Over 698,000 strictly plumbing related posts
Plumbing education, information, advice, help and suggestions are provided by some of the most experienced plumbers who wish to "give back" to society. Since 1996 we have been the best online (strictly) PLUMBING advice site. If you have questions about plumbing, toilets, sinks, faucets, drains, sewers, water filters, venting, water heating, showers, pumps, and other strictly PLUMBING related issues then you've come to the right place. Please refrain from asking or discussing legal questions, or pricing, or where to purchase products, or any business issues, or for contractor referrals, or any other questions or issues not specifically related to plumbing. Keep all posts positive and absolutely no advertising. Our site is completely free, without ads or pop-ups and we don't tract you. We absolutely do not sell your personal information. We are made possible by:
Author:
LT (TX)
Recently purchased a house with no hot water from any faucet, even though the water in the hot water tank is hot. I isolated the tank (disconnected supply / return), but still get water from the faucet hot sides (no pressure drop or pressure difference between the hot and cold sides). I assume the cold water is getting into the hot lines somewhere. I don’t see any water recirc loops under any of the sinks (nor at the water heater). I removed all three shower valve cartridges (Pfister) because I read somewhere the pressure balancer could be the culprit, but I didn’t see anything unusual, and I don’t see how the cold could get to the hot side anyway when the valves are off. Am I wrong? Any suggestions?
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
packy (MA)
that is really strange..
if you have the hot water line at the heater disconnected and there was a cross connecting somewhere because you get cold from the hot side of your faucets then water should pour out of the disconnected hot water pipe?
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
There are shut off valves on both the supply and return lines at the tank, so I closed both before disconnecting. I suppose I could crack the return valve open to verify that it is under pressure. I'll have to swing by there later today.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
40 PSI at the return (same as supply). This is after draining off residual pressure and reopening main valve.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
packy (MA)
take off the gauge and screw on a garden hose. then open the valve to see if you get a big flow or a trickle.
remember the 40PSI is static pressure. it tells you there is a cross connection but it doesn't tell you if it is 2 pipes connected together (big flow) or of a faucet is allowing water to go backwards (much less flow).
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
Packy, I did as you suggested. It is a "big" flow, literally no different from hooking the hose up to an outside faucet.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
packy (MA)
it almost has to be a recirc line with a bad check valve to get that kind of flow.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
Yes, I agree, that makes sense, but I don’t see anything visible. I started thinking maybe there is a check valve inside the walls, so I opened up the walls below the sink and the shower valve in the bathroom furthest from the water heater, but found nothing unusual.
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
post a pic of the ENTIRE heater and its piping
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
I believe there used to be a water softener to the right of the water tank. As seen in the pic below, there is a shut-off valve on that loop. This is what I have been using to turn off the inside water (because it’s convenient).
Closing that valve shuts off the water to the water heater as well as all inside sink faucets and toilets. However, it turns out that only the laundry cold side is fed through this loop. For some reason, the laundry hot side is not, so closing this valve doesn’t affect the laundry hot side. This seems like a plumbing mistake to me, because clearly the laundry hot is not coming from the water heater. However, I don’t think it tells me anything about the original issue, does it?
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
bernabeu (SC)
you have a mystery wrapped inside an enigma
you will need an EXPERIENCED licensed, bonded, insured MASTER plumber on-site to resolve
it could be an expensive step by step matter starting by dissconnecting the MAIN supply pipe into the house (to eliminate a 'stolen water' cross connection (by a neighboring home)
neither you, nor the plumber, should assume ANYTHING
best of luck
==============================================
"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638
|
Post Reply
|
Author:
LT (TX)
The laundry was the issue. I cut the loop; the left line goes to the laundry hot side. The line currently going to the hot is supposed to be a hose bib out back. Go figure.
My only question now is how did someone live here for 20 years with this issue? They must have been getting hot water somehow. Anyway, I am not going to think about it anymore. Everything works now.
By the way, thanks for the replies, they kept me going. And I learned a few things from some other threads.
Edited 1 times.
|
Post Reply
|
Please note:
- Inappropriate messages or blatant advertising will be deleted. We cannot be held responsible for bad or inadequate advice.
- Plbg.com has no control over external content that may be linked to from messages posted here. Please follow external links with caution.
- Plbg.com is strictly for the exchange of plumbing related advice and NOT to ask about pricing/costs, nor where to find a product (try Google), nor how to operate or promote a business, nor for ethics (law) and the like questions.
- Plbg.com is also not a place to ask radiant heating (try HeatingHelp.com), electrical or even general construction type questions. We are exclusively for plumbing questions.
Search for plumbing parts on our sponsor's site:
Special thanks to our sponsor:
|