Customer Symptoms:

A homeowner called us to report that they were getting fluctuating water temperatures whenever they would use the shower. It would start off hot but would constantly change temperature over a few minutes. The problem had been going on for about a month.

Issue:

Our technician arrived on site and inspected the faucet and water heater. On the water heater, the technician inspected the emergency thermostat and pilot light, both of which were operating normally. The technician also checked to see if the same issue was happening at different outlets, which it wasn’t. To isolate the problem, the technician turned on the shower and then flushed the toilet beside it. A few moments after he did, the shower began to go cold and then became warm again a minute after. The technician suggested the temperature-balancing valve was likely the issue.

Resolution:

The plumber inspected the temperature-balancing valve and noticed that it was original to the building construction and likely not unable to effectively regulate the water temperature. It was nearing its end of life and was likely the reason for the constant water fluctuations. With the homeowner's approval, our technician swapped and replaced the temperature-balancing valve in the home with a new Series temperature-control valve. After installing it, the technician ran the shower, the dishwasher and flushed the toilet and noted that the shower remained at a steady temperature.