Ken's Plumbing | Blog

If you have never experienced the water turn cold or the pressure change when you're in the middle of what was once a warm, blissful shower, then consider yourself lucky. Many of us have and can't get over why another family member or roommate would flush the commode when they know we are showering. While it's easy to point fingers, the reason really lies within your plumbing system. Let's take this a little further:

Why Temperature Changes:

• You may have an old form of plumbing and it's not quite regulated with your shower's water pressure.
• Your shower valve does the majority of the work when you bathe, so when you choose your desired temperature, the valve is mixing hot and cold water to acheive your desired temperature.
• The same water supply feeds both toilet and shower, so when you flush, the valve is using its cold water to refill the tank. Note: using any appliance (washing machine, kitchen sink, sprinklers) can cause this type of reaction to your shower pipes.

What You Can Do:

• Invest in a thermostatic mixing valve monitor in order to maintain the pressure from the cold and hot sides of the shower.
• The tap monitor has the ability to lessen the hot water supply and balance the cold water when a commode is flushed.
• The tap monitor results in a steady level of the same water, no matter if a toilet is flushed. 

Why Water Pressure Changes:

• When someone flushes, the toilet works to fill the tank back up, affecting the water supply to other appliances, causing your shower head to produce as little water as possible. Note: This applies when you use other appliances as well like a dishwasher or washing machine.
• This is mainly caused by low water pressure.

What You Can Do:

• Try adjusting the valve in your toilet tank. This allows you to manage the speed of water entering into your tank after each commode flush. Adjust the valve so the tank slowly fills up next time you flush, and the shower heads will stay at their designated pressure.

If you believe your shower has more issues than just water pressure or temperature change after a toilet flush, call us at Ken's! We can help you figure out the problem and fix your system so that it's on the right track again. Need help with your water heaters or drain service? We're trained in that as well. Call us at (864) 242-5511, contact us online, or click the banner below to schedule a service with us. 

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