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cichy1012 · Dec 27, 2006, 11:10 AM

Hi all, maybe you can help shed some light on my problem. About 10 years ago our water heater was replaced, a couple of years later I noticed a lack of hot water getting back to any faucet or shower to the bathrooms located on the other side of the house. What I started to do was have the toilet constantly flushing in order to get the hot water desired. After I was fed up with this I called a friend and he suggested that maybe my dip tube was faulty. When I went to take the dip tube out **it was gone** like it had disentegrated. I replaced it, but to no surprise the same thing. So for the past 8 years we have been taking showers while the toilet is running. Well now my water heater is failing, so I replaced it last night hoping that maybe in the process my hot water would return to the bathrooms. Maybe my old heater was just faulty? NOPE, same thing. The water gets very hot in the kitchen, but not the bathrooms unless the toilet is running. What is going on? Someone told me the pressure regulator valve in front of my house is bad and is shooting too much water pressure into the water heater and when I flush the toilet it taks away from the cold water allowing the heater to push out the hot water. Is this true? Im lost and need help. The wife is giving me that cold stare! :)

speedball1 · Dec 28, 2006, 10:33 AM

How old is your house and what material are your pipes made of. Copper? Galvanized or Plastic? Forget the pressure regulator, your friend was mistaken. Tis is a volume4 problem, pure and simple. Running the toilet cuts down on the volume of cold water entering the bathroom branch allowing more hot water to enter. You need a plumber that's on site to pinpoint the source of the problem. Let me know. Tom

cichy1012 · Dec 28, 2006, 03:40 PM

Hi speedball, and thank you for responding. My house was built in 1979. When we removed the shower units to replace them, there was copper piping in the walls coming down to the shower, so I'm assuming its all copper. I had the water company at my house yesterday afternoon and they tested the water pressure. They said I was at 100, which was way to high, then he adjusted my pressure reg valve open and closed and it was the same. My reg valve sits in front of my house. He told me it was shot and I would need to replace it. Is this the problem you think with that test being done??

cichy1012 · Dec 29, 2006, 07:26 PM

Speedball you out there? Can u answer after the additional info given?

speedball1 · Dec 30, 2006, 09:46 AM

There's no doubt you need a new PRV valve. 100 PSI's way too much pressure, the average's 45 PSI. However I doubt that it will solve your problem. Your problem's that you don't have enough volume of hot water. The first thing I would do is shut the water off and open up the shower valve.
Checkthe cartridge inlet ports for crud or blockage. Next turn the hot water back on to flush oiut the branch. You should have a strong stream of hot water coming out of the open valve body. If this is so reassemble and test. If not click on back. Regards, Tom

cichy1012 · Dec 30, 2006, 01:38 PM

Hi speedball, thank you again for responding. I changed the prv valve and checked the cartridges in the shower. They are fine. Im still getting only warm water in the bathroom showers and sinks.
Ive changed the water heater
Changed the prv valve.
Checked the cartridges let the hot water flow to clean out any crud..

What I don't understand is what you mean by volume problem. What could cause this. And why when I flush the toilet the water gets HOT HOT?

speedball1 · Dec 30, 2006, 05:19 PM

" why when I flush the toilet the water gets HOT HOT?"
Ahhh! The old, "I'm in the shower and someone flushed the john and scalded me" joke. This happens when you divert cold water away the temperature setting in the shower by flushing the toilet. You have cut down on the volume of cold water to the shower by flushing the potty but the hot water volume remains the same so the stream becomes hotter.

Volume and pressure. A system must have both to operate correctly. The problem with rusty pipes isn't a pressure problem, it's a volume one. Let's say you have 50 PSI at the water meter and a 3/4" galvanized service that has built up rust that chokes it down to 3/8".
You will still have 50 PSI when you open a faucet, but, flush a toilet or open another faucet that calls for more volume to feed the extra demand and the pressure fails.

I've put forth the best explanation that I have on hand. As I said. You have a volume problem. It could be mineral build up in the hot water pipes but something's cutting back your flow. Regards, Tom,