Hi all:

I hope someone can help with this crazy situation!

I have:
Price Pfizer 3 handle in this hall bath and a
Bradford White 2004 40 gallon gas hot water heater.

Found out that when the hot water is turned on in my hall bath, it gets luke warm at best. Ran it for 8-10 minutes 2 times (all other faucets including the sink in the hall bath have hot water but they were all turned off for this test).

All other hot (and cold) water faucets in the house work fine in terms of temperature and water pressure including the sink in that hall bathroom.

Replaced the diverter even though it looked OK and ran the hot water through it - no debris. Checked both the hot water and cold water valves washers and all, didn't change because they look OK.

Checked the fill tube in the hot water heater, no erosion or corrosion - looked just like the one from the plumbing supply store that I was going to put in!

I don't know when this problem started as although I've owned the house for 4 years, it was recently discovered by a guest.

(emailed previous owner and he said there was not a temperature control device installed (bath was used by child) and that he never has a problem with the hot water)

Shut off the hot water valve on the hot water heater. (left cold water open)... then checked all the faucets for water from the hot handle/position. Every faucet had water running out of the hot water handle/position. Does this mean that someone connected the cold water pipes to the hot water pipes somewhere in the house? And if yes, that we will have to break into the walls to find the place where the cold water pipe is connected to a hot water pipe?

Can someone please help?

Thanks so much in advance!

Price Pfizer 3 handle in this hall bath

Show us a photo of this valve. I have imagined an old style Price Pfister 3 handle tub and shower valve.


Replaced the diverter
I assume you mean the center knob. This diverts the water from the tub spout to the shower head. It would have no effect on the water temperature.


Checked the fill tube
I assume you mean the dip tube. Plastic tube that takes the incoming cold water to the bottom of the tank. If it was defective you would see the effects at all faucets.

Does this mean that someone connected the cold water pipes to the hot water pipes somewhere in the house?
Highly unlikely. If that had happened you would have no hot water, no matter how long the hot side was open.

Show photo of piping at water heater. You should have cold water coming in to one side of water heater and hot water going out on the other side. Are there any pipes connecting to the hot water out.
With all other faucets closed, open the hot side of this tub valve and let it run. Then feel the hot side pipe out of the water heater. It should immediately get warm.

How far is this bath from the water heater. Is it further than the kitchen or other bath rooms.


Shut off the hot water valve on the hot water heater.

That is strange. You usually have a stop valve on the incoming cold side,not on the outgoing hot side. Please make sure you have correctly identified the hot and cold of the water heater (they are marked.)