Hot/Cold Water Issues
I live in a pre-war, 4 story walk up rental building. It has 20 apts, 50% market rate and 50% rent stabilized (aging/elderly tenants). The owner is not stingy (plenty of heat etc) and the super takes a lot of pride in maintaining the building. However, I have a hot/cold issue with my shower that…
I live in a pre-war, 4 story walk up rental building. It has 20 apts, 50% market rate and 50% rent stabilized (aging/elderly tenants). The owner is not stingy (plenty of heat etc) and the super takes a lot of pride in maintaining the building. However, I have a hot/cold issue with my shower that is getting worse over time. During the morning rush, and now all evening long, the hot and cold water from the shower fluctuates tremendously. Sometimes it goes to scalding hot or ice cold in less than a second. Other times it is gradual temp change. I never notice this in the faucets, only the shower. The time it takes me to shower is almost doubled because I am spending extra time adjusting the knobs or waiting for the temp to even out again. One time I almost slipped and fell trying to avoid getting scalded! I am concerned about the elderly people who can not react as quickly as myself. Anyway, I casually mentioned it to my super twice now, and his response was “the building is just old and there is nothing we can do.”
Anyone have any thoughts or advice?
FWIW, they capped off and removed the tub spout during a recently “renovation” and I have two knobs (H+C)
I’d call the landlord and tell him you think the shower fixture has a problem and explain nicely that you can’t take a shower comfortably.
As a small time landlord myself, I’ve had plumbers change “cartridges” that have broken, or changed out the entire control in several instances when it’s really old and unfixable.
Pester your landlord and he’ll get a plumber in to fix it. . .
If there is a hot water problem during the morning rush due to an insufficient volume of hot water because too many people are showering at the same time, is there anything that can be done? Other than to replace the tanks with larger ones?
I haven’t read through the posts, but when temperature fluctuates like that, you’ve got a cross connection that sends hot or cold water into the other pipe.
Usually very find-and-fixable though it may take some time poking around.
During the course of one 15 minute shower, the temperature will fluctuate approximately a dozen times. Of that dozen, maybe 2 or 3 times will it be abrupt to ice cold, or to scalding hot. The rest will consist of gradual temp changes which require me to constantly adjust the knobs (it’s almost like someone else is trying to compensate for *my* temp adjustments, and as a result, we are all just constantly asjusting the temp during our showers)
OK,BOD- Just what I thought. We’ve now established that you have what’s known as a “one pipe steam” heating system. So any and all posts relative to boilers, coils, etc. are to be IGNORED. They have no bearing whatsoever on your problem. I still maintain that your problem would be alleviated with a single lever shower valve body.
To starfish1948: You are on the ball. Correct. No valve or gizmo is going to give you the proper temp mix if there is insufficient hot water in the system however if it is diminishing slowly you will be less susceptible to a sudden rush of cold. In other words, the valve will hold your desired temp longer but once the HW is depleted, that’s it.
cmu – I do not know what kind of boiler is in the basement. I have no access. While the temp flucuates, the water pressure coming out of the shower head never changes. There are also no noises (squeeks, knocking etc) coming from the pipes when the temp changes abruptly. During off hours (12-5am) I can get consistant temps.
Starfish, the thermostatic valves common in the single lever faucets will prevent scalding when it comes back online–it maintains a constant temp. The theory is that if he doesnt have a thermostatic mixing valve or it’s broken, then you’re just opening the hot and cold and if a new surge of hot comes as the boiler fires up, that surge of scalding water will hit you.
Italiana–your description sounds insensitive to say the least that it was a “big headache” when someone ended up in the hospital with severe burns.
It’s possible that there’s insufficient pressure to keep the shower going…is it a low flow or one of those old 3-4 gpm models? Maybe the flow rate at the sink is low enough that the pressure inadequacy does not show? If the water goes cold, there must be a rapid drop of hot water supply.
Since it happens only at times, the cause has to be external to b-o-d’s bath, not the faucets or washers or whatecer.
Maybe a flush near the w/h causes the pressure drop, but b-o-d’s flush does not…that might explain scalding water but not cold water.
FInally, is the w/h a tank unit or running of the boiler?
Hank,
What you said is interesting but please clarify. If the problem is that the water heater is incapable of sustaining the demand, then how exactly would installing a new shower body with a single lever solve the problem?
Wouldn’t the demand for hot water still be the same? And wouldn’t the hot water heater still be putting out the same inadequate volume?