Gregmech26
Member
Do I have a shower mixing valve issue or a water heater issue?
Let me start off by saying I'm a regular guy and total amateur "newbie" lay person. I'm not a plumber or professional tradesman. I want the strongest water pressure and water flow and water volume possible in my shower, even if it means upgrading to 3/4 inch pipe or purchasing vintage parts on ebay.
Anyhow, I recently purchased a new water heater 2 years ago because my old water heater only allowed me to take a 5 minute shower before literally running out of hot water.
After the new 50 gallon "high recovery" water heater was installed , I was now able to take a 20 minute shower before the hot water runs out. I do have the water-saver removed from our Speakman Anystream 4-jet shower head, which was purchased prior to the 1992 water saving regulations. I suppose the showerhead puts out around 5 gpm? I have no clue really.
Anyhow, our new "fast-recovery" water heater is only 2 years old, but I can only take a 10 minute shower before it completely runs out of hot water. Keep in mind I'm not using 100% hot water while showering, so I feel I should be able to take longer hot showers before the hot water runs out.
The company that installed the water heater came out to take a look and opened some little door/slot at the bottom of the water heater and said all their lights were green and no indication of problems. Our house was built in 1987 in Michigan with excellent "soft" city water with copper pipes throughout our house. They "flushed" our 2-year old new water heater in an attempt to remove any debris, but this did nothing to solve the issue. Our 2 year warranty ends next week on Jan 26.
We use to have over 100 psi, but the city built a new water tower in 2014 in an attempt to save money on the high-cost of importing Detroit water. Apparently the city activates their new water tower between the hours of 5am-10am Mon-Fri to help mitigate cost.
The city came over and measured our water pressure at a neighbors fire hydrant. They said we now only have around 50-55 psi which they claim is considered "excellent." We grew up on 100 psi so it's a big change of pressure regardless if it's "excellent". I can still place my hand over the shower head and stop the water. In the old days, the shower head pressure would blow my arm down it was so strong.
Shouldn't I at least get be getting a 20 minute hot shower before running out?
The worker said I likely have a shower mixing-valve or faucet issue; however , I told him it was the same shower mixing valve and faucet and shower head I had 2 years ago and I got 20 minutes hot water back then, so why all of a sudden am I only getting 10 minutes? The shower is 19 years old in our finished basement completed in Feb 1998.
We have a 1 inch pipe in the basement where the water enters the house and is quickly reduced to 3/4 inch pipe, and then after the water heater it's all 1/2 inch copper pipes. We have the valves where you have to turn like a wheel to turn on-or-off. Our house is around 5,000 sq feet if you include the finished basement, but there are just 2 of us living in the house. My senior citizen mother only takes like a 5 minute mini-shower.
I noticed upstairs, the farthest point away from the water heater, that the sink branches off from the 1/2 pipe to 1/4 straw-like copper pipes, however ,the water pressure at the sink is incredible powerful. Our jacuzzi in the master bedroom must be coming off 3/4 pipe diverter, because when you turn the separate hot and cold valves together, it creates an incredibly powerful pressure to fill the tub fast. I wish I had that pressure/flow coming out of my shower head in the basement. I heard some plumbers will turn the diverter "upside down" so the shower gets all that pressure? Have you heard of that?
I recently had someone replace the toilet "ball valve apparatus" , and now the water saving features makes flushing the toilet an issue/ We sometimes have to flush twice because of the water saving features. I' m afraid if I have to change the shower mixing valve off of our 1/2 copper pipes, that the new regulations will have built-in water-savers inside the new mixing valve which will make my water pressure in the shower suck compared to what I grew up with.
I've heard of the Kohler HighFlow RiteTemp pressure balancing shower mixing valve for 3/4 pipe that gives up to 13 gpm , but i only have 1/2 pipe. The most I've found for 1/2 pipe is only 7 pgm. Some other brands apparently go up to 19 gpm if you are lucky enough t have 3/4 pipe at the mixing valve.
At the end of the day I'm all about having the strongest water pressure, water flow, water volume possible while showering (regardless of the price or having to find vintage parts to install from eBay).
Do you think i have a water heater problem, or is my issue regarding my shower mixing valve faucet? I could get a 100 gallon water heater, but that's ridiculous for only 2 people in the house. All my valves are fully opened.
I also wish I could bring my toilet back to its glory days with its powerful flush. Do you think if I buy a vintage replacement toilet "ball valve apparatus" that it may solve the water saving issue while flushing?
I like to take showers that feel like a fire hose blasting you, like in the Jerry Seinfeld and Kramer episode. I miss my shower pressure my childhood from the 1980's. I don't think I have a pressure balancing or thermastatic valve as it was from 1997.
I've done a lot of research regarding incoming City water pressure PSI, shower heads, valves, cartridges, 3/4 pipe, copper vs PEX plastic, water pressure booster pumps, well water pumps, water softeners, pressure reducing valves, etc and it can get very complicated depending on the issue. The 3/4 plastic has the same inner diameter as 1/2 copper.
Any advice on maximizing water flow/pressure throughout the house, and especially the shower, is appreciated.
I wish I could have someone take apart my 19-year old shower mixing valve (single handle faucet) to check for problems and then put it back together instead of having to buy a new one with built-in water savers. I find it's getting more difficult to even bring your own shower head to a newly remodeled hotel nowadays because of the built-in water savers behind the wall in the mixing valves and cartridges behind the faucet handle.
The single handle shower faucet is made by American Standard.
