Why Does My Shower Loose Hot Water When Someone Turns On A Tap

Frustrated with your shower turning icy or losing very precious water pressure every time someone turns on a tap or flushes a toilet when you’re taking a shower? It’s frustrating and annoying and can really turn a nice shower, bad. 

Let’s understand why it happens in the first place!

A shower features multiple parts, including a faucet, drains, pipelines, and taps. The water fixtures and pipes in any household are all well connected. In some cases, when someone will use another tap in the laundry or kitchen, you might experience loss of heating to the shower.

This is because of the water supply from the hot water tank and subsequent water pipes working together simultaneously. 

Firstly, What Causes Low Water Pressure?

Low water pressure is not just an inconvenience, it could also imply that you have a more serious problem affecting the entire water system of your home.

Some of the potential causes of low water pressure could be:

Too Small

Your main water pipe may be too small meaning the system cannot cope with the amount of hot water being demanded.

Mineral Buildup

The overall water quality and the age of the plumbing system affect the entire water flow. If you have an older house, you can experience limescale buildup in the pipes. As it builds up over time in the plumbing system, it reduces the overall water flow.

Water Pressure Reduction Valve

If you have recently moved into a new home and observed that there is low water pressure, you should look for the water pressure reduction valve. Maybe the previous owner of the house had installed one in the property. A water pressure reduction valve that has been partially closed can also reduce water pressure significantly.

Pressure-balancing Shower Mixer

As you flush the toilet, does the water pressure go down? If you experience a drop in water pressure while having plenty of water, the problem could be present in the shower mixing valve. As toilet is flushed, it will draw cold water from the shower. The shower mixing valve will sense a sudden drop in cold water pressure. It will lead to restricted hot water pressure. You experience a sudden blast of hot water. This is when you might feel the reduction in water pressure. 

Why Does My Shower Get Affected When Someone Turns a Tap On?

Water is being continuously pumped around the household simultaneously. As you turn on the hot water tap in the kitchen, as the shower continues running, the flow of hot water to the showerhead gets interrupted.

The hot water flow is then imparted to the pipe that leads to the tap. This is why you experience a sudden burst of cold water. This is because the hot water line is in use. This might work in the reverse case as well.

How to Fix Your Shower Losing Water Pressure?

To preserve both water pressure and heat when you are running a shower, you can think of including some adjustments to the plumbing system of the house. Here are some points to consider:

Make Use Of Water-Efficient Taps

You can think of installing water-efficient taps across your household. The main function of a water-efficient tap or faucet is to slow down the overall speed of water that travels across household pipes. 

You might not think of replacing water pipes in the household. Instead, you can think of using an aerator for your plumbing system. An aerator is regarded as an attachment on the tap head’s tip. The unit functions by adding air to the flowing water stream. Therefore, it helps in limiting the overall water flow across the faucet.

Installing the Right Pipework

A plumbing concern like inconsistent hot and cold water temperatures might be due to the improper installation of pipework. It could also be due to insufficient sizing for the demand and supply. You can hire a licensed plumber for checking the overall condition and size of the piping system.

Install Water-Saving Showerhead

A water-saving showerhead is known to work in a similar fashion to a water-efficient faucet unit. It helps in reducing the pressure of water with the help of air bubbles. It is placed on top of the showerhead. It can also be removed as per the requirement. Water-saving faucets and showerheads are ultimate plumbing solutions. As you ensure the combination of regulated water pressure, it can help in maintaining running water pressure.

Using a Single Fixture at a Time

One of the most cost-effective and easiest methods of making sure that you do not lose hot water when you use the shower is by not using more than a single toilet or faucet at the same time.

Do You Have Underlying Plumbing Issues?

If you are faced with consistent low water pressure you could see the culprit being cracked and blocked pipes along your line. Similarly, chronically blocked drains where materials and items are lodged along the line can lead to the creation of a barrier against the flow of water. A drain and pipe specialist or your local licenced plumber can unclog your blocked drains. 

A licenced plumber also may conduct a CCTV pipe inspection to see what the damage is, where the damage is and how they can fix it. 

There may also be an issue with your hot water heater. It may have a filter that is clogged with dirt and debris. These filters are available on the outlet and inlet valves. The water pressure can get affected when the filters are not cleaned properly.

When Do You Call A Plumber?

To analyse the underlying cause of reduced water pressure and temperature-related issues, you can contact your local, trusty plumber to come and inspect the issue. Regular plumbing maintenance is a huge step forward to troubleshooting low-pressure issues and water supply issues. With the right inspection, the water system problems can be easily sorted out. 

By allowing professional plumbers to take care of your entire plumbing system you can rest assured that you are doing your best action to take care of your property and your home’s plumbing needs. 

If you are in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and you are experiencing low pressure and icy showers, call our team now on 0420 102 394 and we can help!