Shower only has luke warm water

[Bounce97]

Hi. I have a problem with my shower that whenever a bath is run and the shower is used shortly afterwards only luke warm water comes through the shower, no matter how high we turn the temperature up. This can last a few days, but does usually right itself after a few days of fiddling with the controls and hot water comes through again. We generally try to avoid running baths and showering at the same time, but this is not always possible. Any suggestions what could causing the problem and how to fix it?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

what sort of shower do you have?

 

[Bounce97]

what sort of shower do you have?

It's a free standing shower enclosure, temperature gauges etc all fitted to the enclosure. Unsure of make or model as the unit was already fitted before we moved.

 

[Paulus]

What hot water heating system do you have?

I've had this problem before and it turned out that customer didn't have the hot water heater on for long enough to fill the cylinder, half the cylinder was luke warm. The bath uses all the hot water and because the whole cylinder isn't full of hot water it takes days to get it to a decent temperature again.

 

[PlumbingBud]

If its a cylinder system then as Paulus says, running a hot bath will deplete the hot water stored in the cylinder and will take time to heat up again.

Options are to get an electric shower, which heats the water as it flows through the unit.

Or get a rapid recovery cylinder which will heat up faster.

 

[Bounce97]

If its a cylinder system then as Paulus says, running a hot bath will deplete the hot water stored in the cylinder and will take time to heat up again.

Options are to get an electric shower, which heats the water as it flows through the unit.

Or get a rapid recovery cylinder which will heat up faster.

Yes it is a cylinder system and I think the way forward may be replacing with an electric shower. My concern is that sometimes the shower is without warm water for a week or so, but when fiddling with the shower controls, suddenly hot water comes through again, as if there is a blockage somewhere.

 

[Paulus]

Do the controls feel like they move something inside positively, I'm just wondering if the handles have become loose and are not always actually moving the valves inside.

A bit of a shot in the dark but it may be worth dismantling it to see if filters on feeds are partially blocked.

 

[PlumbingBud]

Some showers have thermostatic mixer valves which should regulate the temperature and it could be that is on its way out. I have never really serviced one, but I think they have a unit which you replace.