Some showers seem to only understand two settings: “hot” or “cold.” This causes the shower owner to have to choose between getting burnt or freezing! Many homeowners have trouble adjusting their water heater to the perfect temperature. Luckily we can give you some tips that will help you diagnose the issue yourself before calling a plumber, and you can regulate your water temperature right at home!
Wrong Water Heater Temperature- In general, 120 degrees is the optimum temperature to have your hot water heater set at. This may be too hot for some people so you can turn it a few degrees down. You can find out how to adjust your hot water heater temperature here.
Old Cartridge- The problem may lie in the shower or sink cartridge. Many manufacturers guarantee their cartridges for life, and they’ll ship you a new cartridge for free. To replace a cartridge you will need to identify what kind of faucet you have and then follow these steps listed here.
Shower Valve Needs Adjusting- The mixture of hot water and cold water available in a shower or tub can be adjusted at the shower valve stem, the part found under the faucet. The exact process for adjusting the hot and cold water will depend on the type of faucet in your shower or tub, but the general idea is as follows:
- Remove the handle. You may need a screwdriver to do this.
- Take off the metal cover beneath the handle, exposing the valve stem. You’ll see a plastic part around the valve stem. This plastic part is known as the “rotational stop limit,” (RSL). This is the part of the shower that controls the mixture of hot and cold water coming out of the faucets. The directional controls will probably be noted on the RSL, but in general a counter-clockwise turn will release more hot water, and a clockwise turn will release less hot water. To turn the RSL, you may have to pull out the RSL cover to reveal the teeth that hold the RSL in place.
- Turn the RSL two notches in whichever direction desired, then put the RSL back in place.
- Replace the faucet handle, then test the mixture of hot and cold water. If the temperature is still not correct, repeat steps 1 through 3.
One of these three things should do the trick, depending on the type of fixtures you have on your faucet or shower the processes may differ slightly. If you are not the handy type or you tried these options and your water temperature is still not regulated, feel free to give us a call!