Weird Pluming/Hot Water Question

[Parks 788]

All: Have aweird plumbing question that has literally come up the last 3-4 days in our house that we are now renters in. Getting the house ready for sale back in Februry we has a small issue with our gas water heater. Being that it was 11 years old at the time and knowing the house was giong on the market we had a licensed plumber remove and install a new unit. It has worked flawlessly since. Now, for the past 3-4 days whenever we turn on the kitchen sinks with the lever in the cold position the water comes out really hot then will cool back down quickly. For the past 18 years of owning this home it as always took 45 second to a minute for the warm to start running out the faucet when lever was put to hot water. nothing else has been changed in the plumbing. The dishwasher wasn't just run with hot water either so there was hotwater in the lines close by. Anyone have any ideas to point us in the right direction? Super weird deal.

 

[montesa]

Your HW tank could be over heating or some other issue. Most likely your hot and cold are mixing somewhere nearby. In a washing machine or shower/sink valve. Here’s a link that might help.

Why is cold water coming from the hot part of the faucet?

The last plumber I called made a test. He closed the cold water intake to the 40 gallon gas water heater. The he opened all the hot water faucets in my house. After a minute passed, the faucets,

diy.stackexchange.com

 

[HiredHand]

Does the sink have separate hot and cold water taps? Because it sounds like you might have an issue with the sink faucet not the hot water tank.

 

[cowadle]

1.the anti scald or pressure balance in your faucet isn't working correctly. 2.or there is a restriction or leak causing the hot water side to loose balance and the pressure balance in the faucet it allowing to much cold to mix. probably the first though

 

[Shadowrider]

First time I went to commiefornia about 18 years ago I stayed at a bosses house up on one of the hills in Yorba Linda for about a week. Arnold lived up on the top and got pissed when they wouldn't let him build a heli-pad. Anyway bosses main bathroom's ceramic tile floor right beside the toilet was always warm. I told him he had a water leak in his slab from the hot water tank. He looked at me like I was crazy and blew it off, saying it has been that way since they bought the house. Fast forward a few months and the gas company came knocking because of his extreme gas usage and told him he had a problem. Even with the pool and hot tub he was using 10 times what his neighbors were and they had pools too. He then calls a plumber who found the leak in the master bathroom floor. Had to jackhammer up his floor and fix it. Probably a two million+ dollar house now and IDK if the floor has been retiled yet! He was a titewad but evidently extreme gas and water bills were OK.

 

[xseler]

Would the tank happen to have water circulator added to the top of the tank (mainly used in ranch style homes to get hot water to remote taps faster). If so, did they reset the timer when they replaced the tank? It would have an electric type clock with manual sets for the time. These usually are set to run a short time in the morning or evening when people are using the shower or hot water in the bathroom.

It would look something like this.

 

[Parks 788]

Would the tank happen to have water circulator added to the top of the tank (mainly used in ranch style homes to get hot water to remote taps faster). If so, did they reset the timer when they replaced the tank? It would have an electric type clock with manual sets for the time. These usually are set to run a short time in the morning or evening when people are using the shower or hot water in the bathroom.

View attachment 211381
It would look something like this.

NOthing like this on the HW Heater. I like it though.

Does the sink have separate hot and cold water taps? Because it sounds like you might have an issue with the sink faucet not the hot water tank.

No, it is one of those that push out to the right and push away or pull toward you for Hot or Cold.

Your HW tank could be over heating or some other issue. Most likely your hot and cold are mixing somewhere nearby. In a washing machine or shower/sink valve. Here’s a link that might help.

Why is cold water coming from the hot part of the faucet?

The last plumber I called made a test. He closed the cold water intake to the 40 gallon gas water heater. The he opened all the hot water faucets in my house. After a minute passed, the faucets,

diy.stackexchange.com

Thanks for the info. Didn't understand some if it but have that article bookmarked. Appreciated.

 

[Parks 788]

1.the anti scald or pressure balance in your faucet isn't working correctly. 2.or there is a restriction or leak causing the hot water side to loose balance and the pressure balance in the faucet it allowing to much cold to mix. probably the first though

Your first response seems plausable as this doesn't happen on any other faucets. If this is the case is it just a matter of getting a new faucet or a part? New faucet may be just as easy.

 

[dennishoddy]

Bad diverter valve in the faucet.

 

[Swingwing]

Do you have the piping in the attic overhead?