Where to look for hot water problem?

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JulieC

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Our upstairs tub/shower has a hot water issue. Specifically, it takes forever to get hot, and when it does, you have to leave it cranked all the way to the hot side to keep it close to comfortable. The pressure is really low as well. It is the only fixture in the entire house that has this issue. The sink right next to it has great hot water.

This has been going on since we had the leaky tub/shower faucet replaced, tile installed, and appropriate drywall repairs made, in December. As we paid (different contractors) for both of these faucets to be installed and neither is quite right, I'm pretty much on the "if you want it done right, do it yourself" path. The new fixture was made by Moen.

I have to find the problem to fix it. I've checked the shut-off valves to make sure they weren't off. That's the dummy check. ;) Hubby and I think it might be a valve (the anti-scald) inside the fixture itself? Suggestions?
 
If it is the anti-scald (which is very possible) it is an easy fix. Sometimes plumbers forget to adjust the valve when installing. If you have the paperwork from the valve, check the procedure for setting it hotter. If not, go to Moens website and find your model. They have a potion of the site for troubleshooting.
 
Julie,
The Moen valves have hot water limits to prevent the handle from turning all the way to hot if they are set accordingly.
Adjusting the hot water limit is easy. Take the handle off and there will be a white plastic insert inside the sleeve covering the valve stem. The plastic part is 2 pieces which fit together like a gear, with "teeth". Just pull out the one closet to you, rotate it counterclockwise as far as you can and still get the handle to work, and put everything back together.

This should give you both more pressure and hotter water, although neither may be as much as you are used to if your previous valve was not a Pressure Balance valve. Also, there will always be a little cold mixed with the hot at the shower valve so it will probably never be as hot as the temperature from the hot side of your vanity faucet.
 
Thanks. We tried all this ... and found the contractor didn't use the right screw in there. We have no idea why, but it stripped something. Adjusting part way/all the way/each way made no difference. He also ruined the screw hole where the allen wrench goes on the handle. They did a good job on the tile, I just wish they would have said "we don't know how to install a shower faucet". :sigh
 
FYI ... I bought a Posi-Temp cartridge repair kit at Lowe's. I removed the old cartridge, didn't see anything wrong with it but proceeded to rebuild it anyway, and then noticed the big (3-4mm) ball of lead solder that must have came out of the old cartridge. I had to have my husband finish putting it back together as I just couldn't get it in all the way (about 1/4" short), but it works great now. I think the old cartridge would have been fine, I don't think the ball damaged it, it just needed to come out.
 

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