B
Bremen_833 Jan 2017 10:52Hello everyone,
you are my last hope. Throughout the entire house, we now only have a water temperature of about 22°C (72°F). Two different plumbing companies have so far been unable to find a solution.
Here is the situation:
The house’s plumbing setup is as follows:
Of course, we have already tried several solutions together with professionals:
We have made an interesting observation:
So it seems that cold water is somehow pushing into the hot water line. But where??? We have checked all accessible components. Could it be that a check valve was installed in the floor or wall that is now faulty?
A professional company is planning to come soon with a leak detector to better understand the pipe layout.
Do you perhaps have any other suggestions or ideas?
Thanks very much in advance!
Best regards and Happy New Year
Jörn
you are my last hope. Throughout the entire house, we now only have a water temperature of about 22°C (72°F). Two different plumbing companies have so far been unable to find a solution.
Here is the situation:
- One year ago, we bought a single-family house (built in 1982). At that time, we already noticed that the hot water temperature at all faucets was only a maximum of 40°C (104°F), even though the water heater (in the basement) was set to 60°C (140°F). The temperature was still sufficient for showering, so other repairs and renovation work were prioritized at first.
- Four months ago, I briefly turned off the water to replace the angle valve on a toilet. After turning the water back on, we suddenly had a maximum hot water temperature of only 22°C (72°F) at all faucets. Now, showering in winter is no longer enjoyable! Apparently, something settled or opened in the pipes due to the pressure drop and restoration. This condition has persisted until today.
The house’s plumbing setup is as follows:
- Heating system and water heater are located in the basement
- Hot water circulation line is installed
- Faucets in the basement: shower in the sauna room, washbasin in the utility room
- Faucets on the ground floor: washbasin and toilet in the guest bathroom, and a washbasin on the other side of the building in the kitchen
- Faucets on the upper floor: 2 washbasins, bathtub, and shower in the bathroom
- Unfortunately, we do not have a detailed pipe layout plan
Of course, we have already tried several solutions together with professionals:
- The circulation line only delivers lukewarm water. The circulation pump and check valve were replaced with new components. Additionally, a shut-off valve was installed in the circulation line in the basement. However, no improvement was noticed. Simply shutting off the circulation line also did not lead to any improvement.
- All mixing valves have been checked and all angle valves have been shut off. Still, only lukewarm water could be drawn, regardless of which faucet is opened again.
We have made an interesting observation:
- When the hot water line is opened in the guest bathroom, water at a temperature of 22°C (72°F) flows at first. However, if hot water is then opened at any other faucet (in the basement, ground floor, or upper floor), suddenly we get 60°C (140°F) hot water, the circulation line finally delivers hot water as well, and cold water flows from the guest bathroom’s hot water pipe at the same time. It cannot be a faulty mixing valve in the guest bathroom; turning off the angle valve on the cold water line there produces no change either.
So it seems that cold water is somehow pushing into the hot water line. But where??? We have checked all accessible components. Could it be that a check valve was installed in the floor or wall that is now faulty?
A professional company is planning to come soon with a leak detector to better understand the pipe layout.
Do you perhaps have any other suggestions or ideas?
Thanks very much in advance!
Best regards and Happy New Year
Jörn
K
Knallkörper3 Jan 2017 13:50My theory is also that cold water is pushing into the circulation pipe at one point. This point is near your guest bathroom.
Perhaps the cold water is flowing into the circulation line through a fitting.
Example / thought experiment: You have a shower valve with a connection for the shower hose. However, you haven’t connected a showerhead, but instead a garden hose to fill your outdoor pool. There is still a shut-off valve in the hose because you want to be able to turn off the water outside. The shut-off valve in the hose is closed, but you leave the shower valve open for convenience. The mixer is set to a medium temperature.
Result: If water is drawn from the circulation line elsewhere, cold water flows through the valve into the hot water circuit.
If this idea doesn’t help, I would recommend getting a flow meter to measure the volume flow in a pipe. This way, you can figure out where water is flowing and where it is not.
Perhaps the cold water is flowing into the circulation line through a fitting.
Example / thought experiment: You have a shower valve with a connection for the shower hose. However, you haven’t connected a showerhead, but instead a garden hose to fill your outdoor pool. There is still a shut-off valve in the hose because you want to be able to turn off the water outside. The shut-off valve in the hose is closed, but you leave the shower valve open for convenience. The mixer is set to a medium temperature.
Result: If water is drawn from the circulation line elsewhere, cold water flows through the valve into the hot water circuit.
If this idea doesn’t help, I would recommend getting a flow meter to measure the volume flow in a pipe. This way, you can figure out where water is flowing and where it is not.
Similar topics