Why is the hot water coming out of the kitchen faucet so much hotter than the water coming out of shower?

Shower valves usually have what is called an "Anti Scald Device". It's to prevent people from getting burnt from the water being too hot. If your valve is not old, it probably has that feature. The device is adjustable,, it is a plastic piece that you just turn. The piece prevents the valve handle from turning farther to the hot section. You can adjust them, or many are removeable. Remove the handle, and any immediate pieces, keep your eye open on a plastic piece with a half moon type opening. Use common sense to see what it does, and you can adjust it.
If you know the brand of faucet, you can probably get instructions on the web

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Re-mdlr,

Showers also come with a restrictor to drastically reduce water flow. This is a dime-sized disc (usually) located inside the entrance of the shower head. With the restrictor in place the flow is so much less that even a little cold in the mix will drastically cut down the temperature. Most restrictors are easily removed.

Something else I have learned on mine?

We have a scald protection on our shower valve. Most times I could turn the shower handle to a certain point and get just the right temp, other times after stepping in it was too hot or cool...same position. And I could not seem to adjust it right, unless I turned it all the way off and then back on.

I found it made a difference if the toilet tank or laundry washer was still refilling during the time I started the shower. Now I wait till all water flow is stopped, and it is always the same handle position.

quote:

Originally posted by Jaybee:
Showers also come with a restrictor to drastically reduce water flow. This is a dime-sized disc (usually) located inside the entrance of the shower head. With the restrictor in place the flow is so much less that even a little cold in the mix will drastically cut down the temperature. Most restrictors are easily removed.

Jaybee, your answer helped explain why I've had to turn the hot water on more than the cold water. I've never understood why the flow wasn't more equalized. Now I do. Thanks for sharing that information.

showers have scald guards, they are adjustable
they are usually behind the handle.
as for the flow restrictors.
be careful if you remove them. because of the hot water heater demand
when removed, the gallon per minute goes from 1.6 gpm
"with rectrictor" to 3 gpm
at 3 gpm x 10min = 30 gallons
so by removing your jimmy carter's to blame
flow restrictor, you cut down the amount of time you can hang in the shower
i removed mine, didn't think it was a problem, i take 10 min showers
my wife, on the other hand. hollered loud and non stop untill i put it back in. she hangs out for ever!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Frodo,

The shower head at my brother's house was pretty useless, no power to the stream of water at all. So I "modified" the flow restrictor to get more of a stream. We were taking back to back showers over the holidays after I did it and his poor electric water heater couldn't keep up. My gas water heater wouldn't have an issue but electric, not so much.