Ask Me Help Desk - Can't wash dishes in COLD water!

We are having a problem with the water pressure coming out of the left (hot) water valve in the kitchen sink. It has gotten slower and slower every day until now it's almost just a trickle. I am NOT having this problem anywhere else in the house. I had a similar problem in the master bath once in one sink, but it was both hot and cold. We solved that one by unscrewing the screen on the end of the faucet and cleaning out the goop and screwed it back on. This one has us baffled. It is only the hot water side. We checked the valves under the sink and they are all turned all the way on. Can you suggest what it might be or tell us how we can fix it? I hate trying to wash a dish in cold water. Thanks, CajunMomma

Sounds like your hot water valve stem is plugged up a bit. You can remove the stem or try another approach. Shut off the supply under the sink and disconnect the tube running up to the hot side of the faucet. Open the hot water faucet and stick a bowl of water under the spout so the spout is under water. Now take a shop vac and cup it over the open end of the supply tube, try to seal it as much as you can with your hand. It should suck the junk out.

CajunMomma - It sounds to me like the hot water faucet, itself is giving you the trouble. Turn the water off under the sink, Take the cap off the top of the faucet ,With a phillips screwdriver(#2 BIT) go down through the hole, you took the screw out of, Turn screw counter clock was NOW remove faucet handle, You will need a small pair of channel locks, Take the top large nut off , ( REmember hou you take the insidesout ,the way they are setting. get you a new one just like it . Any Plumbing , Hardware store ,Lowe's, Home DEpo Take it with you to show who ever is there. GET SAME AS YOUR OLD ONE. REplace New one back in faucet in reverse of way took out, Turn both stops back on ,check for good water flow and any leaks. :::: Good luck ;;;; F.B.E.

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Originally Posted by CajunMomma

We are having a problem with the water pressure coming out of the left (hot) water valve in the kitchen sink. It has gotten slower and slower every day until now it's almost just a trickle. I am NOT having this problem anywhere else in the house. I had a simular problem in the master bath once in one sink, but it was both hot and cold. We solved that one by unscrewing the screen on the end of the faucet and cleaning out the goop and screwed it back on. This one has us baffled. It is only the hot water side. We checked the valves under the sink and they are all turned all the way on. Can you suggest what it might be or tell us how we can fix it? I hate trying to wash a dish in cold water. Thanks, CajunMomma

Most hot water pressure problems can be traced back directly to mineral build up in the water heater. Minerals build up in a heater that isn't flushed and maintained on a regular schedule. When they build so far they leave the heater and get into the hot water system when they clog up the hot water inlets of the faucets. CajunMomma, follow the advice and flush out the faucet and supply but first flush and clear the heater of the minerals that are already in there. Let me show you how,
For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) followed by white or yellow grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures that are affected . Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. Hope this helps, Tom

Yes, Tom is 100% correct with his statement about debris coming from a hot water heater. I would recommend that everyone follow Tom's advice but I wonder why anyone would still recommend a home water filter. That is illogical since there is no evidence of debris entering the home, the cold is not being plugged up.

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you didn't tell me how to clean out faucet block. I'll still have to try others answers for that.

In order to advise you on how to open up your faucet and flush it out I will need the brand name, the type, one handle or two knobs, and the model if you have it and its age if you haven't. Regards, Tom

Tom, Just glancing I don't see a brandname. Too short to look on back. We only replaced the last one because we wanted a high spout to get large pots under. It is. Two knobs like wheel spike shape, accented with wood. Home Depot or Lowe's I guess. About 18 months old I. Relatively new home.
I'm going to try ballengerb1 's advice on cleaning the knob with the shop vac then if that don't work consider taking it apart. Unless you have better idea? I absolutely agree with you about the hot water heater. We have been neglectful there, but learned a valuable lesson. Thanks for opening our eyes to that. I can foresee many years of problems if we didn't follow your advice and get to the root of the problem. Thanks, CajunMomma

I bought this home new 5+ years ago. It's in a gated community of 29 homes with it's own water filtering system, plus I'm on city water. I agree with the plumber speedball1. I've never maintained my hot water tank. That's my fault didn't know better. Everyone I've ask in the community have had some lime build up, but they knew about the hot water tank. None of them have water filter systems, and have no problem other than cleaning out a screen every once in awhile. From past experience anyone I ever knew or talked to that had a water filtering system got sucked into it by over zealous salesman and get tired of maintaining IT after awhile and stopped using them. I'm going to use every other answer until one works.

This posted is tied to an earlier question about a hot water flow problem. The plumber who answered Moms question, Speedball1, is one of 3 plumbers who are on the desk. He direcdted Mom to flush her hot water tank since there was no issue with the cold water. I guess I stirred things by asking why someone would think a hot water tank problem would be cured or prevented by a whole house filter. Don't get me wrong, filtering your supply water is a good idea but it was not the answer to Moms question. It just did not fit to situation. Speedball1, Iamgrpwler and Doug238 do not have people to install filters for them, they are plumbers and do the work themselves. They know plumbing and they stick to plumbing and, although they do not always agree, I have never seen them make an inaccurate post so lets listen to the experts.

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cpl penney disagrees: People should fix the problem from the source. If not then this person would have to do it over and over again.

Penny, since the cold water inlets aren't clogged it's a safe bet to assume that THE WATER HEATER IS THE SOURCE. I realize it won''t sell a new whole house filter system for you but you owning the company and the fact that Questionhelps a customer makes your advice suspect in my eyes. Don't you agree? You gave Bal a reddy he didn't deserve. Apologize!

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You can never go wrong with water filtering system. I have one and it works well. Money well spent.

Michaeldj, Why saddle this lady with the unnecessary expense of a whole house filter system if she don't need it? Sure if you're on a pump and a lot of sediment comes up with the well water a filter system's called for. But not in this case. Regards, Tom

CPL, seems you think spreading reddies on folks trying to make sense is a good way to fix a problem. So what part of my amswer was inacurrate? I think you are just supporting a friend who gave good advice that just did not fit this situation. So, please quote a part of my answer and show us how it was inaccurate or stop this silly behavior. You just joined AMHD desk today so you could try to bolster a friend, your are his customer too!