I have two low-use bathrooms in the house that fail to provide enough hot water for showering comfortably. Cold water gets through the Symmons Temptrol controls, but hot water does not. One of these bathrooms has been in a low-use situation for years. When we moved in five years ago, I took the Symmons Temptrol apart, cleaned and reinstalled it, and got it providing hot water. However, I never knew what had changed and six months later when a guest tried to use it, there was no hot water.

In the other bath, the shower plumbing was leaking in the wall. I cut an access panel, installed a new shower body, and had everything working. However, wife went to take a bath last week (probably first use of the tub/shower in six months or so) and found only enough hot water to take the chill off the cold; not enough for a hot bath. Hot and cold water are available at the bathroom sinks in both bathrooms, but the Symmons Temptrol is not allowing hot water to pass to the shower/tub.

Does anyone know the cause of the problem, or have advice on how I should approach it?

ljo

 

Sounds like calcium buildup more than anything. I would make a point of cleaning the valves, make a point of using these regularly to prevent this from happening.

Plumbing is like cars; if you do not drive them, they fall apart in the driveway.

Water lines that do not see use over a period of time can cause the water inside them to go stagnant from lack of use . Not too healthy either.