If the hot water in your bathroom sink but not anywhere else is low, one or more of these issues could be to blame. Before calling in a professional plumber, try troubleshooting it yourself first before seeking professional assistance.
Hair, soap scum and other materials can accumulate over time in pipes. Furthermore, old galvanized pipes could also be leaking and restricting water flow.
Frozen Pipes
Winter temperatures often cause pipes to freeze, especially if your plumbing runs through cold areas of your house such as an attic or crawl space. To combat frozen pipes, increase heat in your home and open cabinets beneath sinks so it reaches frozen pipes directly. Doing this may take some time, but will prevent costly pipe bursts that cost thousands in repairs as well as flooding homes and exposing electric wires.
If you can’t seem to locate your frozen pipe, try feeling for it on the wall or wrapping an electronic heating pad or hair dryer around it to warm it up – however beware as too much heat could damage or burst your pipe!
As another way to prevent frozen pipes, make sure they’re adequately insulated with insulation sleeves or wraps – either covering all or just the section near the water heater – which could reduce their chances of freezing. Also seal any leaks which allow cold air into your home and check that your thermostat is set at an ideal temperature throughout the day and night.
Anti-Scald Device
Scald burns from hot water occur often, particularly among children and the elderly. Scald injuries can be painful or even lethal. One way to help avoid these injuries is installing an anti-scald device in your home – an anti-scald device helps limit temperature of shower or tub water, helping prevent burns by limiting temperature rise in these spaces. There are two main kinds of anti-scald devices – thermostatic mixing valves and pressure balance valves both of which offer different benefits when it comes to keeping family safe from scalding incidents.
A thermostatic mixing valve utilizes a mix chamber to regulate the water coming out of your faucet, offering additional protection from scalding than with pressure balance valves alone. Though more costly, thermostatic mixing valves offer additional safeguards against scalding that provide added peace of mind for you and your family.
Pressure balance valves regulate the amount of hot or cold water flowing from your faucet by balancing pressures, similar to thermostatic mixing valves but without providing as much scald protection. They tend to be cheaper as well.
If your bathroom sink doesn’t produce hot water, it could be due to your anti-scald device being set too high. Luckily, this problem is easy to address – simply turn the handle counterclockwise to lower its setting before testing the temperature again. If the issue remains too hot for comfort, contact a plumber who can assist in finding an anti-scald device suitable for your needs.
Clogged Plumbing
Clogged drains can obstruct the flow of water in sinks, showers and tubs. Hair, soap scum, grease and toothpaste buildup in pipes creates an intractable clog that blocks or slows water flow. Pouring hot, soapy water down the drain may dislodge enough of the clog for water to pass freely again; if this doesn’t work try using a plunger or plumbing snake to loosen and clear away it instead – commercial clog removal products may damage pipes as they contain chemicals which could harm pipes as a whole.
Your home’s pipes may be inadequate to support the volume of hot water needed for your bathroom sink. In such an instance, it would be wise to consult a professional plumber as to whether installing new lines would make sense in this part of your house.
Your anti-scald device could also be set too high and restricting hot water flow to your sink, thus impeding its effectiveness. In such a situation, simply adjust its setting down accordingly.
Water Heater
If your showers are either lukewarm or cold, this could be caused by issues with your water heater. This is often associated with old galvanized steel pipes which corrode over time and restrict water flow, thus restricting shower temperatures.
If your shower is working fine but the sink doesn’t have hot water, this could be a telltale sign of a leak in the water line leading to your bathroom. Not only may such leaks be difficult to identify and track down quickly; but they can also cause irreparable damage to both your home and bathroom.
Signs of leakage could include water damage or staining on the ceiling or crawl space underneath your bathroom, as well as running hot water down the drain for several minutes to see if this helps resolve it.
One potential cause may be that an isolation valve in that bathroom has partially closed, restricting hot water flow. You’ll find these valves where your main water lines enter your house as well as in each bathroom – these can easily be checked to make sure it is open; then run a hot water tap for several minutes in that particular bathroom until pressure builds in its pipes and airlocks can escape; this should restore your shower and sink back to their former glory!
