Why Is It So Hard to Regulate the Temperature in My Shower?

Relaxing in warm water while taking a shower is the greatest part. But you tremble or shriek when suddenly a blast of searing hot or ice-cold water hits your body! What then is the reason? If the temperature of the water in your shower varies, your plumbing or water heater may not be producing enough hot or cold water, respectively.

Contacting plumbing services in Long Island is the main step you may do to determine why it's difficult to adjust the temperature in your shower. Here are seven reasons why you might be experiencing temperature changes when you take a shower, along with solutions.

Water Heater Failure

Your water heater heats all the water that exits your faucets and shower head. Water heaters typically last 12 to 15 years. If it has been in use for more than 16 years and the water temperature is difficult to regulate, it may be time to replace it.

If your water heater is still under 12 years old and you're having trouble with inconsistent water temperatures, it might just require some repair.

Since your water heater has delicate pieces that could become damaged if you try to disassemble it, we don't advise conducting maintenance on it. For safe upkeep guidelines, consult your water heater's handbook first. Next, perform a visual inspection by going around it and looking for any leaks or cracks.

Call a plumbing service expert to have a check and undertake maintenance if there aren't any indications of visible cracks.

Tiny Pipes

The plumbing system in your home may be to blame for your shower's difficult-to-manage temperature since the pipes' diameters may be too narrow. A typical plumbing system functions most effectively when compared to a tree. Smaller diameter pipes act as individual branches that supply individual taps in the kitchen, baths, and other areas where water is utilized, while a big diameter pipe functions as the tree's trunk that controls the water supply. One branch draws the water that supplies some other branches whenever it uses the washing machine or turns on the water in a sink.

The strain to give water to every room when the water pipes are just too small, causes the water temperature to fluctuate. It is impossible to install larger pipes on your own; a professional plumbing firm must be hired.

Valves That Balance Pressure

Your pressure-balancing valve can be broken, which is another reason why your shower temperature is fluctuating. Likewise the thermostatic mixing valve (TMV), which mixes hot and cold water to produce a warm shower. For the water to warm up effectively, these two valves must cooperate. For instance, the temperature of the shower is balanced by the pressure-balancing shower valves.

The thermostatic shower valves, however, regulate the water's temperature. When you take a shower, frozen or scalding water may result from one or more of these sources being defective or malfunctioning, which could be the main reason for the decrease in water pressure. Getting both thermostatic and pressure balancing shower valves changed isn’t a straightforward job to undertake on your own and requires a skilled plumber to assess the issue and correct it.

Mineral Build-Up

Minerals like magnesium are abundant in water. In the long run, this mineral concentration in hard water creates crusty deposits in the water heater.

As we indicated earlier if your water heater is 12-15 years old and has never received general maintenance, mineral build-up on the heating element in the water heater might cause it to overheat. Most likely, hot, scalding water will stream out of the faucet when your water heater overheats. In this situation, if the water is too hot, call a plumber to check the water heater.

Damaged Dip Tube

Your water heater may experience problems besides mineral buildup, like a broken dip tube. The dip tube is in charge of supplying cold water from your water line to the water heater. The water tank's bottom is where it operates. During this procedure, cold water enters the dip tube, warms up, and then rises to the top.

The hot water is blasted out and then flows to your faucet once it reaches the top of the water heater. If the dip tube breaks, cold water will seep into the tank and cool the hot water, which will result in frigid bursts of water coming from your shower faucet. Leave it to a qualified plumber to determine whether your dip tube needs to be repaired or replaced.

Other Water-Related Devices

Consider a time you were taking a shower while another person in your home flushed the toilet simultaneously. You likely noticed a difference in the water's temperature, going from warm to cold. When several water appliances are being utilized at once, these temperature changes in the water happen. Avoid using the washing machine and flushing the toilet right before you call a plumber. Then determine if the temperature of your water is still fluctuating. If so, your water heater may have a problem, so contact a licensed plumber to diagnose the issue.

Tankless Water Heaters

You can benefit from a tankless water heater by having hot water available immediately. The biggest disadvantage of this kind of water heater, however, is that cold water can pass through it when its burners are off, changing the temperature. Temperature fluctuations in a tankless water heater are not a sign that it is damaged; rather, they may indicate that a plumbing professional needs to make adjustments to improve its performance.

Contact Order a Plumber Inc.

If you would like a quotation on our plumbing services in Long Island, our professional plumbers at Order a Plumber can help with regulating your waterline to its correct water temperature.