Hot Water Problem

PLUMBINGITALL

I HAVE A 3 STORY BUILDING THAT HAS A HEATER ON THE 2nd floor. IT HAS A RECIRCULATING PUMP AND MIXER VALVE ON IT WHICH SUPPLYS THE BATHROOMS WITH 120 DEGREE WATER AND THE KITCHEN WITH 140. MY PROBLEM IS THAT ON THE 1ST FLOOR THE BATH ROOM IN THE KITCHEN HAS NO HW AT TIMES. IF YOU TURN IT ON IT IS COLD. IF YOU LEAVE IT ON AND TURN ON THE COLD WATER AT ANOTHER SINK IT WILL GET HOT FOR A LITTLE WHILE THEN GO COLD AGAIN. THIS IS THE ONLY SINK THAT DOES THIS. WE HAVE BATHROOMS ON ALL FLOORS. THE ONLY THING I KNOW WAS THAT SOMEONE MY HAVE TIED A COLD WATER LINE IN TO THE HOT SOMEWHERE. ANY SUGGESTION?

Hersheyplumbing

Well, how is your circulating line plumbed? Without knowing I will add that a fixture close to the water heater will suck cold water if the return line is plumbed into the bottom of wh(remember the dip tube extends to bottom of tank). Make sure you have check valve installed in hot water return line. Doubt there is a cold line hooked to hot, but if you want to check turn hot water off and see if there is still pressure on hot side.

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Mark Hershey
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Ron The Plumber

What type of valves? I know Moen is known to cause this to happen, start replacing cartridges if there in Moen faucets and valves in there.

PLUMBINGITALL

Sorry did not explian that the water is heated by a boiler and then goes to a storage tank. The circulating line is feed to the storage tank which has no dip tube. There are check valves on the circulating line. I will try turning the hw off and see what happens. Ron the valves are t&p. I even tryed turning the cold stop off and still nothing.

Thanks for the advice. Any other ideas.

Ron The Plumber

Log on and register over on plumbingzone.com there will many more plumbers on there that could possible help you solve this issue.

Double-A

What is "it"? The lav in the bathroom with the hot water running, or the cold at "another sink"?

You can tell if you have a cross connection by shutting down the feed to the storage tank and checking for hot water on the third floor. If water flows, then you have a cross connection, if not, then you do not have a cross connection.

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JamesNLA

Sounds like Ron has it...Bad Cartridge...see this all the time.

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PLUMBINGITALL

The lav with the hot water running will get hot when you turn on the cold at another sink like in the ladies rr. There are no cartridge. There are no shower valves in this building. The valves in the bathroom or t&s two handle.