Problems Regulating Temperature in Shower

[Jeff Gross]

Hi everyone,

I am in dire need of advice! I have a problem with regulating water temperature in the shower of a bathroom that is located in a pool house.

The pool house gets it’s water from the main house, approximately 40 feet away from the main house, even farther from the main house water pump to the actual pool house plumbing. I removed a suicide-style shower head and installed a tankless gas water heater. Since I installed the heater, I have not been able to take a shower – the water is scalding hot when the hot water faucet is turned on, and as soon as I turn on the cold water faucet, the water becomes freezing cold. Showering with two temperature extremes is impossible, and I cannot understand why this is happening.

The main method of water heating where we are located in Panama, Central America, is by means of tankless hot water heaters (both gas and electric). Unfortunately  I do not have the model number of the actual unit, but it is an 20kW ARC brand that has a dial for water heat degrees and a separate dial for adjusting water flow. There is an on/off button on the button of the unit where the pipes are located. The water heater is mounted at approximately 8 feet above finished floor. The faucets on the opposite side of the wall are mounted at 4′ above finished floor. 

Here are the variables I have looked into (with my plumber) already:
– The problem is not necessarily the new tankless water heater…a working tankless water heater was hooked up to the plumbing and had the same problem.
– The faucet handles have been switched from two separate cold and hot faucets to one solitary unit – same problem continued.
– The tankless water heater is VERY close to the faucets on the opposite side of the wall. We added 40 feet of additional pipes to re-route the water from the heater (because most other heaters in this area that seem to work have to travel much farther than 1 foot to reach the faucet) to see if the extreme hot temperatures would cease, but no luck. 
– We have adjusted the dials on the tankless hot water heater to reduce the flow of water, increase the flow of water and adjust the temperature settings in nearly every combination. No luck.
– The sink and shower run on separate plumbing – the heater is not used on the sink. The sink runs on only cold water.
– The water pressure for the main house (and as a result, the pool house) was increased from 47 psi to 56 psi…no change.

Photos can (hopefully) be seen here:
http://s1333.photobucket.com/user/TLCdesign/library/Casita%20plumbing%20disaster

I hope someone can provide fresh insight – I am at my wit’s end! 
Thanks in advance…

[tania1151Participant]

No one can make any suggestions? Anything? Anyone?!

[Author]

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