5th floor co-op, low water pressure, water not hot enough.

We recently purchased a co-op apartment on the 5th floor of a walk-up building in Park Slope. We love the place (and we don’t mind the stairs!) but our one big problem is hot water.

My wife is utterly distraught that she cannot take a hot bath (unless we heat a big pot of water on the stove and dump it into the bath). We had the plumber turn up the water heaters in the basement but then the other tenants said their water was scalding. There doesn’t seem to be a happy medium for us on the top floor and the others below us.

Wondering if there are solutions for just the hot water for one bathtub. Should we be installing an under-sink water heater? Are there solutions that don’t involve going into the walls or down to the basement?

Guest User | 6 years and 8 months ago

6

Please log in, in order to post replies!

6 replies

Newest Oldest

nyc_sport | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4956 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4944 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "39535"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(9) "nyc_sport"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BFv.HDXnnlYzjvInY5Q64aXS/5iuhf1"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(9) "nyc_sport"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(16) "btfraw@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(24) "/forums/users/nyc_sport/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:16:50"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(45) "1716947865:$P$BBdyqKX22eBh6JksYu8L5KasH0jSlb."
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(9) "nyc_sport"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(39535)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

The original post says low pressure and low temperature. Was the issue solved when the temperature was turned up? Is there adequate hot water at times of the day when no one else is around? Sounds then like you are just running out of hot water because the four floors below access sooner. Turn up the water heater temperature, and add a mixing valve/tank booster to the tank. There will be more hot water to go around without raising temperatures at the taps. A “normal” bathtub can easily hold 80-100 gallons of water. If you like hot baths, most of that is going to be hot water, which can easily deplete hot water supply, particularly if not at a high temperature.

brokelin | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4954 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4957 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "90954"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "brokelin"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BukARi5fCxcdKRwwLKRkiawWixLEUK/"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "brokelin"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(17) "annindc@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(23) "/forums/users/brokelin/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:32:08"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "brokelin"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(90954)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Having lived in many of these buildings, both as a coop owner and renter, and liking to take baths in the winter to warm up when I get home and my legs are freezing, this is what you do. You fill the tub until the hot water is no longer coming out hot. Then you turn it off and wait for awhile. When the water you are sitting in starts to feel not so hot anymore, turn on the water again – at a little more than a trickle. It will start coming out cold, but soon turn to lukewarm, and, if you have waiting long enough, will soon be hot again. Turn it up some (not full, as the boiler is making the hot water on demand) and run it until it is not so hot again. You may need to let some not-so-hot water out while the tub in refilling with hot. Rinse and repeat until you’ve had enough bathing. Supplementing with a pot or two of water boiled on the stovetop may still be necessary. Welcome to the joys of Brooklyn brownstone/small building living!

Guest User | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "198802"

no the problem exists everywhere, but it’s most pronounced when it comes to filling the tub. The water is hot enough in the sinks but once the slow filling tub has filled up, the water that was not real hot to begin with has become lukewarm. So that’s why I’m targeting the solution at the tub.

yudashasom | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4924 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4926 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "194528"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(10) "yudashasom"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BKrcOOJj2qysH3kdOE3mMqxeyqPZ1m0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(10) "yudashasom"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "yudashasom@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:07:32"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(29) "Dasha Sominski Dasha Sominski"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(194528)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

That would be the craziest and most expensive option.

Do you have adequate hot water in your kitchen and bath sinks? If so, it’s 100% an issue with the shower body. If it’s broken or not adjusted properly, another hot water heater is not going to solve your problem.

Guest User | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "3"
string(6) "198802"

Thanks. It’s new-ish (maybe 10 years old?) The plumber looked at the fixture and didn’t want to try that — maybe I can look up the manufacturer… Short of that working, I still think we might need a way to heat the water up here on 5.

yudashasom | 6 years and 8 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4961 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4960 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "194528"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(10) "yudashasom"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BKrcOOJj2qysH3kdOE3mMqxeyqPZ1m0"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(10) "yudashasom"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "yudashasom@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:07:32"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(29) "Dasha Sominski Dasha Sominski"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(194528)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(3) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Is it a new shower body? If so, you might be able to adjust the scald control on it.

If so, it’s a DIY project. Find a video on youtube for the manufacturer and give it a try. Cover the drain so new screws fall in.