Single Lever Shower Valve Ultra sensitive and difficult to adjust temperature

[Tenderpaw]

My dad had the shower re-done and they replaced the single lever water valve with a B&K single lever valve. Now it is very difficult to get the water temp right. Move it slightly one way and its too HOT and the slightly the other way and its too COLD. What can we do to fix besides replacing the valve. I don't want rip out he tile or the wall.

Thanks.

Dave

 

[Jimbo]

Well, a B&K valve would be in the bottom 2 of my top 20 choices for shower valves.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tenderpaw]

I was afraid of that! But that is what the plumber put in. So is the answer the valve is just a piece of Chinese made &^%&^%?

Dave

 

[Jimbo]

B&K is not an unknown company, but I would put their faucets and valves in the second tier.

Down the road when you need to replace a handle or cartridge, it will be a little harder to find. Be sure to keep the user/install manual with model numbers and part numbers for future reference.

 

[Terry]

I couldn't find a manufactures web site for them either.

 

[Asktom]

B&K is owned by Mueller Industries ( www.mullerindustries.com ) and the faucets are/were made by a number of different Chinese companies. They may have discontinued their faucet line. They used to have exploded parts diagrams at www.bk-ind.com , but the site seems to be gone.

 

[Terry]

They used to have exploded parts diagrams at www.bk-ind.com , but the site seems to be gone.

And that's why plumbers like to stick to tried and true.
It's always nice when the manufacturere has a web site, and phone operators that will help the homeowner and send out parts.
Moen, Delta, Price Phister, Grohe, Hans Grohe to name a few.
Jamie tried to get a small part for a Home Depot faucet, the other day, no luck.
He wound up replacing the entire faucet.

 

[Tenderpaw]

Is there anything i can do to fix the present faucet? Could the cartridge be the problem?

Thanks.

 

[Jadnashua]

One thing that could cause that sort of problem is if the valve is a thermostatically controlled one, and the supplies are reversed, or (not all valves can do this) the valve is installed 180-degrees out of whack. Sometimes, all it takes is taking the handle off, removing the stop, and rotating the cartridge and put it back together. There could be some crud caught in the cartridge or the inlet filter (not all have an inlet filter).

 

[hj]

IF a plumber furnished and installed it, and it is a recent installation, call him back to adjust it or find out what the problem is.