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Author:
Steeple (TX)
I have a recirculating hot water system. The system was recently shut down while the plumber searched for the source of a water leak; the valves on the return/input side and on the hot water output side of the heater were both turned off. After the leak was fixed, the recirculating system valves were re-opened. I got hot water, but only after a very long delay. The plumber said the recirculating pump had failed and he replaced it. After the replacement, I get hot water with only a modest delay (though a longer delay that before the recent problems started), but the water at the sink at the farthest end of the hot water system is not particularly hot, and all sinks and showers experience moments of a very significant decrease in temperature in the course of an otherwise hot water stream. (The momentary dose of cold water during a warm shower is not pleasant!) Does anyone have any idea what might be causing these problems? Thanks in advance.
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Author:
packy (MA)
check valve..
there is either one at the water heater or it is integral to the new pump..
ask the installing plumber.
did the plumber turn off the power to the old pump before shutting the water to do the repairs? if not, the pump could have been damaged if it was running with no water in it.
in this case you should not have to pay for a new pump.
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Author:
Steeple (TX)
Thank you, packy. Would you please explain why a bad check valve would cause my problems?
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Author:
packy (MA)
the hot water leaves the top of the water heater and travels thru the hot water pipe.
at a point in that pipe near the farthest fixture/s there is a tee. the side of the tee connects back to the pump via the recirculating line. the pump pulls the hot water from the tank, along the hot water pipe and thru the side of that tee back to the cold connection on the water heater. a one way valve (check valve) keeps the cold water from traveling back up the recirculating pipe and into the side of that tee.
so if the one way valve is not working right, the cold can back up into the hot giving you the symptons you have.
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Author:
Steeple (TX)
Thank you, packy.
Edited 1 times.
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