2 different Temperatures from same shower

[josh-b]

Hi All

New here and have a bit of a weird one for you!

Installed a concealed shower valve on a job with a rainfall shower head, and a handheld as well.

The customer specifically wanted to be able to have both the rainfall and handheld on at the same time, and the supplier i was using only had one shower that could do this.

We installed the shower and all works fine, however the customer was saying that the rainfall head is coming out colder than the handheld... which was a bit odd. But i thought possibly because its a bigger head, meaning bigger surface area and more air around it etc... and with it being further away, it would make it feel slightly colder. (which is the only explanation the supplier and guys in the merchants could come up with too)

Spoke to the supplier and they said we can change the cartridge.

So now I've changed the cartridge, and the problem is still there, but now the handheld is colder than the overhead... which puts my theory to S**T.

Anyone else ever heard of anything like this? It's making my head explode!

Thanks all

 

[Deleted member 120897]

What type of hot water system? Reversed supplies? Balanced supplies?

 

[josh-b]

What type of hot water system? Reversed supplies? Balanced supplies?

It’s a vented hot water cylinder mate.

The actual shower is fed from a pump.

 

[Chuck]

Try collecting the water is coming out of each head in a cup and measure its temperature in each case with a thermometer. You can test your theory about distance in this way.

Is the large head an 'eco' model by any chance? Some of these work by mixing air into the water so the droplets will feel 'softer' and also be a bit cooler.

If changing the cartridge really switched the problem from one head to another that suggests to me that the problem is with incomplete mixing inside the shower. Does the shower have a component such as a mesh filter that would promote turbulence but is missing for some reason?

 

[josh-b]

Try collecting the water is coming out of each head in a cup and measure its temperature in each case with a thermometer. You can test your theory about distance in this way.

Is the large head an 'eco' model by any chance? Some of these work by mixing air into the water so the droplets will feel 'softer' and also be a bit cooler.

If changing the cartridge really switched the problem from one head to another that suggests to me that the problem is with incomplete mixing inside the shower. Does the shower have a component such as a mesh filter that would promote turbulence but is missing for some reason?

Not sure to be honest mate. only mesh filter i remember was as normal on the shower head / hose.

I feel it is probably incomplete mixing inside the valve too.... which will be a massive issue if it needs changing as its all tiled and finished

 

[king of pipes]

Try putting a flow restrictor in each outlet 7 litres a minute or even less see if that helps ? at the moment your possibly out stripping the hot supply available with no way to control what comes through the outlets?? we should be trying to educate our customers to use less water but we all know this often falls on deaf ears 😊. Kop