It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.
--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
> scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have a
> vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
> hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all the
> acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and the rest
> is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.
> --

Most don't any more. Mine you can pre-set the maximum temperature. When I
take a shower, I just turn the know to hot and get in with no worries. If
someone turns on a cold water faucet, I get a slight pressure drop, but
never an increase in temperature. Mine is about 15 years old so them may
even be better now.

On 10/5/2011 10:52 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> "James Silverton" > wrote in message
> ...
>> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close
>> to scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers
>> have a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine
>> and in hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees)
>> but all the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree
>> rotation and the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.
>> --
>
> Most don't any more. Mine you can pre-set the maximum temperature. When
> I take a shower, I just turn the know to hot and get in with no worries.
> If someone turns on a cold water faucet, I get a slight pressure drop,
> but never an increase in temperature. Mine is about 15 years old so them
> may even be better now.

You are lucky! It's not my experience but perhaps I don't stay in
expensive enough hotels and I wouldn't trust a hotel faucet anyway to
get the temperature right. I've seen the type of control with an
automatic temperature controller but they are not common in my
experience and have to be carefully hand checked :-)

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*

On Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:59:57 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
> scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
> a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
> hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
> the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
> the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.

I think you need to replace your shower faucet, modern single handle
controls have an anti-scald feature. That's why you (or at least "I")
can't buy two knobs anymore. Your other option is to turn down the
temperature in your water heater. You're wasting energy heating it up
so high anyway.

--

You are what you eat, so avoid fruitcake and nuts.

On 10/5/2011 10:55 AM, sf wrote:
> On Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:59:57 -0400, James Silverton
> > wrote:
>
>> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
>> scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
>> a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
>> hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
>> the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
>> the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.
>
> I think you need to replace your shower faucet, modern single handle
> controls have an anti-scald feature. That's why you (or at least "I")
> can't buy two knobs anymore. Your other option is to turn down the
> temperature in your water heater. You're wasting energy heating it up
> so high anyway.
>
My shower control *is* less then 10 years old and you are missing the
point. While compensation for variation in water flow is almost
immediate, it's not how to control the temperature but the rather
peculiar, less than useful, control setting. One wants about 140F for
dish and clothes washing but I wouldn't take a shower at that
temperature and I wonder how much time and water I waste getting the
temperature right using miniscule rotations especially at times like now
when the cold water temperature is changing. I did come across a shower
control in France marked with temperature but it took a long time to
stabilize and I don't think it was particularly accurate.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not*

"James Silverton" > wrote
> I wonder how much time and water I waste getting the temperature right
> using miniscule rotations especially at times like now when the cold water
> temperature is changing. I did come across a shower control in France
> marked with temperature but it took a long time to stabilize and I don't
> think it was particularly accurate.

As I stated before, I preset mine at the max I want and it stays there,
summer and winter. There are faucets out there that will do exactly what you
want, no scalding, no fiddling. Turn the knob wait for the initial hot
water and jump in.

On Wed, 5 Oct 2011 22:42:29 +0200, "Ed Pawlowski" >
wrote:

>
>"James Silverton" > wrote
>> I wonder how much time and water I waste getting the temperature right
>> using miniscule rotations especially at times like now when the cold water
>> temperature is changing. I did come across a shower control in France
>> marked with temperature but it took a long time to stabilize and I don't
>> think it was particularly accurate.
>
>As I stated before, I preset mine at the max I want and it stays there,
>summer and winter. There are faucets out there that will do exactly what you
>want, no scalding, no fiddling. Turn the knob wait for the initial hot
>water and jump in.

Yup, they are easy to set too. But the better shower sets that have
that feature ain't cheap.

On Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:23:30 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

> My shower control *is* less then 10 years old and you are missing the
> point. While compensation for variation in water flow is almost
> immediate, it's not how to control the temperature but the rather
> peculiar, less than useful, control setting. One wants about 140F for
> dish and clothes washing but I wouldn't take a shower at that
> temperature and I wonder how much time and water I waste getting the
> temperature right using miniscule rotations especially at times like now
> when the cold water temperature is changing. I did come across a shower
> control in France marked with temperature but it took a long time to
> stabilize and I don't think it was particularly accurate.

