DIY Forums


Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes

Perplexing Hot Water Problem

 
 
cyd
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-08-2008, 04:04 PM
Last week we installed an electric tankless hot water system.
Everything worked as expected for several days, so we know things were
hooked up right. For the last couple of days there has been a strange
hot water problem that no one can figure out. Here's what's
happening:
Hot water will only come out of the kitchen sink, but only if the
bathtub is running full blast. Hot water will not come out of the
kitchen sink if the tub is not running. The hot water to the kitchen
sink does not cut out as long as the bath is running.
Hot water will not come out of the tub valve or the valve in the bath
sink at all now.
Hot water will go into the clothes washer for a few seconds and then
goes cold.
IOW, the only hot water in the house goes to the kitchen sink, and
then only when the tub is running.
Other info: the bath valve is a single-control type. we tried
replacing the mixing valve in the tub twice; no effect. we looked
under the house to see if there is a hot water line leak, but there
isn't.
Does this make sense to anyone out there?
 
Reply With Quote
 
 
 
 
kennybs@adelphia.net
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-10-2008, 06:19 AM
On Jul 8, 9:04*am, cyd <cyd.r...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Last week we installed an electric tankless hot water system.
> Everything worked as expected for several days, so we know things were
> hooked up right. *For the last couple of days there has been a strange
> hot water problem that no one can figure out. *Here's what's
> happening:
> Hot water will only come out of the kitchen sink, but only if the
> bathtub is running full blast. *Hot water will not come out of the
> kitchen sink if the tub is not running. *The hot water to the kitchen
> sink does not cut out as long as the bath is running.
> Hot water will not come out of the tub valve or the valve in the bath
> sink at all now.
> Hot water will go into the clothes washer for a few seconds and then
> goes cold.
> IOW, the only hot water in the house goes to the kitchen sink, and
> then only when the tub is running.
> Other info: *the bath valve is a single-control type. *we tried
> replacing the mixing valve in the tub twice; no effect. *we looked
> under the house to see if there is a hot water line leak, but there
> isn't.
> Does this make sense to anyone out there?


e-mail sent.
kenny b
 
Reply With Quote
 
 
 
 
Eric G.
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-11-2008, 06:38 PM
(E-Mail Removed) wrote in news:5b840a27-7200-4c8a-893a-
(E-Mail Removed):

> On Jul 8, 9:04*am, cyd <cyd.r...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Last week we installed an electric tankless hot water system.
>> Everything worked as expected for several days, so we know things were
>> hooked up right. *For the last couple of days there has been a strange
>> hot water problem that no one can figure out. *Here's what's
>> happening:
>> Hot water will only come out of the kitchen sink, but only if the
>> bathtub is running full blast. *Hot water will not come out of the
>> kitchen sink if the tub is not running. *The hot water to the kitchen
>> sink does not cut out as long as the bath is running.
>> Hot water will not come out of the tub valve or the valve in the bath
>> sink at all now.
>> Hot water will go into the clothes washer for a few seconds and then
>> goes cold.
>> IOW, the only hot water in the house goes to the kitchen sink, and
>> then only when the tub is running.
>> Other info: *the bath valve is a single-control type. *we tried
>> replacing the mixing valve in the tub twice; no effect. *we looked
>> under the house to see if there is a hot water line leak, but there
>> isn't.
>> Does this make sense to anyone out there?

>
> e-mail sent.
> kenny b
>


Did you tell him exactly where the cross connection is? :-)

