Is your hot shower not working? Have you ever looked forward to an invigorating hot shower, only to find that your shower heater is busted? Or have you discovered that hot water runs in your kitchen sink or dishwasher but not in the shower?
Dealing with a broken shower heater can be a source of headache. When this happens, call a professional plumber near you.
Why is my hot shower not working?
A hot shower not working is a big deal. Either your shower mixer valve is not working, or the anti-scald device is set too high.
The shower mixer valve is the problem.
The shower mixing valve controls the water temperature by combing hot and cold water. When the valve goes bad, it could result in unusual shower temperatures. If you think this is causing problems with your shower heater, it could be because it has gone bad and hot water is not mixing properly into your shower water.
The anti-scald device is set too high.
Also called the rotational limit stop or a hot limit stop, the anti-scald device is a safety feature that prevents you from being blasted with scalding water temperature and could lead to burns. Your anti-scald device is set at its limit when you get hot water everywhere but the shower.
In this case, you need to adjust it to the desired water temperature. These steps should help you adjust your anti-scald device:
- Remove the head or the handle off the faucet. Use a screwdriver or Allen wrench, or rotate the faucet head as tight as you can to take it off.
- Find the anti-scald device. It is usually the plastic device located under the faucet head. However, not all faucets may have this kind of device.
- Turn the device to the right to check if the water gets slightly hotter than usual. If this is the case, the device is most likely the cause of your hot water problems.
- Continue adjusting the device until you reach the desired water temperature. Once done, put back the faucet head.
Why is my hot shower still not working?
Other than the abovementioned reasons, there may be other factors that are causing problems with your hot shower.
Incorrect water temperature
One obvious reason your water does not get hot is the setting. Check your water heater temperature control to ensure that the water is on your desired heat setting. For those with electric water heaters, it could be due to one of the elements burning out. Or because the cold water supply dip tube is already breaking apart for those with older water heater models.
Time of use
Someone before you may have used up all of the hot water. Or when you are doing laundry, you have used up a lot of hot water during the wash cycle.
Issues with cross-connected pipes
These were more common in older homes when shower valve mixers didn’t exist yet. It could not be easy to fix it yourself, so it is better to have it fixed by a professional plumber in Franklin, TN instead.
