Wednesday, September 23, 2009

“Shower Flush Syndrome” (Answer)

Hi Marie,

If a house’s pipes are large enough with the right amount of pressure, several fixtures can be used at the same time without noticeable changes in water temperature. For example, two fixtures in a bath are run on 1/2 pipe (the smaller pipe) - the line to the toilet and one to the sink. The hot and the cold for the tub and shower are run with ¾ inch pipes (the larger pipe). The increase in pipe size helps prevent drastic changes in temperature in the shower when the toilet or sink are being used.
In your case, I think that the cure for the problem would be replacing your old tub and shower valve with a pressure-balanced tub and shower valve. The pressure-balanced valve is a single-handled valve that balances the hot and cold water to maintain a temperature range plus or minus 2 degrees.
Call your local Handyman to evaluate your situation.

Thanks for posting your question

Al

Send questions to: agarrett@hometeaminspection.com Put "handyman question" in subject box.

No comments: