AquaSource Shower - How Does 'Flow Control' Cartridge Gear Inside Handle Adjust?

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  • Technic-Fan

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    We had a Aqua Source Model 2098500701 (0309693) pressure balance tub & shower faucet installed last fall to replace an old non-pressure balance valve that failed.

    At first it appeared to work OK...hot setting was only 'adequately warm', where the old one was HOT, but we just assumed that was how new anti-scald faucets were. However, with the onset of winter and frigid incoming town water feed (house is in Maine), the shower maxed out at lukewarm at best. Water in the rest of the house is HOT, but this one shower is barely usable.

    Quick online research shows Aqua Source faucets have some sort of 'Flow Control' that sets how hot water can get. Went and checked out a new faucet of the same model and found the plastic device shown under the faucet handle section. Clearly has a blue pointer that can go from '-' to '+' settings, with factory default way towards the lower setting, so I'm assuming this is the 'max temp' setting. Shop employees had no idea how to adjust these, the white & red rings did not appear to rotate when pushed with a screwdriver (didn't push really hard since I didn't want to break and buy another), and despite the sticker saying 'to adjust water temp and cartridge gear see manual'....there is of course NOTHING in the manual even acknowledging this device exists.

    Our old tenant apparently didn't care about taking cool showers (and therefore didn't tell us about the problem), but new tenant isn't so thrilled at not having hot showers. Anyone seen one of these before? Can you describe how I either rotate or remove/adjust/reinstall this device?

    Thanks in advance for any insight or advice!

    - Mike
     

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    Terry

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    Rotate the red stop ring until the handle can swing over more toward full hot.

    You may have to pull ( lift ) it up, then rotate and set back in.
    That's pretty standard with all the faucets.

    I checked to see if there was a downloadable instruction set for it, but like many big box faucets, once you lose your paperwork, you're screwed.

    aquasource-shower-valve.jpg


    Update 10/24/2018
    I pulled this Aquasource valve out of a home and replaced it with Moen.

    aquasource-garner-parts.jpg
     
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    Technic-Fan

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    I checked to see if there was a downloadable instruction set for it, but like many big box faucets, once you lose your paperwork, you're screwed.

    Or, in this case, the original paperwork is total crap...

    Thanks for the quick reply and description that the RED plastic piece is the key...makes complete sense to me now looking at it. Blue piece (indicator) is fixed...white piece rotates with the handle and has the two little tabs sticking up that hit the red piece. So the red piece just snaps in and keeps the handle from rotating all the way to full hot...elegantly simple...
     

    delro

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    I have the same shower faucet with the same problem, and then some. After fixing the limited hot water flow by completely removing the "red ring scald guard", I have a new problem. When ever I set the valve to release equal hot/cold water, the water from the shower head starts to pulsate, as if a valve of some kind is isolating between hot and cold water. The pulsing is strong enough to vibrate the shower pipe behind the wall. My contractor is unwilling to fix the problem. Do you have any suggestions on how to resolve this issue? My gut tells me it's' being caused by the "flow control" feature of the shower faucet. Is there a way to remove this feature altogether?

    Many thanks,

    --Bernard--
     

    a7244270

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    removed the red ring, no problems and now my water is hot. thanks.
     

    Jadnashua

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    One reason I like thermostatically controlled valves. Yes, some can creep when the cold water temperature changes, but some, as long at the internal mechanism has enough range, handle it like a champ...I don't change my temp control knob winter to summer, only turn the water one and off. Well, I do change it depending on wheter it is a shower or bath a little. Once it is calibrated so the temperature on the knob is correct, it stays there and adjusts the supplies to keep it there.
     

    tlotts76

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    Does this restrict all water flow or just the water from getting to hot? I have very little water pressure from this assembly.
     

    bpc23

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    Can anyone tell me how to disable the flow limiting feature in this shower control? I'm using this shower valve as a mixing valve for a hose bib and I need full pressure and flow. Currently, I get very little flow and pressure from the end of the hose.
     

    Jadnashua

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    It may not be possible. What brand and model? There are several companies that make dedicated hot/cold hose bibs, and those would be a better choice. Moen has a single handle one, and Mansfield has several two-handle versions. Codes require a vacuum breaker on a hose bib, so make sure what you have, has that included as well. The dedicated hot/cold valves have one built-in.
     

    hj

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    They do NOT have a "flow limiting feature", other than if one side has low pressure the other side will be reduced to match it, giving you "low flow". Wotj regard to the shower valves, if you "remove" the limiting stop, that may allow the handle to rotate "continuously" from cold to hot to cold, and/or from off to on to off, and so on.
     

    bpc23

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    I have already installed a hose bib with a vacuum breaker and would like to only replace the mixing valve with something proper. I have an AquaSource (Lowes) #0327598 single handle shower only faucet. My initial thought was that this flow/mixing valve contained a "flow limiter" or "anti-scald" device that is causing my poor flow because the pressure from the end of the hose is different, depending upon whether I set the temperature at full-cold or full-hot. I was hoping I could modify the guts of the valve to regain flow.

    Perhaps the easier thing to do is buy a proper mixing valve that will help me regain full flow. But, what type of valve exactly would this be?
     

    Richardo21

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    new faucet but could do with out the vibrato

    I am having a problem similar to delro's. I just installed an Aquasource single handle shower only faucet #0071441. I will have to adjust the hot water also but the trouble is when the faucet is turned on fast, there is a vibration that happens. Reminds me of air hammering but it seems to be the same as others in this forum, I have not seen an answer yet to what causes this or what can be done to fix it. Mine is brand new, I just put the handle on 10 mins ago and fired it up. What a disappointment to have that vibrato going on. I listened to Terry when he gave his opinion about the TOTO Drake toilet, I bought one and so far no looking back. Heres hoping for a faucet answer.
     
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    VSL

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    I have installed an AquaSource single handle shower only faucet (model # 873-4704) in one bathroom and a single handle tub & shower faucet in aother bathroom (model # 873-4604) but I cannot get any water to flow thru either tub spout or shower head. Can anyone give any suggestions?
     

    SpanishEyes701

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    I have this exact same model in my shower, but the little brass piece inside the cartridge broke. Does anyone know where I can purchase this exact same model? I was told this is an older version and aquasource doesn't care this anymore, but if that's true, I'm going to have to redo the whole plumbing. Somebody help?
     

    Mark D.

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    Thanks for the information and pictures guys. Here are my findings with the AquaSource controller to set the hot water:

    1) Use a small allan wrench to remove the handle.
    2) Use a phillips to remove two screws on the chrome cover to remove the cover. (These are extremely long screws.)
    3) Use a phillips to remove the screw and and handle nut.
    4) Unscrew, by hand, the top part of the controller (at the seam). This will expose the max hotwater temp settings (similar to the pictures above). There was a minus on one side, a plus on the other, and an arrow in between.
    5) Pull the whole platic sleeve out (this one was red) and move the arrow all the way towards the plus sign for the maximum possible hot water and put it back in place.
    6) Put everything back together in reverse order.

    There is a water restrictor in this unit. If either adjustment screw on either side of controller is turned all the way down, the water will totally shut off out of the faucet. To get maximum flow, I backed out both hot and cold screws all of the way.

    Thanks again for all of the info. I would have never figured this out without your help. GOD BLESS. -MARK
     
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