How to ensure you can always take a warm bath at home
No one has to tell you what a shock it is when your shower or bath suddenly becomes cold. We find the shock factor more annoying than a completely cold shower. There’s not much you can say about the temperature of water at a hostel or friend’s home, but there are ways to ensure that the water is hot enough in your own home when you need it. Here are some simple ways to ensure that you have plenty of hot water for you, your family, and your guests.
How to Address the Sharing Water Problem
We often have more of a problem sharing hot water than we do with the quantity. There are solutions to help you if your shower gets cold or scalding when someone runs the tap in another room, flushes the toilet, etc. The most common way to configure plumbing is through a trunk-and-branch system. It involves a large pipe that runs across your building, with smaller pipes branching out to individual rooms and faucets. It is efficient but can lead to theft if one branch is using water and another needs it. Toilets or kitchen taps may be stealing water from your shower. The toilet flushes with cold water, which can make your shower very hot.
Close the valve slightly to slow down the rate at which the toilet consumes water. It will take longer to refill the toilet, but it will reduce the temperature shock in the shower. Installing (or having a plumber install a) a mixing valve will also help to minimize temperature fluctuations (when the cold is limited, it will limit the hot simultaneously so that there are no surprises). Other drastic solutions to plumbing problems include increasing your water supply (usually done by increasing trunk or branch pipe diameters) or installing a manifold that has home runs.
Consider A Water Heater
Some people have a problem with the water getting cold before they finish their shower. You might consider a water heater if this is your situation. The tankless water heater works by heating the water using an electric element or a burner. This means that you will have an almost endless supply of warm water. The traditional tank water heater system heats water and fills the tank. Once the water is used up, it can take some time to refill and heat the next batch.
Check Your Water Settings
You may want to check the settings on your water heater if you find that the water in your shower is not hot enough, either at the start or end of your bath. You may find that the water heater was set to a low temperature by the previous tenant or owner. This is because people are different when it comes to their tolerance for heat. The dial on most water heaters is visible and labeled. It could have two options (warm or hot) or several along the temperature scale. It would be best if you didn’t automatically assume that the highest temperature is the best. You can burn your hands while washing the dishes. Test the water and make any necessary adjustments. Adjust again. Continue to make small adjustments until you find the perfect temperature. Call a plumber to find out where the dial is located or how to adjust the water heater.
These tips will help you solve some of your more basic cold water problems. If none of these tips work, you may need to call your local plumber. Sometimes, your water problems could be caused by a larger plumbing issue.
