Turning on outside hose causes shower to start running?! (washer, installed, showerhead)
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I just had my house replumbed as part of a major renovation. Arriving today, first day with the shower faucet in place, I discovered that turning on the hose outside causes the showerhead to let water out, even though the shower faucet is off. And it's not just a dribble; it lets out a lot.
I can get my plumber to fix it, I should hope, but at this point I'm left wondering: how is that even possible?
And apart from hiring a plumber who may have spent too much time around PVC cement, could this be indicative of some other serious plumbing issue?
I can think of only one way that can happen but am too frightened to say it in public for fear that there is someone somewhere who could do that. Not to mention the Code Official not noticing it. I never cease to find some one more stupid then the previous stupid person I run into but this has got to be the most stupid person (which I refuse to all a Plumber) on the face of the earth.
I shutter even more to know this useless waste of human flesh votes in November.
Amazing. Off the top of my head...
for ANYTHING to happen at the shower head, either a pipe has to have been connected between it and the mixer valve or the mixer valve is somehow compromised. I find the first really hard to believe, so I'm left with the mixer. A balanced flow mixer changes the mix when someone flushes a toilet, but that is usually accomplished by reducing the hot water flow, not increasing the cold. Could the entire valve been installed backwards? I wouldn't have thought anyone would be so brain-dead, and I have no idea how the functions would be messed up, but that is the first possibility I can think of.
I know there's nothing connected between the mixer and the showerhead so I guess the mixer valve must be screwed up. I didn't realize they compensated for changes in water pressure, but that makes a lot of sense. I assume there's some type of threshold adjustment inside them?
If the shower handles are original to the home, then the washer or cartridge behind the handle needs to be replaced as it has failed. Usually a simple half hour repair. Turning on an outside cold water spigot is causing a pressure change in the line.
Question: If someone takes a shower at the same time as the outside spigot is turned on does that person notice a significant change in water temperature? If not then its not a mixer problem and thus a cutoff problem.
The shower fixtures and mixing valves are all new, so I'm assuming the mixing valve is fine. I can't answer your second question because I haven't used the shower yet... moving in today, actually.
Do the mixing valves generally have adjustment screws or some way to dial up or down the pressure thresholds?
Find us the manufacturer and model number. From there we can pull up the pdf for it to answer your question further. If its new than the cartridge assembly is most likely defective or not installed correctly.
I'll get the model number in a couple of hours when I head over there.
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