Caught in a Cold Shower?

Here are Reasons Why Your Hot Water may Not Last!

Have you started a nice, hot shower only to receive an arctic blast half way through? If your water never really turns hot, chances are your water heater needs time to regenerate; especially if you have been doing other things like washing clothes or dishes. However, if that cold shower occurs only moments after the start of a hot shower, you may have some problems with the water heater or other parts of your plumbing.

Consider these options before you hire a pro:

1. Diagnosing a possible water heater problem – You will want to go throughout your home, testing the hot water fixtures to see whether or not your cold shower was an isolated incident or is common throughout the entire home. If you are not getting any hot water at the other fixtures, your water heater is the likely culprit.

First, check the temperature setting on your hot water heater. If all is well, the next thing to consider is your water heater's power source.  If you have an electric powered unit, check to see if your circuit breaker has tripped.  You may have a bad breaker which, in most cases, can easily be replaced.  Come by one of our three convienent locations to get the right materials for the job.

If you have gas water heater, check to see if the pilot light went out. If it is, you can easily relight it, following the instructions in the manufacturer's manual.

If fixing the temperature setting, fuse or pilot light does not fix your problem, chances are you may have a variety of other issues such as a defective thermocouple, flue obstructions, sediment buildup on the heating element, or even a defective temperature control.  Our helpful hardware folks can help you remedy these issues, or we can set you up an appointment with one of our skilled, friendly service techinicians to handle these repairs.

2.  When it is an isolated shower problem – If the other fixtures in your home produce hot water and stays hot for a length of time, your probably is isolated to the shower. There are a number of problems why your shower loses hot water.

If you are a seasonal resident, or the problem is in your spare bathroom, you may have a balancing spool issue.  All new shower valves have pressure balancing technology that prevents you from getting scalded should someone in your house flush a toilet while you're in the shower.  These balancing spools get corroded in place if they are not used frequently.  Sometimes you can turn the valve on and off a few times and this piece will free itself, returning the hot water flow to this fixture.  Other times, you will need to replace the cartridge.  We carry a full range of cartridges for most shower valve.  Our full service division is also available to change this piece for you if you would like it professionally repaired.

If you have an older style single handle, two handle, or three handle shower valve, there are a number of issues that may cause the lack of hot water to your shower.  Some installers used to plug off extra water flow ports on these valves with galvanized plugs.  As that plug rusts away, particles may become lodged in the water intakes, or stems, causing the lack of hot water.  This will usually require new stems, seats, and a through cleaning of the internal components of your shower valve.  Bring in any identifying features of your valve and we can usually match them up to new components and help you determine the best way to repair the valve.  If you would like to have a professional service technician handle these repairs, we can schedule one of our friendly, skilled, service technicians to come assist you with this repair.

3.  Diagnosing a shower valve problem – Occasionally, shower valves become worn down with time, the rubber parts disintegrating or swelling with age. When this happens, the rubber parts block the path for flowing water. This blockage usually happens with the shower valves as heat makes the rubber swell. Sometimes, the rubber parts break apart and travel to the hot water valve to the shower, creating a blockage. If you feel confident about taking apart the valve, you can clean out the broken pieces in the hot water valve and then replace the rubber in the shower valve. Keep in mind that most shower valves are located inside the wall and may only be accessible by a hidden panel in a closet in the next room or a cabinet in the bathroom.

If you have any questions regarding these repair steps, please feel free to visit one of our three convienent hardware locations in Venice, Englewood, or North Port.  If you are in the least bit hesitant about faciliitating any of the above recommended repairs, it is best to consult with a plumbing expert. Our service department is happy to serve you.  Please call (941)488-2402 to schedule a visit by one of our friendly and experienced service technicians, or set up your appointment online by clicking here.