The 50-gallon High-recovery water heater is made by Bradford White (Defender series).
Let me start off by saying I'm a regular guy and total amateur "newbie" lay person. I'm not a plumber or professional tradesman. I want the strongest water pressure and water flow and water volume possible in my shower, even if it means upgrading to 3/4 inch pipe or purchasing vintage parts on ebay.
Anyhow, I recently purchased a new water heater 2 years ago because my old water heater only allowed me to take a 5 minute shower before literally running out of hot water.
After the new 50 gallon "high recovery" water heater was installed , I was now able to take a 20 minute shower before the hot water runs out. I do have the water-saver removed from our Speakman Anystream 4-jet shower head, which was purchased prior to the 1992 water saving regulations. I suppose the showerhead puts out around 5 gpm? I have no clue really.
Anyhow, our new "fast-recovery" water heater is only 2 years old, but I can only take a 10 minute shower before it completely runs out of hot water. Keep in mind I'm not using 100% hot water while showering, so I feel I should be able to take longer hot showers before the hot water runs out.
The company that installed the water heater came out to take a look and opened some little door/slot at the bottom of the water heater and said all their lights were green and no indication of problems. Our house was built in 1987 in Michigan with excellent "soft" city water with copper pipes throughout our house. They "flushed" our 2-year old new water heater in an attempt to remove any debris, but this did nothing to solve the issue. Our 2 year warranty ends next week on Jan 26.
We use to have over 100 psi, but the city built a new water tower in 2014 in an attempt to save money on the high-cost of importing Detroit water. Apparently the city activates their new water tower between the hours of 5am-10am Mon-Fri to help mitigate cost.
The city came over and measured our water pressure at a neighbors fire hydrant. They said we now only have around 50-55 psi which they claim is considered "excellent." We grew up on 100 psi so it's a big change of pressure regardless if it's "excellent". I can still place my hand over the shower head and stop the water. In the old days, the shower head pressure would blow my arm down it was so strong.
Shouldn't I at least get be getting a 20 minute hot shower before running out?
The worker said I likely have a shower mixing-valve or faucet issue; however , I told him it was the same shower mixing valve and faucet and shower head I had 2 years ago and I got 20 minutes hot water back then, so why all of a sudden am I only getting 10 minutes? The shower is 19 years old in our finished basement completed in Feb 1998.
We have a 1 inch pipe in the basement where the water enters the house and is quickly reduced to 3/4 inch pipe, and then after the water heater it's all 1/2 inch copper pipes. We have the valves where you have to turn like a wheel to turn on-or-off. Our house is around 5,000 sq feet if you include the finished basement, but there are just 2 of us living in the house. My senior citizen mother only takes like a 5 minute mini-shower.
I noticed upstairs, the farthest point away from the water heater, that the sink branches off from the 1/2 pipe to 1/4 straw-like copper pipes, however ,the water pressure at the sink is incredible powerful. Our jacuzzi in the master bedroom must be coming off 3/4 pipe diverter, because when you turn the separate hot and cold valves together, it creates an incredibly powerful pressure to fill the tub fast. I wish I had that pressure/flow coming out of my shower head in the basement. I heard some plumbers will turn the diverter "upside down" so the shower gets all that pressure? Have you heard of that?
I recently had someone replace the toilet "ball valve apparatus" , and now the water saving features makes flushing the toilet an issue/ We sometimes have to flush twice because of the water saving features. I' m afraid if I have to change the shower mixing valve off of our 1/2 copper pipes, that the new regulations will have built-in water-savers inside the new mixing valve which will make my water pressure in the shower suck compared to what I grew up with.
I've heard of the Kohler HighFlow RiteTemp pressure balancing shower mixing valve for 3/4 pipe that gives up to 13 gpm , but i only have 1/2 pipe. The most I've found for 1/2 pipe is only 7 pgm. Some other brands apparently go up to 19 gpm if you are lucky enough t have 3/4 pipe at the mixing valve.
At the end of the day I'm all about having the strongest water pressure, water flow, water volume possible while showering (regardless of the price or having to find vintage parts to install from eBay).
Do you think i have a water heater problem, or is my issue regarding my shower mixing valve faucet? I could get a 100 gallon water heater, but that's ridiculous for only 2 people in the house. All my valves are fully opened.
I also wish I could bring my toilet back to its glory days with its powerful flush. Do you think if I buy a vintage replacement toilet "ball valve apparatus" that it may solve the water saving issue while flushing?
I like to take showers that feel like a fire hose blasting you, like in the Jerry Seinfeld and Kramer episode. I miss my shower pressure my childhood from the 1980's. I don't think I have a pressure balancing or thermastatic valve as it was from 1997.
I've done a lot of research regarding incoming City water pressure PSI, shower heads, valves, cartridges, 3/4 pipe, copper vs PEX plastic, water pressure booster pumps, well water pumps, water softeners, pressure reducing valves, etc and it can get very complicated depending on the issue. The 3/4 plastic has the same inner diameter as 1/2 copper.
Any advice on maximizing water flow/pressure throughout the house, and especially the shower, is appreciated.
I wish I could have someone take apart my 19-year old shower mixing valve (single handle faucet) to check for problems and then put it back together instead of having to buy a new one with built-in water savers. I find it's getting more difficult to even bring your own shower head to a newly remodeled hotel nowadays because of the built-in water savers behind the wall in the mixing valves and cartridges behind the faucet handle.
The single handle shower faucet is made by American Standard.
The 50-gallon High-recovery water heater is made by Bradford White (Defender series).