Showers will not get Hot

[EagleSlaya]

Questions for the gurus out there:

I recently bought a 17 year old house in the DFW area and it has propane appliances. There is an electric recirculator that is operated by buttons at all the faucets and is on a timer. The house has Delta Monitor faucets throughout the house and I have had to replace many sink faucets for leaks. The showers have the "Delta MultiChoice" rough valve bodies.

The shower temp in the guest bath tub/shower always ran warm only, 95 degrees, and two feet away in the sink, the hot water temp is 125. If I turn the cold on in the sink, the temp rises to 102. If I turn the hot water on in the sink, the temp drops to 90 degrees...???

The half-bath sink which is farthest from the hot water tank is 125.

The kitchen sink in the middle of the house runs 100. If I run the water in the guest bath, (and probably any other bath), the temp rises to 125.

In the master bathroom, there is the shower with 2 separate valves and shower heads, a bathtub, and 2 sinks.

The sink farthest away gets to 125 degrees.

The bathtub gets to 125.

The sink next to the bathtub and the shower never gets above 75.

The shower, both heads will reach 105.

If I open the cold on the closest sink, no change.

If I open the hot on the closest sink, both shower heads get up to 125....?

The 50 gal Propane water heater went out, so I just installed a new one, no difference. If anything, the master got a few degrees cooler...

The antiscald setting in the handles is already set to the hottest setting, and so i went ahead and replaced the valve cartridges in both shower faucets, still no change.

Next, I am going to try unplugging the recirculator.

Please help. Thank you in advance!

 

[havasu]

Go to the farthest faucet and see if you see a thermostatic "Comfort valve" installed within the supply lines in that bathroom. It may be a situation where you need to install another one under the coldest faucet?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Turn off any valves on the circulator return line. Your problem will probably go away at this point.

Could be a bad check valve on the recirculating line/pump causing this.

Let’s start with that before we go off the rails.

 

[EagleSlaya]

Go to the farthest faucet and see if you see a thermostatic "Comfort valve" installed within the supply lines in that bathroom. It may be a situation where you need to install another one under the coldest faucet?

Thank you @havasu, but any "comfort valves" under any of the sinks in the house... Could they be located in the attic?

 

[EagleSlaya]

Turn off any valves on the circulator return line. Your problem will probably go away at this point.

Could be a bad check valve on the recirculating line/pump causing this.

Let’s start with that before we go off the rails.

Thank you @Twowaxhack , I will try that!

 

[EagleSlaya]

Thank you @Twowaxhack , I will try that!

@Twowaxhack that was it! I found a valve on the recirc, shut it and unplugged it, and Shazam! Now have 120 at both showers, and the sink in the master that never got hotter than 72!

I owe you a beer next time you are in the DFW Area!

Much obliged!

 

[GReynolds929]

@Twowaxhack that was it! I found a valve on the recirc, shut it and unplugged it, and Shazam! Now have 120 at both showers, and the sink in the master that never got hotter than 72!

I owe you a beer next time you are in the DFW Area!

Much obliged!

You're going to need to replace the check valve on the recirc return, if there even is one. Take a picture of the top of the water heater and include the recirculation pump and piping.

 

[EagleSlaya]

You're going to need to replace the check valve on the recirc return, if there even is one. Take a picture of the top of the water heater and include the recirculation pump and piping.

 

[EagleSlaya]

@GReynolds929 I will replace the 2 swing check valves and go from there.

Thanks again for your sage advice! I appreciate you sharing your knowledge!

 

[Twowaxhack]

Here’s the bad check valve.

 

[EagleSlaya]

Thank you @Twowaxhack ! Should I go ahead and replace the other while I am at it?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Thank you @Twowaxhack ! Should I go ahead and replace the other while I am at it?

Your choice.

 

[Twowaxhack]

If you run the pump 24/7 it should work without replacing that check valve I circled as defective.