Eric
 
Reply With Quote
 
kennybs@adelphia.net
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-12-2008, 04:06 AM
On Jul 11, 11:38*am, "Eric G." <NgOrSePeAn...@Zoptonline.Znet> wrote:
> kenn...@adelphia.net wrote in news:5b840a27-7200-4c8a-893a-
> ffc5b1d2a...@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jul 8, 9:04*am, cyd <cyd.r...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Last week we installed an electric tankless hot water system.
> >> Everything worked as expected for several days, so we know things were
> >> hooked up right. *For the last couple of days there has been a strange
> >> hot water problem that no one can figure out. *Here's what's
> >> happening:
> >> Hot water will only come out of the kitchen sink, but only if the
> >> bathtub is running full blast. *Hot water will not come out of the
> >> kitchen sink if the tub is not running. *The hot water to the kitchen
> >> sink does not cut out as long as the bath is running.
> >> Hot water will not come out of the tub valve or the valve in the bath
> >> sink at all now.
> >> Hot water will go into the clothes washer for a few seconds and then
> >> goes cold.
> >> IOW, the only hot water in the house goes to the kitchen sink, and
> >> then only when the tub is running.
> >> Other info: *the bath valve is a single-control type. *we tried
> >> replacing the mixing valve in the tub twice; no effect. *we looked
> >> under the house to see if there is a hot water line leak, but there
> >> isn't.
> >> Does this make sense to anyone out there?

>
> > e-mail sent.
> > kenny b

>
> Did you tell him exactly where the cross connection is? *:-)
>


Yep, I tried.

kenny b
 
Reply With Quote
 
kennybs@adelphia.net
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-12-2008, 04:14 AM
> > > e-mail sent.
> > > kenny b

>
> > Did you tell him exactly where the cross connection is? *:-)

>
> Yep, I tried.
>
> kenny b-


Sorry I should have posted here.

"After reading your post and assuming your installation is correct.
It
almost sounds as if you have a cross connection somewhere. I would
have to
see a layout of you water distribution system. Supplying water will
of
course take the path of least resistance, hence the cross connection
of hot
and cold. It may be the flow restriction through the unit, a bad valve
or
something else causing the water being routed through another route
that has
a shorter less restrictive passage. This usually occures when a
bypass
(valve) has been opened, or a mixing valve in line such as the
washing
machine is faulty.
Any demand of hot water should bring a flow through the water heater,
that
would be the first thing to check. If hot water is being made it has
to end
up at the opened valve. When you state that under different flow
conditions
you have hot water, it points to the heater working but only under
certain
flow conditions. Lets not forget flow through the heater is what turns
it
on.

Good luck, let me know what you find.
kenny b"

 
Reply With Quote
 
cyd
Guest
Posts: n/a

 
      07-25-2008, 05:08 PM
On Jul 8, 9:04 am, cyd <cyd.r...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Last week we installed an electric tankless hot water system.
> Everything worked as expected for several days, so we know things were
> hooked up right. For the last couple of days there has been a strange
> hot water problem that no one can figure out. Here's what's
> happening:
> Hot water will only come out of the kitchen sink, but only if the
> bathtub is running full blast. Hot water will not come out of the
> kitchen sink if the tub is not running. The hot water to the kitchen
> sink does not cut out as long as the bath is running.
> Hot water will not come out of the tub valve or the valve in the bath
> sink at all now.
> Hot water will go into the clothes washer for a few seconds and then
> goes cold.
> IOW, the only hot water in the house goes to the kitchen sink, and
> then only when the tub is running.
> Other info: the bath valve is a single-control type. we tried
> replacing the mixing valve in the tub twice; no effect. we looked
> under the house to see if there is a hot water line leak, but there
> isn't.
> Does this make sense to anyone out there?



The problem has been solved. There were two parts to the solution.
Part one was that the tankless heater unit was defective and couldn't
sense a low flow hot water request. That is why the tub had to be
running full blast to get hot water from the kitchen sink. Part two
of the problem was that when the contractor took the single-control
valve off of the tub to replace the mixing valve, he put the handle
back on in such a way that it couldn't turn far enough to activate the
tub's hot water. Once the tub handle was remounted, then the tub
worked fine. Thanks for all of your theories and suggestions.

cyd
 
Reply With Quote
 
 
 
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Totally perplexing plumbing GB UK DIY 6 03-29-2011 03:51 PM
Perplexing Hot Water Problem cyd Home Repair 10 07-25-2008 05:12 PM
Perplexing Hot Water Problem cyd Home Repair 0 07-09-2008 05:09 PM
Perplexing chimney downdraft problem Dave Martindale Home Repair 12 01-24-2007 06:42 AM
Perplexing dishwasher problem clowes_ian@hotmail.com UK DIY 0 02-26-2006 06:54 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:31 PM.