I've just arrived home from church and the safety switch has remained OK with the water heater running now for at least 10 hours.

The water in the kitchen sink is warm, but not hot.

Water to all other spouts is hot.

I have closed the by-pass line to the pump, as I just noticed that it has been open the whole time.

The water coming directly from the bottom of the heater must now pass directly through the pump if it is to leave the closet where the heater is at all.

Hopefully, this is not a mistake and will help get hotter water to the kitchen.

I may also try to nudge the setting up a little bit more since the reset switch did not kick off.

If the power is off and the wires are disconnected AND THE ELEMENT IS GOOD then there will be continuity. If the element is bad there will be no continuity. Remember, it is the element we are testing for coninuity... ;)

Waiting for results... bypass should be closed!

Boy am I getting frustrated.

Water to kitchen sink is not as hot now as it was.

Could it be that the "by-pass" line to the pump is really some kind of recirculation line for the pump? I've heard of some pumps being recirculation pumps??

The pump is a Bell & Gossett booster series 100. Not much at all on their website about the pump.

Good news is that the water heater has remained on all day.

I'm really flabbergasted! What could cause this kind of intermittent hot water supply?

My 15 year old daughter informed me, too that her shower is hot and then cooler and up and down like that basically the whole time.

I've experienced similar in my shower.

Both of these showers are on the second floor.

Kitchen is on the main floor.

Water heater is in the basement.

Any ideas?

I'll think about this overnight and then post in the AM...

Any chance you could post a couple pics. Of the hot water heater piping and circulator piping..?

I'm also thinking one of your mixing valves is bad... talk tomorrow. Off to work again!

I will post some pics after I get to the office in the morning.

Here's another question...

I opened the drain valve slightly at the bottom of the heater to test the water temp coming out of the heater. It was cool to the touch.

Shouldn't the water be hot.

FYI...

Tonight after coming home from being out for awhile, we turned on the kitchen faucet and the water was cool.

When my wife went up to take a bath... the water coming out the kitchen faucet got hot instantly.

The line did put out more grit into her bathtub, but the water was hot.

OK JC...

Try this real quick:

Shut off the incoming COLD water supply to the water heater. Then go upstairs to kitchen sink and shut the HOT water shutoff under the sink off.

Then rotate the handle to hot side and see if water still flows.. if it does then the cartridge is gone in the kitchen faucet and needs to be replaced.

If water doesn't flow from the hot side, then with the hot water heater still turned off (but kitchen sink HOT shutoff turned back on), turn all of the tub/shower and lavatory single handled valves one by one to the cold side and recheck the kitchen sink faucet until you have discovered which one has failed.

Let me know what you find...

MARK

How will I know which one has failed?

What am I looking for?

Hi JC...

You will know which one has failed (if one has failed.. ;) ) when cold water comes out the HOT side of the kitchen faucet with the hot water heater cold water supply shutoff... that make sense? Test each valve individually and then go to kitchen faucet to test each...

Reread my last post and take one step at a time.

Mark,

I posted some pics and actually a short video. You can access them here...

Video and Pictures


John

I'm at the office...

I won't be able to do that check until I get home later.

I'll let you know what happens when I get it done.

Hi JC:


Thanks for pics./video... good stuff!

That is definitely a recirculating hot water line at the pump. I'm wondering if the pump is actually pumping/working? I know we hear it pumping... doesn't mean it is pumping..?

Wonder if there is another valve that has been shut on the recirc. Line..? Look under farthest sink for a shutoff that can't be explained and chase that re-circ. Line as far as you can go... let me know.

Anyway, start with checking the valves as discussed earlier... maybe more than one issue here... let me know more.

Ok Mark,

Here's what I did...

I turned off every valve surrounding the pump, including the bypass and the cut-off in the line coming out of the bottom of the heater before reaching the pump, and shut the pump off.

I did this before leaving for work this AM. I just went home around 3 PM and checked the water...

HOT WATER EVERYWHERE!! Including the kitchen sink.

However, the safety switch on the water heater was tripped again, so I went to Lowe's and bought and installed a new upper thermostat. I would have replaced the lower one as well, but they were out of them. Apparently, there's been a big run on thermostats lately :rolleyes:.

I haven't done what you suggested yet, and hopefully won't have to. I did check to see if there was an extra shut-off under one of the sinks, though, but I didn't find one anywhere.

Now, I do have to wait about 60-90 seconds for the hot water to show up at the kitchen sink, but when it does arrive, it is hot!

There seemed to be no problem with hot water getting to the upstairs tubs, either... PLUS, there was no grit in the tub when I turned on the faucet :).

I really appreciate your help and all of the advice. I will certainly be back if for some reason this doesn't stick.

Until then...

HAPPY PLUMBING.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

JC

Ahhhh,

It appears that this will be my very last post on this issue.

I've just arrived home after having the new thermostat installed for about 4 + hours now, and...

STILL HOT WATER IN EVERY FAUCET!!

Victory is SWEET!

Thanks Mark,

John

Good news John...

When you have time we should investigate the recirc. Pump and find out why that's not working...

Good night.

MARK