No easy way to cut hot water from single handle shower faucet?

[dejarnett]

We live in a rented house where we cover expenses <$500, but we have the freedom to do pretty much any improvements to the house we want.

The bath/shower has a single handle that rotates counter-clockwise to both increase pressure and make the water hotter and a common diverter on the faucet.

I like to take cold showers (logic of that is not up for debate, I started in 1977), so naturally with this shower, by the time I get any pressure at all, the temperature is warm. I thought I'd solve the problem by putting a ball valve at the hot water heater and simply close that when I wanted a cold shower.

Surprisingly, when the valve is closed at the hot water heater, we get NO water through the shower faucet, even if turned all the way up. Everywhere else, the hot water is cut and cold water is flowing as expected. I would have expected to just have cold water when I turned the shower up.

Is our only option changing the shower to 2-handle, if that would be feasible? I guess to do that we would remove the big round chrome faceplate that the handle comes through to hopefully reveal hot and cold water outlets?

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Right now just go outside and use the garden hose. What is the outside temp in your part of Texas?

It'd be easier if you change the valve body out and trim, that is if you can get behind the wall. Delta makes a great valve body where the water flow is the longer handle and the small inter one is temperature. So you can have full flow with no hot water mixing in. I have two of these in my home.

https://www.build.com/delta-r10000-unwshf/s665734?uid=1372557
https://www.build.com/delta-t17097/s776636?uid=2003705

 

[Sponsor]

 

[dejarnett]

That faucet looks like exactly what I need. Not seeing a way to get behind the wall though.

>> Right now just go outside and use the garden hose. What is the outside temp in your part of Texas?

In the panhandle - frozen - haven't seen a temp even up close to 30s for a week. Just glad to get up into the 20s today.
Besides, my wife wouldn't want the guys with straightjackets showing up to haul me off. Need to keep this inside.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Jadnashua]

To satisfy the federal anti scald regulations, your valve is doing exactly what it was designed to do when you shut off the hot input. The pressure balance spool valve is activating.

 

[dejarnett]

>> The pressure balance spool valve is activating.

Didn't know about that. We don't have any small children, and have alot of calcium sometimes creating volume/pressure problems, so will look into if that's something I could remove.

I guess that regardless of regulations, the Delta mentioned above won't have the spool valve - so that straight cold can come out?

Thanks

 

[Reach4]

I could see a valve where you would switch the cold pipe to supply the hot pipe temporarily.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tectite-3-4-in-Brass-Push-To-Connect-3-Way-Ball-Valve-FSBBV334/305483720

 

[Terry]

I would consider installing a double stop at the lav or the toilet and running a cold hand shower line from there.
The pressure balanced shower valve is a must for a rental unit to prevent scalding. It's a legal thing for the landlord so somebody doesn't sue him.

 

[hj]

You CANNOT remove the balancing unit. If you could/did you would lose the ability to control you water temperature in the whole house.

 

[dejarnett]

It'd be easier if you change the valve body out and trim, that is if you can get behind the wall. Delta makes a great valve body where the water flow is the longer handle and the small inter one is temperature. So you can have full flow with no hot water mixing in. I have two of these in my home.
https://www.build.com/delta-r10000-unwshf/s665734?uid=1372557
https://www.build.com/delta-t17097/s776636?uid=2003705

I really like the looks of this one, and was about to buy that valve, but noticed that it says in the description:
"HF high flow model has no tub outlet"

Since this is in a tub/shower combination with a diverter valve in the tub faucet, does this mean I won't be able to use this valve body?

Thanks

 

[Jadnashua]

What brand valve do you currently have?

Delta uses a common rough-in valve for some of its lines, and if you're lucky enough to have one of those, you can change the cartridge and trim to a two-handle setup. If it's the R10000 rough-in, it's easy. Some other brands use a common rough-in valve that may give you similar choices. Those two-handle valves have a volume control and a separate temperature control...you still don't have complete control over the hot/cold, but it's close, depending on the brand.

 

[dejarnett]

What brand valve do you currently have?

Delta uses a common rough-in valve for some of its lines, and if you're lucky enough to have one of those, you can change the cartridge and trim to a two-handle setup. If it's the R10000 rough-in, it's easy. Some other brands use a common rough-in valve that may give you similar choices. Those two-handle valves have a volume control and a separate temperature control...you still don't have complete control over the hot/cold, but it's close, depending on the brand.

Thanks Jim,

Yes, that one is exactly what I'm looking for - temp control completely separate from volume control.

Unfortunately on the existing shower valve there is no branding at all on the trim around the single-handle lever. Before this valve was installed (by someone else) there were simply separate hot and cold handles.

What I'm considering purchasing is:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194409356908
and
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363619228447

but I'm no plumber or handyman, so don't want any regrets after I get everything here and then get behind the wall.

I might be able to go under the house and take pictures from behind the valve and tub faucet next week sometime if that would help.

 

[LLigetfa]

I have the R10000 rough-in that supports a tub filler with diverter for shower.
https://www.build.com/delta-r10000-unbx/s661433?uid=188437

The Lahara trim kit I use has separate volume and temperature controls.
https://www.build.com/delta-t17238/s719780?uid=2419598

 

[LLigetfa]

The Lahara trim kit I use has separate volume and temperature controls.
https://www.build.com/delta-t17238/s719780?uid=2419598

I use it in a shower-only configuration. What you would want is tub-shower combo.
https://www.build.com/delta-t17438-h2o/s720186?uid=1832457

 

[Jadnashua]

Some valves may not have their name spelled out, but may have their brand symbol on the trim somewhere...post a picture of what you have, someone may recognize it.

Otherwise, to get what you want, you may need to replace the existing valve with a new one that meets your needs/desires. If they used a remodel plate to change out the old valve, it may not be a big deal to put in a whole new one. Or, if you can access it from behind, that generally works, too.

 

[dejarnett]

I use it in a shower-only configuration. What you would want is tub-shower combo.
https://www.build.com/delta-t17438-h2o/s720186?uid=1832457

Thanks. We'll have to have a handheld shower head for my wife and two daughters, so the -h20 model would have features we couldn't use, but if we could save some money by getting a t17438 (non-h2o) that looks like what we'd need.