Nothing is worse than being in the shower, and having the water go from a nice moderate temperature to freezing cold or scalding hot when another fixture is turned on or used.
Water temperature fluctuations are often symptoms of other more serious problems. Some of the most common causes of these water temperature fluctuations include:
- Water pipes that may be clogged, rusty or corroded. As plumbing and pipes age, pipes naturally accumulate a bit of sediment. At some point, the pipes may become completely blocked. Older homes may also have rust build up or pipe corrosion, and when another pluming fixture is used, water is diverted to that source, and can not maintain an even water temperature in all areas. You may need a complete residential repiping.
- A water shut off valve that is closed, broken or swollen. Water shut off valves can be on both hot and cold water, although newer hot water heaters have them only on the cold water side. You should never turn off the hot water heater shut off valve, as pressure can accumulate and an explosion occur. As pipes age, if small leaks are present, corrosion can occur at the shut off valve sites. This corrosion can cause the water temperatures to fluctuate dramatically.
- Water heaters that are old, worn, or have inefficient pilot lights or damaged temperature control settings. This is an easier fix, simply requiring a new pilot light or a new water heater.
If you are experiencing temperature fluctuations in your shower, contact your local professional plumber today. He or she will troubleshoot the problem quickly and efficiently, and provide a solution to your showering problems!
