Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "What handle options are available with these Symmons shower systems?"
A. The handle options are:
Q. "I haven't seen many Symmons faucets in stores, is their quality any good?"
A. Symmons mainly makes top quality commercial grade faucets and doesn't (need to) advertise much. Rest assured that their quality is top notch and that you aren't paying for a big advertising budget when you purchase Symmons. The company has been around for many decades.
Q. "How can I stop my Temptrol shower valve from dripping?"
A. Replace the hot and cold washers using a TA-9 KIT. Inspect top surfaces of hot seat (T-1) and the cold seat (T-3) and if damaged replace with a TA-4 KIT.
Q. "Why is water coming out of my tub spout while I'm taking a shower, is this normal?"
A. A small stream of water (about the thickness of a pencil or less) coming from the tub spout while the valve is in the shower position is normal. If the stream of water is more than this the diverter/volume control spindle (TA-25A) should be replaced.
Q. "Water is leaking out from around the diverter/volume handle. How do I repair it?"
A. The spindle o-ring (T-24) is worn and needs to be replaced.
Q. "What is a handle limit stop and how do I set or adjust it?"
A. All Symmons pressure-balancing shower valves come equipped with a handle limit stop to set the handle rotation. The limit stop is used to limit the valve handle from being turned to excessively hot water discharge temperatures. CAUTION: Never remove this screw without turning off the hot and cold water supplies. To set the shower valve handle limit stop, remove the screw holding on the handle and remove the handle. Remove the round dome cover by turning in a counter-clockwise direction. At this point you will see a small slotted screw head that is visible in the valve cap. Place the handle on the valve stem (loose) and open the valve turning the handle until the maximum desired position is reached. Turn the screw in a clockwise direction until it seats to set the handle limit stop. Shut off the valve and re-attach dome and handle.
Q. "Why isn't my shower or tub water hot enough when the faucet in the same bathroom provides plenty of hot water?"
A. This is a problem that typically arises during the colder (winter) months when the incoming cold-water temperature starts to drop due to the colder ground temperatures. In most cases the hot water to the house being affected is supplied by a tankless (on demand) hot water system. Tankless (on demand) hot water heating systems are capable of producing a fixed amount of hot water per minute based on certain incoming cold-water temperatures. To provide a comfortable shower or tub/shower temperature during the colder winter months a larger amount of hot water is needed to compensate for the lower cold-water temperature being mixed in the valve. Also depending on the area, a tankless water heater must raise the cold-water temperature from 40°F to 120°F in the winter months, whereas in the warmer (summer) months the cold-water temperature might be 65°F. This increase in demand for hot water typically outstrips the ability of the water heater to produce enough hot water resulting in a lukewarm shower or tub temperature. The reason that the bathroom faucet appears to provide adequate hot water is because the faucet contains an aerator that restricts the amount of water that flows between 0.5 gallons and 2.0 gallons per minute. While the Temptrol valve will produce 5 to 7 gallons per minute from the tub spout and 2.5 gallons per minute if equipped with a newer flow-restricted showerhead. You can conduct a test to see how that the overall temperature of your hot water decreases during continuous use. First, turn on hot water in your bathroom faucet and take a temperature reading with a thermometer. Then while leaving the faucet running, open your Temptrol valve to the hottest position. Let both run for five minutes and monitor the temperature in both. You'll notice that the temperatures may start out quite different; this is due to the Temptrol valve always mixing cold with the hot water. But over time, you'll observe that the hot water coming from both outlets will start to decline in temperature due to the condition described above. The only solution we can offer to help with this water heater problem is to supply a reduced flow spindle (TA-10-3HL), which cuts down the flow of water from the valve. This may help with the symptoms of the problem but will not correct the underlying cause of the problem.
Q. "What does nominal mean?"
A. Manufacturers of copper pipe and sweat fittings use the inside diameter (nominal) size of the pipes for their definition of their pipe and fitting measurements. Some companies use the abbreviation CTS for copper tube size to refer to the copper nominal size. The term nominal is used because the inside diameter is not a precise measurement due to the different pipe thickness used for copper pipe. The outside diameter stays constant but the inside diameter will vary slightly. Since the outside diameter stays constant you can measure the outside diameter of a copper pipe and then you will be able to convert that measurement to the nominal inside diameter pipe size. This will help you to determine the correct size of sweat fittings you will need. You can do this by taking the outside diameter measurement of the copper pipe and subtract 1/8" from that measurement which will give you the nominal inside diameter. We offer copper sweat fittings on our page.
Q. "Why can I get only all hot or all cold water out of the Temptrol shower valve?"
A. The pressure-balancing piston housed in the spindle has become blocked from free movement by foreign matter. Open the valve to the half way position, remove the handle and firmly tap end of spindle (TA-10) with a plastic or wooden hammer. If the problem is not solved, remove the spindle assembly (TA-10) from valve. Click here for disassembly instructions. After spindle assembly has been removed from valve, tap the handle end against a solid object to free the piston. Soaking the entire piston assembly in household vinegar will also help free the piston. If this does not solve the problem replace with a new TA-10 spindle.
Q. "Why can't I get any hot water out of my valve, only lukewarm?"
A. All Symmons pressure-balancing shower valves come equipped with a handle limit stop to set the handle rotation. If you are not having a problem with hot water elsewhere in the house, it is possible that the limit stop feature has been set too low, or the incoming supply temperatures have changed requiring an adjustment of the limit stop. It is not necessary to turn off the water to set or adjust the handle limit stop.CAUTION: Never remove this screw without turning off the hot and cold water supply. To set the shower valve handle limit stop, remove the screw holding on the handle and remove the handle. Remove the round dome cover by turning in a counter-clockwise direction. At this point you will see a small slotted screw head that is visible in the valve cap. Place the handle back on the valve stem (loose) and open the valve turning the handle until the maximum desired position is reached. This may require turning the limit stop screw (T-34) counter-clockwise (see CAUTION above). To most accurately and safely verify the temperature of the hot water, place a thermometer in a tumbler of water filled from tub outlet. Shut off valve and re-attach dome and handle. If following the above procedure has not rectified the problem then there is substantial wear within the valve, and the spindle assembly (TA-10) needs to be replaced. Under certain circumstances you may need to replace the TA-4 also.
Q. "How do I take care of the finish on a Symmons product?"
A. To clean the finish on any Symmons product, the manufacturer recommends using only a mild soap solution and a soft cloth. After cleaning, rinse and blot dry with a clean, dry soft cloth. The use of abrasive cleaners, polishes, solvents and acid cleaners will/can damage the finish and does void the warranty.
