Nibco, Scorching Hot Shower - Unknown Handle Type/Temp Control

[FloridaHardWater]

Hello!

My old shower has become increasingly HOT. All other faucets are fine. I'm having trouble figuring out exactly how I can control the temperature here on this old handle / cartridge style. I don't recognize any way to do it without removing some screws and going deeper. Any thoughts?

Don't mind the buildup, it hasn't been deep cleaned in a while - the flash on my camera really shows me the grime up close :

 

[Jadnashua]

That valve may be old enough such that it doesn't have anti-scald tech. A typical single-handle shower valve starts out cold, and progressively adds in more hot.

How far do you have to turn the valve before you get any water out?

Sometimes, there will be an in-wall, in-line shutoff to the valve to make maintenance easier down the road (often, they don't work any more if it's been a long time, but they can help during construction!). It sounds like something has blocked the cold water. It could be the cartridge, a shutoff valve, or on some, there's also an in-line screen filter. I'm not familiar with the specifics of that valve.

I think what I'd try is to first shut the water off in the house, then remove the cartridge and look at things. If you don't see anything funky, I'd have someone slowly turn the water back on and see if you get flow from both the hot and cold inlets. If you do, the cartridge is suspect. If there's no cold coming in, you'll have to figure out why and fix it.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[FloridaHardWater]

...How far do you have to turn the valve before you get any water out?...

Thanks for the reply. I don't have to turn it far at all to receive water. If I crank it up, then slowly bring it back down, I can get a temperature that is manageable, at a slightly lower water pressure from the valve.

I didn't mention that I'm actually a renter in an apartment. Before submitting a full maintenance request, I thought maybe perhaps it could be a small personal tweak somewhere that I could perform myself.

This apartment was built around 1988, and everything inside of it is vintage. They are actually replacing the original hot water tank soon, due to a small leak. However, as mentioned, no other faucets are as hot, and the cold tap water sides aren't too warm (for being Florida city water).

I'm guessing it's the cartridge and will have to be investigated further.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Call maintenance. The cartridge may be hard to find and if you pull it, it could get damaged. I'm on OUC water in east Orange County near UCF, and the water is fairly soft and yours just could be worn out. Mineral deposits will always be prevalent without a water softener especially after 30 years.

 

[FloridaHardWater]

...Mineral deposits will always be prevalent without a water softener especially after 30 years...

Thanks for the help!

 

[Dj2]

As a renter you are probably forbidden from making such repairs as replacing a cartridge...let maintenance do it.

 

[hj]

That "valve" was used by several different companies over the years. Pfister, Kohler, Rockwell, among others

 

[Marlinman]

This valve is Nibco. It is a non-pressure balance valve. A cartridge replacement should do the trick. Just search "Nibco shower cartridge".