New bathtub-not as hot as I’d like

[RhondaHonda]

The water heater is set so that water from the taps is 130 degrees, except on the tub. It's a freestanding tub with separate hot and cold levers and I only get 106 out of the tub with it turned on full hot. I'm assuming there's a weird safety valve or something but am curious if it can be adjusted. Any plumbers have a guess?

 

[Barkleymut]

I would suspect the water line run is further and possibly near an area that has some air movement that is cooling the water. I am not a plumber, or expert at all in this kind of stuff but my 1st house had a similar situation and it was the best theory I could come up with.

 

[Imp4]

Likely a safety mixing valve to prevent burns.
Have you read the entire plumbing fixture owner's manual from cover to cover?

 

[BigCahuna]

I just found this code spec for where you live. It states that you should have a minimum tub temp of 110F and a max of 120f, if the tub has a mixing valve somewhere in the plumbing.,, https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Hot_Water_Temperature_Laws.php

 

[mk378]

It's called a tempering valve. Follow the pipe from the tub "hot" faucet back to the water heater. 106 is a very conservative setting, 115 would be safe for most people.

 

[RhondaHonda]

It's definitely not the distance of the plumbing run. This is new construction, well sealed and the tub is maybe 8 feet from the sink I measured 130 at. I'll have to pull the panel off the back of the tub and check for an owners manual/manufacturer. I measured the cold to see if maybe the water gets mixed both ways but it's the same as the cold at the sink. 110 would be an improvement if I could even adjust it up to that. Maybe cranking the water heater up another 5-10 degrees would give me a few more degrees at the tub.

 

[2004tdigls]

Originally Posted by RhondaHonda
The water heater is set so that water from the taps is 130 degrees, except on the tub. It's a freestanding tub with separate hot and cold levers and I only get 106 out of the tub with it turned on full hot. I'm assuming there's a weird safety valve or something but am curious if it can be adjusted. Any plumbers have a guess?


this should help, you need a couple allen keys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZN_pK0CCYo

 

[Donald]

Our problem is our 50-60 gallon gas water heater does not have enough hot water to fill the tub. Its a jetted whirlpool. There are solutions, but none cheap.

 

[mk378]

Turning the water heater up won't make the bath water any hotter, since the valve regulates the outflow temperature, adjusting itself for incoming temperature. You need to find the valve and adjust it.

If the plumbing is "home run" PEX, there is a separate line for each fixture to the utility room, so the valve would be there, not in the bathroom.

Bathroom sinks should also be connected to tempered water to reduce the risk of burns. Only the kitchen should get water hotter than 120.

 

[Skippy722]

I had to adjust the valve on my shower because it never got hot enough.

 

[Rob_Roy]

Originally Posted by Donald
Our problem is our 50-60 gallon gas water heater does not have enough hot water to fill the tub. Its a jetted whirlpool. There are solutions, but none cheap.


How close is it to doing the job? If not too far off, adding a mixing valve and setting the water heater @ 145F or so may be enough.

 

[walterjay]

We have sometimes located the tempering valve in a seemingly unusual place such as under a vanity in the cabinet.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Took the access panel off and don't see any adjustment. It's a Delta tub filler if that matters. I wonder if there's some adjustment under the handles. Thanks for the replies so far. There's an Allen screw in the faucet but I'm not sure if that's an adjustment or a set screw to hold it on.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Found the mixing valve under one of the bathroom sinks. Thanks for your help everyone. My MIL can bathe in comfort. No pics, you are welcome.