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Author:
RandyD5446 (NE)
One morning the shower only had cold water. This happened once a couple years ago so I replaced the cartridge and that fixed it. So I thought it was the same problem and replaced the cartridge again but the problem remains.
I thought maybe there was a blockage on the hot water side so I removed the check-stop fittings and ran a small wire through the openings in the valve body connecting the check-stops to the cartridge. Then I shutoff the supply line to the water heater in the basement and turned on other hot water faucets to drain the hot water line to the shower. Then I removed the hot side check-stop fitting, removed the cartridge, plugged that opening, and turned on the shower hoping that the cold side would backflush the hot side in the valve body. I heard a thump then tried it with the hot water supply turned back on and all the parts back in place and it all worked again.
Two days later the problem is back. There wasn't anything I could see dislodged with the wire the first time. Can the balancer be bad?
The parts in question are a Moen 3520 valve body with a 1225 cartridge and a 1423 balancer.
The balancer is on the cold side though. House is about 20 years old.
Thanks for any advice.
Randy
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Author:
hj (AZ)
the balancer may be on the cold side, but it controls BOTH hot and cold. When it gets stuck you usually only have one or the other, which seems to be your problem.
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