How to Adjust Hot Water in Shower Moen – A Complete Step by Step Guide in 2021

Sometimes, you do not get water at the right temperature from Moen shower and find difficulties How to Adjust Hot Water in Shower Moen. You turn the valve at the hot direction, but you find that it is not correctly adjusted. Moen single-handle shower controls the temperature by the scale-guard limiter, adjustable Stop, cartridge, which regulates the flow of hot and cold water along with the temperature. So, to adjust the temperature, you need to fix up these things.

To fix up a scale-guard limiter, adjustable Stop, and cartridge, you need to disassemble the handle. Disassembling handle is a very simple process. In this article, you will learn to disassemble the handle and to fix up these things step by step to adjust hot water in your shower Moen.

Instruments

  • Hex or Allen wrench.
  • Thermometer.
  • Phillips-head screwdriver.
  • Adjustable Pliers.
  • Needlenose Pliers.
  • Normal kitchen Thermometer.

Contents

Step 1: check Supply Line and Tank

First, check the hot water line and tank and find the valve of the hot water line. Make sure that it is not turned off. Sometimes, the valve is not fully opened, which prevents the shower from getting enough hot water.

Step 2: Measure Temperature

To Adjust temperature, you need to check the temperature of hot water. It helps you to fix up the cartridge.

To get the accurate reading of the hot water temperature, you should follow this method.

For measuring temperature, you should pass cold water from the faucet for a minute. Then, you let pass the hot water. You must turn the hot water liver at the maximum limit. Take some water in a glass.

Then, hold your thermometer underwater. It is better to keep the thermometer for about one minute to get an accurate reading of the water temperature.

The actual water temperature in the Moen shower is between 120 to 130-degree Fahrenheit. And you will get the reading below this range.

Here you can use a normal kitchen thermometer to measure temperature. 

Step 3: Turn off water valves 

Before removing the shower handle, you should turn off the water valves. And close your faucet. You will find the water valves behind the shower fixture wall.

You can also shut down the valve of the water tank. If you do so, you need not turn off the supply line valves setting behind the shower fixture wall.

After that, you let the reserved water in the supply line flow away. To do so, you need to turn on your faucet once again.

Step 4: Remove the Shower Handle

In most Moen shower handle, you will find a tiny hole with an Allen nut. Lose the nut with an Allen wrench.

Sometimes, you may need to use the Phillips-head screwdriver. Then, pull the handle towards you and remove it safely and entirely.

Step 5: Fix Posi-temp valve and scald-guard feature

Some Moen shower has a Posi-temp valve and scald-guard feature. This feature is an adjustable stop that sets up a limit on how far you can turn the handle in a hot direction.

In many cases adjusting this feature gives the solution. For adjusting, you need to check the Posi-temp valve on the hot water line. If it is in the vertical position, it means it is off. Then rotate it clockwise 1/4 -turn with a screwdriver.

If you need to adjust the scald-guard limiter, do it. And then, try the faucet replacing the whole thing and check the shower.

Step 6: Adjusting Temperature Stop

You can adjust the water temperature on a single handle shower valve by turning the ring, which is placed on top of the cartridge. This ring is called the Adjustable Temperature Stop. To adjust the temperature Stop, you need a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screws of the cartridge key.

Then you will see a stop key on top of the cartridge and pull this key away from it. After that, you will find a ring (It may be in different shapes), which controls the water temperature in the shower.

Usually, this thing is white. And you will see some text on it. In some Moen shower, you will not find any text. In that case, you will find it below handle adaptor.

In the ring, there are two indicator signs. Generally, the left side is hot.

You can move the ring clockwise or anti-clockwise. By moving this ring, you can easily change the temperature.

But, one thing you should remember that your change in the ring’s position should be small. If not, you may have very hot water, which can cause damage to your skin.

Step 7: Remove Cartridge

If you do not get hot water at all, then you should check the cartridge out. You need to remove the cartridge from its place to check there any faults. 

To remove the cartridge, you need to follow these steps-

  1. Loosen the handle adapter screw with a screwdriver.
  2. Remove the adaptor.
  3. Pull off the key stop.
  4. Pull off adjustable temperature Stop, and another Stop below it.
  5. Pull out the cartridge retaining clip with Needlenose pliers.
  6. Turn the notch in off position.
  7. Then remove the cartridge.

If your shower is not Posi-temp, then you need to disassemble certain things. So, you should do this work with the utmost attention.

Step 8: Examine Cartridge

Now check the cartridge holes. Examine carefully, is there any blockage. This hole passes the hot hater, and blockage on it prevents getting hot water.

If it is okay, then shake the cartridge. You will hear a sound. This sound is like a rattling sound.

If the balancing spool gets stuck, you will not hear any sound. To fix it, you need to clean the spool and the inside of the cartridge.

To clean the spool, hold the cartridge and push the stem. Then, a cap, another side of the cartridge, will open. Use a small screwdriver to open the spool loose.

Clean it and shake the cartridge once again. If you can hear rattling sound now, replace the whole thing. If not, you must change the cartridge.

Sometimes you do not get desired pressure from your Moen shower. To adjust Moen shower valve pressure, check the water tap. This may happen for a clogged cap or rust. Moreover, in some model valves in the cartridge are not enough in size. In this case, you need to buy a new model Moen cartridge.

Step 9: Installing Handle Again

After fixing the temperature, install the same cartridge or a new if you have a problem with the older one. Re-insert the holding pin and push on the handle while re-inserting. But do not force the pin.

Then place the adjustable Temperature Stop, scale-guard limiter, handle adaptor.

When you are re-installing the parts, you should be careful about their orientation. After re-installing every parts, check the temperature of the shower water with a normal kitchen thermometer. If you do not get proper temperature, do these process once again, especially adjusting the Temperature Stop.

If you want to adjust the temperature of Moen Kitchen Faucet, the procedure is the same as the shower. You need to remove the handle. Then adjust the Temperature Stop key as you want.

If you use shower Kohler and face problem adjusting temperature, the procedure is quite like adjusting Moen shower.

To adjust the temperature of this kind of shower, you need to open the handle by removing screws. Then, you will see some adapters. Set the adapters and adjust the ring, which controls the temperature.

Hot water showers have made our lives easier. But one thing you should keep in mind that if you adjust the temperature too high, it can cause severe damage to your skin.

FAQ:

How to adjust the flow of hot water in a Moen shower faucet?

-You can adjust the flow of hot water by changing the valve position in the hot water supply line. Or you can do it by adjusting the scale-guard limiter.

How to adjust hot water in the older Moen shower valve?

-Remove the handle. Then lose the screwdriver of hand adaptor. Remove the hand adaptor Then, you will find the adjustable temperature Stop. By that, you can adjust hot water.  

How to adjust hot and cold water in the Moen shower valve?

-At first, try to adjust with the handle. If you do not get the appropriate temperature, you must remove the handle. Then you can make further adjustments by using adjustable temperature Stop. 

Final Notes

I hope this article can give you a clear idea of how to adjust hot water in shower Moen. I have tried to explain almost everything according to this problem. As Moen shower is one of the popular showers, this problem is quite common. To solve this problem, you need not be an expert. 

After reading this article, you can solve your own by following safety rules. If you are an amateur plumber or beginner, you can start working by following the instructions I mentioned in this article. So, when you face a problem, adjust hot water in the shower, read the article, and adjust the temperature as you want.