Pressure Balance Valve problems

Hi…I have a pressure balance valve in my shower — the type with a single temperature control and a separate valve to control amount of flow. Recently I noticed the temperature control wasn’t working well. Only toward the extreme end of the range (e.g. nearest the highest temp) is the water comfortable. A quarter of an inch clockwise and the water turns much colder. The difference between hot and near scalding temperatures is a quarter of an inch the other way (and at the end of the temperature range). It never used to be like this. Is this the cartridge that needs to be changed? Are there any other possible culprits I should think about? Thanks as always….

housepoor

in Plumbers and Plumbing 11 years and 3 months ago

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housepoor | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Great advice everyone. Thanks….

slopefarm | 11 years and 3 months ago

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We just had to do this last week. It was the cartridge. If yours is a Grohe, the parts warranty is lifetime. It does expire if the house is sold (warranty is only for owner who purchased the shower body). Not a problem for us, but they did not really check on ownership when I called for a replacement, so worht a try regardless.

Green Mountain | 11 years and 3 months ago

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Even if it is out of warranty, try contacting the manufacturer’s technical support staff. I have often found them helpful, and sometimes they send replacement parts. You may have an accumulation of sediment (mostly) or minerals (not so much in NYC water) from your water supply blocking flow. Also check your shower head for blockage. Installation instructions probably included a thorough flushing of pipes, before installing cartridges and shower head, so manufacturers are concerned this problem can occur in new as well as old fixtures. If you can install a water filter on the whole house or just the bathroom, that would catch particles before they get in to your fixtures. There may also be O rings, which you can replace, and you may be able to recalibrate the temperature range to a kitchen thermometer. Sometimes, the max is too hot, so you have room for adjustment.

dorkofwindsor | 11 years and 3 months ago

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i’d bet pretty strongly that you are correct, it needs a new cartridge.