the valve. The integral stops do not have handles but have a slot so you can turn them on and off with a screwdriver.

If your shower valve is a pressure balancing valve the hot and cold pressures will probably not be equal. The cold will be full pressure and flow. The hot will be something less. There is an adjustable pressure balancing spool inside the shower valve handle that allows you to set the maximum hot water volume, therefore limiting the maximum temperature of the mixed water coming out the shower head.

[austex]

Hi Harold,
Thanks for your response.
I am not sure what type of valve is thre for sure. But the shower handle is something like this.
Monticello Chrome Posi-Temp® valve trim - T2442

There are like 3-4 valve options shown there. Its possibly one of them as far I am guessing

I had opened the shower handle last night to check again. As you mentioned there is a white plastic limiter there which is at 12 O'clock position which if i remember from a DIY video is the maximum.

[hkstroud]

One version of Moen valve with stops

[austex]

One version of Moen valve with stops

I believe I have
M–Pact Posi-Temp® 1/2" IPS connection - 2510

[hkstroud]

Basically the same valve just no integral stops.
Turn off water, remove cartridge, turn on water briefly to flush out any debris. Reinstall cartridge.

Water supply pipes almost never get stopped up. Any blockage is almost always at a valve.

How is the hot water pressure at other faucets?

[austex]

I hope I can add a video here later today

[austex]

Basically the same valve just no integral stops.
Turn off water, remove cartridge, turn on water briefly to flush out any debris. Reinstall cartridge.

Water supply pipes almost never get stopped up. Any blockage is almost always at a valve.

How is the hot water pressure at other faucets?

The hot water pressure at the faucets in the sink is OK.. not great. When I remove the aerator and clean or replace it, the pressure gets better. Other think I noticed, both in the sink faucets and the shower is, when I first turn on the hot water, the pressure is low (I am estimating roughly half of what it should be) and about a few minutes, it gets slightly better. Even this slightly better is kind of low for taking a shower though.

Like I said earlier, the water temperature is good. So most probably the heater is doing its job. So either the problem is at the valve like you say or maybe the water out of the heater is low pressure? I haven't checked that yet. Not sure if there is a easy way to do that.

Also I worry that if I take the cartridge out to flush the water, it might leak into the space behind the shower tiles causing some kind of mold in the future.

Thanks.

[hkstroud]

Water pressure and volume at the sink should be the same for hot and cold.
Hot water pressure should be the consistent with in seconds after opening faucet.

If hot diminishes after more than a couple second, sounds like a restriction at the water heater. Make certain that cold water input valve to the water is completely open. Hot water could also be restricted by mineral deposits in heat traps (hot or cold) if you have them. Connect hose to drain valve of water heater. Open drain valve to see flow and pressure out of water heater.

I would not worry too much about water in walls from flushing shower valves. It will dry. You should only be opening the flow momentarily. You could try to stuff clothes between the valve and the wall opening to direct water outward.

[austex]

Water pressure and volume at the sink should be the same for hot and cold.
Hot water pressure should be the consistent with in seconds after opening faucet.

If hot diminishes after more than a couple second, sounds like a restriction at the water heater. Make certain that cold water input valve to the water is completely open. Hot water could also be restricted by mineral deposits in heat traps (hot or cold) if you have them. Connect hose to drain valve of water heater. Open drain valve to see flow and pressure out of water heater.

I would not worry too much about water in walls from flushing shower valves. It will dry. You should only be opening the flow momentarily. You could try to stuff clothes between the valve and the wall opening to direct water outward.

Hot water pressure doesn't diminish but gets fractionally better after few minutes.
We haven't really looked at the water heater at all so I would be surprised of the cold water valve (I believe this is the cold water input to the heater) is not fully ON.

[hkstroud]

Is hot water pressure and volume the same as cold water?

[austex]

Is hot water pressure and volume the same as cold water?

No the pressure and volume for hot is lower than cold

[hkstroud]

Do you have heat trap nipples on the water heater?
Have you connected a hose to the drain valve of the water heater to see what the pressure is there?

[austex]

Do you have heat trap nipples on the water heater?
Have you connected a hose to the drain valve of the water heater to see what the pressure is there?

I will be connecting the hose and checking it out soon. Last time it was done, I think the pressure was slightly on the low side (though not this much)

What do you mean by heat trap nipples on the water heater?

I tried atttaching a video but cannot. It shows the hot and cold water pressure difference.

[hkstroud]

See this link about heat trap nipples. Build up of mineral deposits in heat traps can restrict flow.
https://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pa...eat-traps.html

[austex]

Is it OK to leave the water heater gas flame on pilot when draining it? If there is lot of build up then I guess the water heater needs to be changed.. if not then? Problem with pipes?