No Hot water from shower head

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mannerofspeakin

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Master bedroom tub/shower faucet. Water at spout is plenty hot but when diverter is engaged the water comes out of shower head hot for a very short period of time (less than 30 seconds) and then goes to lukewarm. Have used different shower heads with no change. The sink just after the shower does not get very hot water at all. Other shower and sink faucets get very hot water.

Already replaced hot water heater which did not correct problem.

Could the diverter spout be causing the problem ? I have read for years to try and figure it out. Have changed cartridge in tub faucet with no change in problem. It is an old fixture, probably 15 years. An elger, one handle.

I am trying not to have to replace entire faucet as it would require some destructive access to be gained. Any help is appreciated.
 

Jadnashua

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It could be the vanity faucet. What brand is it? Some are known to allow a crossover. The extra backpressure from closing the divertor may cause the water to flow via the cross-over.

Try shutting off the valves underneath the vanity faucet and see what happens. If the shower works fine, then you've isolated it to the vanity faucet.
 

Verdeboy

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If the water is hot at your spout and not at the shower head, then that would strongly suggest a problem with the diverter. Are you getting hot water coming out of the spout, even when it is being diverted out of your shower head?
 

mannerofspeakin

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If the water is hot at your spout and not at the shower head, then that would strongly suggest a problem with the diverter. Are you getting hot water coming out of the spout, even when it is being diverted out of your shower head?

There is no water from spout when the diverter is engaged to move water to shower head so to answer your question I would say no. But I may not understand what you are asking. Hot at tub spout, engage diverter then all water goes to shower head where water gets lukewarm quickly.
 
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Jadnashua

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The diverter and the additional height create more backpressure, and may be the reason the cross-over is more apparant. On any single handle faucets in the house and at the washing machine, shut off the supplies one at a time and see if it then works right. When you find the one that does it, you know what to fix. Also, on the single handle faucets, try turning the knob or lever to all hot rather than the middle, neutral position (if it is possible on that design). Then, it can't mix the hot and cold internally.
 

mannerofspeakin

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The diverter and the additional height create more backpressure, and may be the reason the cross-over is more apparant. On any single handle faucets in the house and at the washing machine, shut off the supplies one at a time and see if it then works right. When you find the one that does it, you know what to fix. Also, on the single handle faucets, try turning the knob or lever to all hot rather than the middle, neutral position (if it is possible on that design). Then, it can't mix the hot and cold internally.

I will try these things shortly. Must add that all of above is with knob turned all the way to hot. Never in middle. Turning to middle makes it colder then luke warm.
 

Jadnashua

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I'm not talking about the one at the shower...ANY other faucet in the house could provide a short-circuit (cross-over) of the hot to the cold, and prevent you from getting hot to the shower. Now, it is also possible that the one at the shower could cause this symptom elsewhere if it was defective, but not directly affect that location.
 

mannerofspeakin

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I'm not talking about the one at the shower...ANY other faucet in the house could provide a short-circuit (cross-over) of the hot to the cold, and prevent you from getting hot to the shower. Now, it is also possible that the one at the shower could cause this symptom elsewhere if it was defective, but not directly affect that location.

Ok. But I am getting hot water to the shower. just not when diverted to shower head.
 

Verdeboy

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After you have diverted the water to the showerhead and the water has cooled down, have you tried diverting it back to the spout? Does it get hotter again out of the spout? Have you actually tried to measure the water temp at both places? Also try this with no shower head. That will reduce the back pressure significantly.
 

mannerofspeakin

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After you have diverted the water to the showerhead and the water has cooled down, have you tried diverting it back to the spout? Does it get hotter again out of the spout? Have you actually tried to measure the water temp at both places? Also try this with no shower head. That will reduce the back pressure significantly.

Actually I have done the first part. Water gets hot again when diverted back to spout. I have tried various shower heads> They have been both low flow and regular shower heads and work fine on other shower
 
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Jadnashua

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I really think it is the increased backpressure is causing the hot to flow (or in this case not flow) because of a cross-over somewhere else in the plumbing system. Thus, the recommedation to shut off all places where it could cross-over. If that solves it, then turn them back on one at a time to determine which one (or ones) is causing the problem.
 

mannerofspeakin

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Tried the valve shut offs at all the various outlets. No change. Could a low flow aerated shower head by causing the problem ? Maybe causing back pressure or something.
 

Verdeboy

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Buy or borrow a spa thermometer and measure the temp at your tub spout and again after you divert it to the shower. Take off your shower head first.

We had a similar thread as this once before, and it turned out that there really was no difference in the temp between the two.
 

pkim

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@mannerofspeakin - i know this is a long shot as this thread is from 2008 but did you ever find a solution to this? i am having the same problem and it is driving me insane. hot water from the tub faucet but not from the shower faucet once shower head is attached (hot water comes out when shower head is detached).

thank you!
 

Reach4

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i know this is a long shot as this thread is from 2008 but did you ever find a solution to this? i am having the same problem and it is driving me insane. hot water from the tub faucet but not from the shower faucet once shower head is attached (hot water comes out when shower head is detached).
Does cold water come out of your showerhead?
  • If yes, describe your diverter
  • If no, replace the clogged showerhead.
 
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