Water term/pressure regulating devices

Hello:

If my wife takes a shower and I flush a toilet (did so today), the shower water temperature rises quite a lot, becoming uncomfortable. The shower water temp even reacts to a regular faucet being turned on. In other words, this house's water system is rather sensitive.

I would like to ask how to establish whether to concentration on pressure control or temperature control. I assume that any control device would have to be installed at each shower ... there cannot be a central control, can there?

Grateful for some advice on how to continue solving this problem.

Hans L
Cleveland, Ohio

 

It sounds like you have a pressure problem. Any time cold water is used it drops the pressure in the cold water pipes causing the shower to get hotter. Most new shower valves have a balancing valve that helps minimize temperature swings due to this phenomena. So, as a first step I would try a new shower valve which unfortunately is a slightly involved job as you have to replace the valve that's in the wall of your shower.

After that the next step would be to re-plumb the house. Depending on the age of the home and what piping material was used it might be needed anyhow. Galvanized steel piping is perhaps the worst as it corrodes from the inside causing pressure and flow problems and then eventually leaks.

 

Thank you, Pilot Dane. I will check pressure controls out, that is, a new shower valve.

Regards,

Hans L