Where's the Hot Water?

I can't explain the why, but for some reason, getting hot water in the shower in our bedroom is nearly impossible. As I am sure many do, we would turn on the water and let it warm up while getting prepped for hopping in. Problem was, it only warmed up, never got to the point of being hot water. Even as the shower progressed, it didn't seem to get warmer. The second person showering seemed to have an advantage. By the time they hopped in, it was actually a pretty warm shower.

Over the years, I have tried several things. If I run the dishwasher or the washing machine shortly before a shower, that usually helps, but I can't always be doing this. Sometimes the water is warmer if I run our tub first and then the shower, but that feels a bit like a waste.

A while back, by complete accident, I found a solution that seems to work consistently. I have actually been able to take hot showers instead of warm showers (I am first most mornings). On that morning, I had reached in and turned on the shower and when I hopped in, it was relatively cold. I reached for the handle and discovered that I had not turned it all the way on. When I did - voila! - hot water. I thought that was nice. So, the next morning, I intentionally only turned the handle on about 3/4 of the way, got ready and moved it to fully on right before stepping in - hot water! I don't know why draining the cold water from the pipes on a warm vs hot setting allows for the overall shower to be hotter - I just know that, at least at my house in my shower - it WORKS!