Homes in Sun City are between 14 and 24 years old. In that length of time, some things may need to be reset. One of my neighbors complained that the shower temperature is not as hot as it used to be. Many people set the temperature higher on the water heater, but that is inefficient because all the water in the water heater is being stored at a temperature higher than necessary.
Most Sun City homes have Moen shower faucets. These faucets have a feature called Posi-temp that allows you to set the maximum temperature. The temperature was set on installation so that when the handle is turned all the way counterclockwise, the temperature is ideal for showering. If this temperature is no longer correct because it has drifted, you can adjust it to suit your needs.
In researching this article, I found that the Moen site was no help at all. Their drawings were poorly done and there was almost no instruction on how to set the temperature. There is no video on YouTube for Moen faucets although there are some for other manufacturers. The illustrations for this article were done in my bathroom by photographing each step in the process.
Follow these steps to set the temperature of your shower:
Unscrew the Allen screw on the bottom of the shower handle with a 7/64″ Allen wrench by using a counter-clockwise direction (Figure 1, right top). It needs to be unscrewed further than you may think. Keep testing the handle to see when it comes off easily. When the screw is loose enough it slides off very easily.
Gently pull the handle off the shower stem. You should see a 1½” diameter metal disk secured with a Philips screw (Figure 2, right center). Moen calls this the lever handle adapter. Unscrew the Phillips screw recessed in the center of the disk and remove this disk.
Beneath this disk you will see two white plastic pieces that are used to set the maximum temperature when the handle is turned all the way counterclockwise. To set the temperature hotter pull out the outer plastic piece and rotate it one detent counterclockwise and push it back into the inner plastic piece (Figure 3, right bottom). Each detent is 2° to 3°. To set the temperature cooler, rotate this piece clockwise one detent.
You are now ready to reassemble the faucet and test. Put the lever handle adapter (metal disk) back onto the plastic temperature adjustors and reinsert and tighten the Phillips screw. Slip the handle back on and tighten the Allen screw. Turn the handle counter-clockwise all the way to the stop. Wait a couple of minutes for the temperature to stabilize and test the temperature. You can use a thermometer or if you don’t know what temperature you want just test it with your hand. If you think the temperature is too hot or too cool, just repeat the steps above until you are happy with the temperature.
Now you should reward yourself with a nice long shower at a temperature that is just right.
