Water Pressure / Hot Water Problems - Help!

I have a tank on the roof that seems to feed my building and the one next door (but only the dogs live there). There is one pump helping the water along its way, and I have a water heater right outside my bathroom.

The problem is, when I take my weekly shower, I only get a trickle of hot water (if I’m lucky), but it is boiling hot. When I add more cold to the mix, the water can reach the right temperature, but that is temperamental. When it does reach the right temperature, as soon as I switch from tap to shower by pulling up on that little knob thingy (not THAT one!), it immediately kills the hot water, and the flame goes out in the heater. I then have a godawful shower that ranges from freezing to boiling as the heater keeps kicking in, with a rare ‘just right’ moment where the water is warm enough to do my sensitive areas.

The plumber is very ‘cha bu duo’ and seems quite happy with his work, so I need one of you nice, plumbery kind of people to help me out here.

Is there anything I can do to make my showers less of a nightmare? :frowning:

Ta!

My gas heater has a knob to set the temperature of the hot water, have you tried twiddling that one ? It might be turned all the way up so it’s either scalding hot or freezing.

It’s so hot these days that I only take cold (eh…lukewarm) showers.

But, when I had the same problem some time ago, I used to open the faucet of my wash basin too, so that more water would run through the water heater. Worked fine. Not that it is very water conserving…

Yeah, I’ve tried all the settings, from high to low, but with little effect. But thanks anyway. Where’s my Office vid?

[quote=“hannes”]]It’s so hot these days that I only take cold (eh…lukewarm) showers.

But, when I had the same problem some time ago, I used to open the faucet of my wash basin too, so that more water would run through the water heater. Worked fine. Not that it is very water conserving…[/quote]

OK, will try that during my next shower … probably Friday. Thanks!

Sounds to me like you don’t have enough water pressure. Could the pump be failing? I live on a rooftop and I love my shower. There’s a pump next to the tank that only I and the people under me use. I even shower once a week now, when it’s hot. Sometimes. Wouldn’t want to get sick.

Jeez,…not this question again :noway:
This is just part of life in Taiwan with a gas heater that doesn’t have a reservor. Get an electric one if you don’t like it.

[quote=“Hongda”]Jeez,…not this question again :noway:
This is just part of life in Taiwan with a gas heater that doesn’t have a reservor. Get an electric one if you don’t like it.[/quote]

Electric heater? Is that all I need? Are they pricey?

My birthday is coming up somewhat soon. I’ll let you all know how my heater works. Worked last time. :idunno:

There should be two adjustments on your heater. One is water flow, the other one is gas flow, just like a gas stove. If you find the second control, post and I will try to help. Sounds to me like you are only adjusting the water flow, but not the flame size. Your flame is too big, too hot IMO. The gas flow could be a hidden lever or knob somwhere. My heater has a hidden/not obvious gas valve. You might have to pull the water heater cover to find it. Follow the gas line to the valve and find the adjustment on the valve. I’m not talking about the isolating valve on the gas line. I mean the valve on the water heater. Turn on the hot water and lower the flame. You can look at it. Then turn the hot water on and off to make sure it lights up. Too low a flame will not light up when you open turn on the hot water. Go with the lowest flame setting that will light up when you turn on the hot water. Then test the shower and adjust the water flow accordingly. If it doesn’t work, open the gas valve to increase the flame a tad more and try again.

Good luck!

[quote=“bobepine”]My birthday is coming up somewhat soon. I’ll let you all know how my heater works. Worked last time. :idunno:

There should be two adjustments on your heater. One is water flow, the other one is gas flow, just like a gas stove. If you find the second control, post and I will try to help. Sounds to me like you are only adjusting the water flow, but not the flame size. Your flame is too big, too hot IMO. The gas flow could be a hidden lever or knob somwhere. My heater has a hidden/not obvious gas valve. You might have to pull the water heater cover to find it. Follow the gas line to the valve and find the adjustment on the valve. I’m not talking about the isolating valve on the gas line. I mean the valve on the water heater. Turn on the hot water and lower the flame. You can look at it. Then turn the hot water on and off to make sure it lights up. Too low a flame will not light up when you open turn on the hot water. Go with the lowest flame setting that will light up when you turn on the hot water. Then test the shower and adjust the water flow accordingly. If it doesn’t work, open the gas valve to increase the flame a tad more and try again.

