Differing temperatures with handheld vs main showerhead

[John Puma]

I recently installed a Moen Attract dual shower head and i've noticed that there's some strange behavior around temperature depending on the mode i'm using.

Some background:

• I'm in a pre-war building with a "classic" two knob layout. the knobs have not been modified.
• i have removed the flow restrictor
• When i'm using the Moen in dual mode (standard with hand), the temperature is very good
• when i use it in standard mode, the pressure obviously goes up and the temperature remains where it was set.
• if i switch it to handheld only, the water gets.. quite strangely... cold for a few moments, then balances out to something "not quite hot"
• if i nearly turn the cold knob off, the handheld can get to normal, but if i flip it back to standard or dual mode, it's (obviously) searing due to the adjustment.

What have i done wrong?

 

[Twowaxhack]

Abruptly changing functions can cause Temporary Temp changes if the faucet isn’t pressure balanced.

The temp should balance eventually if the hot and cold are not touched…..

Trying reinstalling the flow restrictor innthe handheld and see if the temp balances. You may have different flow rates out of the hot and cold at various flow volumes that’s changing the temp between functions.

Other than that, there’s not much you can do other than replacing the faucet or adding a pressure balance unit to your existing faucet and that usually requires more work that replacing the faucet.

 

[John Puma]

Abruptly changing functions can cause Temporary Temp changes if the faucet isn’t pressure balanced.

The temp should balance eventually if the hot and cold are not touched…..

Trying reinstalling the flow restrictor innthe handheld and see if the temp balances. You may have different flow rates out of the hot and cold at various flow volumes that’s changing the temp between functions.

Other than that, there’s not much you can do other than replacing the faucet or adding a pressure balance unit to your existing faucet and that usually requires more work that replacing the faucet.

interestingly, in this case, the restrictor goes in the base itself (that seems uncommon).

 

[Twowaxhack]

Usually there’s a restrictor in the handle inlet of the handheld and a restrictor in the inlet of the showerhead

 

[John Puma]

Usually there’s a restrictor in the handle inlet of the handheld and a restrictor in the inlet of the showerhead

absolutely, but not in this case.

this is the unit and the restrictor that i removed:



I did not replace the empty restrictor shown shown at 1:33

 

[Twowaxhack]

Ok, put it back together how it came out of the box and try it.

Less flow volume should minimize your problem.