Why does my shower always get too hot?
Q: My shower is a pain in the neck; in fact, it’s a hot-water pain in the neck! Every time I take a shower, heaven help me if someone flushes the toilet or runs the washing machine. The shower stall becomes a scalding chamber. I’ve heard of this happening in very old homes, but my home is only 10 years old and has copper and PEX water pipes. What could be causing this problem? — Alvin
A: Temperature fluctuations in showers are common complaints among homeowners and other shower-takers. In old homes, this was typically caused by rust buildup in the old galvanized steel pipes. By contrast, newer homes with copper and PEX pipes do not have problems with corrosion. Instead, shower temperature variations are often caused by water-saver showerheads.
A water-saver showerhead is equipped with a simple flow-restricting device, usually consisting of a metal washer with a small hole in the center. These ecofriendly faucets resist the ability of water to flow voluminously and wastefully into your shower and down the drain. For people who live alone, water-saver heads function with no disagreeable side effects. For those who co-habit, the activities of family members can interfere with the enjoyment of a daily shower.
To illustrate: When a toilet is flushed, and the tank begins to refill with cold water. The water valve in the tank is not equipped with a flow restrictor and is therefore the path of least resistance for the flow of cold water. It is easier for the water to flow through the toilet valve than through the restrictive water-saver showerhead. Consequently, cold water volume at the shower is reduced, while the hot water volume remains the same. The net result in many cases is a scaldinghot shower.
To avoid this rude assault, some shower valves are designed to maintain a balanced hot/cold water flow when other plumbing devices are in use. Your choice, therefore, is simple: Upgrade your shower valve, or establish a mutual agreement with family members to avoid flushing while others are showering. A new shower valve would probably be a more effective solution.
Q: I recently accompanied my home inspector while he was checking out the roof of the house I’m buying. Surprisingly, the roof was an obstacle course of loose TV cables. In fact, I nearly tripped on one of these wires and am fortunate to be here to write this question. Aren’t there any rules to direct the ways TV cable companies install their lines? — Bud
A: There definitely are regulations governing the safe installation of low voltage utility wires, and these prohibit the laying of unsecured lines on the surface of a roof. The purpose for these rules is to prevent the trip hazards that you encountered. Whoever installed those cables was either unaware of or unconcerned with these safety provisions or the possibility that someone performing future work on the roof might be injured.
My advice is to contact the TV cable company and request appropriate safety upgrades.