No "cold" water....

[hedgehogdog]

i know this is a garage thread but i'm sure there are a few plumbers here... my tenant just called and said they had no "cold" water... i thought she had to be mistaken so i went right over to see what was up....sure enough hot water at the sinks and the tub but no cold...couldn't see any external problems,leaks or anything....this one has me baffled....and i used to work for a plumber.....any ideas...

 

[cjn1014]

old style mixer anywhere else in the building? this happens in the firehouse, when someone leaves both bib valves on in the apparatus room.


hot water in the urinal, nice...

 

[Steroblan]

Sounds like a cross connection somewhere. Maybe at a shower or faucet mixer valve that has failed allowing the cross flow. Is it everywhere in the house or just one bathroom?

 

[9C1]

Age of building and material of pipes?

Old iron pipes corrode on the inside, and corrode enough to stop the flow of water. It happened in a building I own. It is just over 70 years old.

We had to replace some of the pipes, and I anticipate I will have to replace more of them. It was (as the kids say today) a hot mess. No pun intended. It was both hot and cold water to one shower.
erry

 

[hedgehogdog]

they said it started when they went to use the shower....worked fine this morning but when they went to use it this evening it was all hot....

 

[Stuart in MN]

Do you mean no water comes out when you turn on the cold faucet, or warm water comes out when you turn on the cold faucet? If it's the latter, it probably is a failed mixer valve on a faucet or in the shower.

 

[hedgehogdog]

very little...like a few drips...when i open the cold side...

 

[beakie]

shut off main

drain pipes, opn highest & lowest taps, hot and cold

open main



still have a problem?

 

[hedgehogdog]

what a mess.....come to find out the watersoftner failed and the mineral ran through the whole water system an plugged everything up....i ended up calling a plumber in and he ended up having to go through the wall to change the faucets in the shower....he got the toilets cleaned out but i still have to go in and flush out the lavs...

 

[Richard Cranium]

This was just on Ask This Old House, it was a mixer valve in the shower. You maybe able to look on you tube to find the video.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

what a mess.....come to find out the watersoftner failed and the mineral ran through the whole water system an plugged everything up....i ended up calling a plumber in and he ended up having to go through the wall to change the faucets in the shower....he got the toilets cleaned out but i still have to go in and flush out the lavs...

Wow....wow. How old is the softener? Only asking because I just got one, and am hoping for 25 or so years.

 

[rburke65]

Stevie-ray..... You are hoping for 25 years or so WHAT? You expect that softener to last you 25 years? Don you know what they call that? FAT CHANCE!

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Stevie-ray..... You are hoping for 25 years or so WHAT? You expect that softener to last you 25 years? Don you know what they call that? FAT CHANCE!

Not so fast. My system is a Kinetico. They are well known for going well over 15 years before having to be re-resined. Their guarantee is 10 years, but most have gone well beyond. Last one I heard re-resined was after 25 years. Sure I know this is at the low-end of probability, which is why the smiley face, but it has happened. Just hoping.