Good luck![/quote]

Wow! Bobepine the animal rescuer and shower saviour! :astonished:

I’ll give it a go. All this talk of showering has put me in the mood, now, so I’ll try and have one before the weekend.

Will let you all know, and maybe even post pics. :wink:

In the summer months I find I need to turn on a cold water tap in a washbasin, otherwise I get same problem you describe, scalding hot water followed by cold. Turn on your shower at whatever normal mix of hot/cold water you use, then go and look at the water heater, with mine the flame will light for a few seconds, go out etc., leading to bursts of hot water. In the winter when the outside temperature is lower the flame will stay on continuously and the water temperature is stable. Currently have gas flame set to minimum and water flow rate set to maximum. I assume because of the higher summer temperatures the water heats (too) fast and the thermostat cuts the flame until the boiler cools again. The water pump installed in my place also provides way too much flowrate for the heater which chokes the flow and again leads to the heater working in spurts, turning on a cold tap at the wash basin seems to divert some pressure. Perhaps reducing flow rate on the heater would help, haven’t tried it, though I imagine it might make the rapid heating more pronounced.

All you need is a tad more flame and a tad less hot water flow and you’ll be set for year round showers. :wink: If it kicks out, it’s because you’re too low on gas. Raise the flame. With a bigger flame, it will be too hot, so reduce the water flow a tad. The water pressure knob is basically adjusting the amount of hot water that will mix with the cold water at the faucet end. Hotter water means you need less hot water and more cold water, and the flame kicking out means you need more gas.

These gas water heaters are tricky to adjust. No doubt.

You kids are spoiled. Back in the days, when dinosaurs and pirates roamed Taiwan, we only had a pink plastic stool and a kettle to bathe with.

From my experience with those water heaters sometimes the thing won’t work at the lowest heat setting. If that is the case, you may need to swap out the spark plug, or whatever is making that clik clik noise to light the gas.

Wowsers! Tons of great advice. :notworthy:

I’ll try all these very soon … ta!

[quote=“Stray Dog”][quote=“Hongda”]Jeez,…not this question again :noway:
This is just part of life in Taiwan with a gas heater that doesn’t have a reservor. Get an electric one if you don’t like it.[/quote]

Electric heater? Is that all I need? Are they pricey?[/quote]

In all the places I have rented over the years I have never experienced a gas heater that works properly. But that sink trick someone else mentions does help sometimes.
I’ve used these little mini electric heaters now for about the past 10 years and they are much better—can’t get it perfect but they don’t fluctuate between scalding and cold at least. They usually have about 5 temperture selections plus a small valve to adjust cold intake before the heater. And then you have your usual faucet mix control which is downline from the heater—so much more controlable. They usually mount right inside the bathroom also.
Not sure about the price exactly but think I saw them in B&Q from 3-6,000 depending on model. Too cheap of one may burn out early.
Try finding a plumber who installs them.

But I think most of us also face the problem when the other bathroom is in use - strange that this universal problem is left to cheapskates (sp?) that don`t want to do it right the first time.

Yeah and if it’s clicking all the time you better change the battery.

We had a faulty water pressure control and sometimes had very poor flow into the house. At these times the gas refused to stay alight. Ours was totally related to water pressure. Problem solved when we had the pressure valve repaired.

We also had an electric hot water unit installed later. Considering the fact that these cheap and nasty gas heaters tend to blow up your house at times I was very keen to see it go.

Do the electric units run on 110V or 220V?

The ones I have seen are 220. So you’d need to have someone run new wires probably. i guess there must be shops where you can get one guy to do both the plumbing and electrical done.

The ones I have seen are 220. So you’d need to have someone run new wires probably. i guess there must be shops where you can get one guy to do both the plumbing and electrical done.[/quote]

I’ve got a USA made craftmaster 220v unit of 200 litres. They installed it and I think it was around nt15,000