Please look at what's available more closely. It's a non-issue.
Keeping your water heater at 140° is dangerous and unnecessary. Your
dishwasher will heat the water to the necessary temperature and you
wear out your clothing faster when you use such hot water. It's your
money and energy you're wasting, so knock yourself out.

--

You are what you eat, so avoid fruitcake and nuts.

On 10/5/2011 3:59 AM, James Silverton wrote:
> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
> scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
> a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
> hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
> the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
> the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.

You're spoiled. I have to set the knobs on my shower with the first one
set at 11:30, the middle at 12, and the third one at 4:30. Using the
first handle, I can regulate the temperature through about 80 degrees of
swing. I can adjust the temperature using the third handle but that one
only has a very narrow degree of acceptable ranges.

Ideally the single control should have a swing of 180 degrees of
acceptable temperatures i.e., warm to hot. Maybe you have a cold water
lockout button for those times when only cold will do. :-)

OTOH, we probably should be grateful to even have showers with hot water.

On Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:30:52 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:

>On 10/5/2011 3:59 AM, James Silverton wrote:
>> It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
>> scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
>> a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
>> hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
>> the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
>> the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.
>
>You're spoiled. I have to set the knobs on my shower with the first one
>set at 11:30, the middle at 12, and the third one at 4:30. Using the
>first handle, I can regulate the temperature through about 80 degrees of
>swing. I can adjust the temperature using the third handle but that one
>only has a very narrow degree of acceptable ranges.
>
>Ideally the single control should have a swing of 180 degrees of
>acceptable temperatures i.e., warm to hot. Maybe you have a cold water
>lockout button for those times when only cold will do. :-)

The temperature limiter has nothing to do with how many degrees of
rotation, you need to remove the handle and the adjustment is made
under the bonnet... the angular rotation remains the same for all
temperature settings. You really need to read the owner's manual.

On 10/5/2011 5:01 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> The temperature limiter has nothing to do with how many degrees of
> rotation, you need to remove the handle and the adjustment is made
> under the bonnet... the angular rotation remains the same for all
> temperature settings. You really need to read the owner's manual.

I don't need to read no stinking owner's manual. This is plumbing, not
rocket science. I'm using hot/cold/diverter valves not one of those
single lever deals. I was just describing how I'd like a water control
to work. They don't make make a water valve like that so I'm plum out of
luck.

"dsi1" <wrote, in part>
> OTOH, we probably should be grateful to even have showers with hot water.

You bet your boots you should be grateful to have a shower with hot water.
After hurricanes, we are @#$! happy to have water at all. Makes the guys
scream like girls to take a cold shower. Here on the bayou, we do well
water and varying pressure. For me to shower, first I drape a paper towel
over the faucets and flushers all over the house. That's the reminder:
don't touch the water. Otherwise, my own shower can go cold, hot, none and
dribble. This system works best if I shower when everybody is out of the
house. I can do that. Polly

On 10/5/2011 6:01 PM, Polly Esther wrote:
>
> "dsi1" <wrote, in part>
>> OTOH, we probably should be grateful to even have showers with hot water.
>
> You bet your boots you should be grateful to have a shower with hot
> water. After hurricanes, we are @#$! happy to have water at all. Makes
> the guys scream like girls to take a cold shower. Here on the bayou, we
> do well water and varying pressure. For me to shower, first I drape a
> paper towel over the faucets and flushers all over the house. That's the
> reminder: don't touch the water. Otherwise, my own shower can go cold,
> hot, none and dribble. This system works best if I shower when everybody
> is out of the house. I can do that. Polly

That's humans for you, we always take things for granted. We're so smug
in our way of life but that's not how most of the world lives. Good luck
in your trials and tribulations.

On Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:59:57 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

>It is probably a bit OT (except when I make a mistake and come close to
>scalding myself) but I wonder why single handle controls in showers have
>a vast range of adjustment for temperature? Usually, both in mine and in
>hotels, the control can be rotated a half circle (180 degrees) but all
>the acceptable temperatures are within a 10 to 20 degree rotation and
>the rest is useless except perhaps for full cold in summer.

Cheapo shower set... the better sets have a temperature regulator that
you set yourself, so old folks and kiddies don't get scalded.