Plumbing Mistakes You Will Never Make Again

Hot water in showers is derived from the water heater tank. The water inside this tank has to reach a consistent temperature to dispense hot water. If your shower does not dispense hot water, try the following troubleshooting measures.

Shower Cartridge Issues

The possible reason your shower is not dispensing hot water is the shower faucet. The shower faucet consists of a cartridge that combines both hot and cold water to release water that you can bathe in. When the cartridge is broken or one of its discs scratches, it does not function properly. The solution to this problem is replacing the cartridge. Remove the handle of the faucet, remove the retaining nut and install a new cartridge.

Other possible causes include worn out O- rings, a malfunctioning valve in the shower faucet or cross connected pipes. You can solve these issues by replacing old O-rings or malfunctioning valves and connecting the pipes correctly. If your shower still dispenses cold water after fixing these problems, check your water heater.

Water Heater Issues

If the hot water problem affects all the water faucets in the house, the cause may be your water heater. First check to see whether the heater is turned off. If the switch is off, turn it on and give the heater some time to heat the water before checking your shower.

The other possible reason that your faucets are not dispensing hot water could be a deteriorated dip tube. The dip tube controls the movement of water and if it is faulty, cold water moves directly to the pipe that carries hot water before the unit has a chance to heat it up. A plumber is best suited to the task of fixing a faulty dip tube.

In some cases, lack of hot water is caused by a worn out heater element. The heater element is like an oven element, it is responsible for providing heat. Elements need to be replaced after a few years of service. The task of replacing heater elements is best performed by a professional plumber. First the water from the heater is drained using a hose pipe. The heater is opened up to remove the worn out elements and replace them with new ones.

Faucet Scald Guards

Some shower faucet designs consist of features for controlling temperature also known as scald guards. These guards raise or drop the temperature delivered by the shower faucet. Remove the handle of the faucet to reveal a round dial. You can increase the temperature delivered by the faucet by adjusting the dial and this in turn will increase the temperature of the water dispensed by your shower.