Luke warm water in a shower and tub

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1

1800r

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I have a symmons temptrol valve. I've replace everything in it. Complete rebuild. Replaced the hot water tank a few weeks ago. Other one was leaking. I've got hot water in all other places in house. Got the tank turned up. The one thing I noticed before I rebuilt it was if the diverter valve was on shower and I'd swing it to tub then back shower I'd got hot water for a bit. Also the antiscald screw is completely backed off. I can turned the valve completely open. 1.5 times around. Still luke warm water.
.
 
How do you heat your hot water, there are 2 stems, one is for a tank, one is for a tankless system,
How far does the handle turn, under the face plate there is a small brass flathead screw you can back it out a little maybe flush to the body of the valve be careful if you back it too far out, it will come out and you will have lots of water,
Turn the stem up half way then adjust the screw if the screw is preventing the stem from turning to get hot
 
I have a tank. I'm familiar with the anti scald screw. It is backed off so the handle goes 360 and then some. At this point I should scalding hot water which I don't. I rebuilt the valve a few times in years and got hot water. I also swapped out new spindle with another new one thinking it might have been defective.
 
Are you getting water from the city or a well , sometimes the piston inside the stem will get gummed up you can cantap it against a hard surface and it will loosen up you can also soak it on vinagar,
 
I have a well that was tested recently. Lab told me it tested pretty much the same as bottled water. I replaced the lines in the house with pex after remodeled the house
In my opening post I said the entire valve was rebuilt. Brand new guts. I cut open the old spindle open, remove and inspected the piston just out of curiosity. No signs of any obstruction and it freely moved
Is it possible the valve housing is worn? If original it would be 42 years old. I've been here 22 years. I'm an industrial mechanic and work servicing pumps in particular. I've never seen brass housings wear out yet but I'm not ruling out anything at this point.
 
Have you checked the hot flow with the guts removed from the valve body ?

The faucet may not be getting much hot water delivered to it.
 
1.is the tank heated by your boiler???
2. Symmons industries Braintree mass
Best tech service
3.try a ta-10 3 hole stem, there are only three holes for water to mix thru rather than all those small holes on the one you have.
Only other thing is do you have a single handle faucet in that bath, if so shut it off underneath
We're it comes out of the wall and see what happens
4.has this condition always been like this
 
Was there any resolution to this? I have an older Safetymix shower with luke warm water also. Used to work fine. Hot water tank. Replaced the Symmons mixing valve with two different C-5 valves (several holes) and no change. They all click and move freely. Adjusted hot screw already. Read somewhere to replace hot/cold seats also but not sure how that would help? Could it be a pressure imbalance? The water gets hotter when I reduce the flow directly on the showerhead. If so how can I check that and or fix? Thanks.
 
No, pretty much the same. At times it gets hotter but mostly just warm. I got distracted with another project so haven't messed with it.
To answer some of the questions.
No way I can check hot water flow with guts out. How would you do that?
I have a stand alone hot water tank. Brand new set to 150. I know that's hot but figured I least get warm water to tub.
I have a single handle valve either a tub/ shower diverter.
Haven't called symmons yet but soon.
 
1800r said:
No, pretty much the same. At times it gets hotter but mostly just warm. I got distracted with another project so haven't messed with it.
To answer some of the questions.
No way I can check hot water flow with guts out. How would you do that?
I have a stand alone hot water tank. Brand new set to 150. I know that's hot but figured I least get warm water to tub.
I have a single handle valve either a tub/ shower diverter.
Haven't called symmons yet but soon.
Click to expand...

If it has service stops built into the valve I would take them apart and make sure there is no obstruction.

Turn them both off. Remove inside guts to the faucet, turn on the hot service stop and check flow. Then check the cold flow.

If the valve doesn’t have service stops, access the piping at some point and install stop valves, then perform the flow test I outlined.
 
1800r said:
No, pretty much the same. At times it gets hotter but mostly just warm. I got distracted with another project so haven't messed with it.
To answer some of the questions.
No way I can check hot water flow with guts out. How would you do that?
I have a stand alone hot water tank. Brand new set to 150. I know that's hot but figured I least get warm water to tub.
I have a single handle valve either a tub/ shower diverter.
Haven't called symmons yet but soon.
[/QUOTE
WarmShower said:
Was there any resolution to this? I have an older Safetymix shower with luke warm water also. Used to work fine. Hot water tank. Replaced the Symmons mixing valve with two different C-5 valves (several holes) and no change. They all click and move freely. Adjusted hot screw already. Read somewhere to replace hot/cold seats also but not sure how that would help? Could it be a pressure imbalance? The water gets hotter when I reduce the flow directly on the showerhead. If so how can I check that and or fix? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Have you adjusted the volume control knob above the valve body your valve only has one large seat those seats almost never fail
Click to expand...
 
Geofd said:
Is the pressure the same on the cold as the hot, try that on a two handle faucet might be to much cold water mixing with the hot
Click to expand...
If it has integral service stop valves, that’s a prime source for an obstruction. If it doesn’t have service valves, I would install them at some point in the piping.

The hot and cold flow needs to be checked with the internals removed.

This test would narrow down the possibilities
 
How the lines for the the shower are is cold and hot come from cellar. Run up through floor. Service the washer then right up to shower/tub. No valves in between. To shut water off to open it up I just shut off pump. I get hot water in washer.
 
I appreciate all the help so far.
There are no service stops. How the hot water runs is from tank, tees off straight up to shower two floors up. First floor it tees to washer. I am getting hot to that. To install service stops I would need to tear onto walls or cellar ceiling. There is only ten more feet to shower from washer in a wall. Not sure with my dislike of drywalling if that's an option. Last resort maybe.
Question was asked if was it always like this. That's a no. I had changed a spindle before because it was malfunctioning. Little piston seized. Washers were worn. I replaced it along with everything else. Thats when the problem started. I took the new spindle out, inspected it found it ok. I had another new one so just for the hell of it put that in. No difference. I took that out checked it then back in.
The thing is since started I've had a few times I'd get hot water. Enough to need to back it off. Another observation is switching the diverter from shower to tub and back the temp would get warmer.
 
Just because you can see the pipe doesn’t mean there’s not a problem with the valve getting hot water delivered to the mixing stem.

Have you checked for a cross connection ? Turn cold water off to water heater, go to a single hot faucet and make sure the flow completely stops. If it doesn’t, you identified the problem.

Good luck to you, there’s nothing more to say. 👍
 
Last edited:
Twowaxhack said:
If it has service stops built into the valve I would take them apart and make sure there is no obstruction.

Turn them both off. Remove inside guts to the faucet, turn on the hot service stop and check flow. Then check the cold flow.

If the valve doesn’t have service stops, access the piping at some point and install stop valves, then perform the flow test I outlined.
Click to expand...

Thanks. This safetymix valve is old with no stops but I have shutoffs in the basement right below the shower. When I did try this there was decent flow on both hot and cold, not sure how similar. So my question is how sensitive is the mixing valve on these C5 spindles? Do I have to measure the water pressure for each side with a gauge somewhere? Or its not that sensitive and if both flows are not drastically different then its OK?
 
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