OT - Plumbing Question.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

mark nowicki

Sounds like the hot water pipe is being flushed clear of sediments.

I would cut off as much of the hot pipe and fittings as you can see and replace with PEX, Sharbite fittings and ball valves.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

Dick Coers

Any pressure regulators in the system? Maybe a pressure problem with the hot water heater since it’s hot water only.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

Lee Schierer in McKean, PA

Most likely the faucet washer on the hot side has failed and needs to be replaced. While you have the water off, I would change both.

Lee

A head scratcher

David Yoho

Joe, I'm guessing this is the only hot water faucet having the pressure problem or you would have noted it. You said you replaced the washer on the hot side valve and it didn't change anything. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look upstream at the other valve washers but I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope there.

My first thought looking at the faucet is how much trouble would it be to disconnect the faucet from the supply lines and run the hot water to see what it does. Of course without the faucet both hot and cold would run which could make a mess. I'm just wondering if there's something restricting the water on the hot side. Gotta be a way to test that.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

Stuart Johnson

Turn off the water and remove both faucets. It looks like there should be a clear show between them. There also appears to be some sort of drain screw in the middle. Clean it all out and if you still have the problem it is further up the system.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

Don Stephan

Long time plumber friend said it sounds like a loose or deteriorated stem washer on shutoff valve upstream of the laundry tray.

Re: OT - Plumbing Question.

Barry Irby

Don's friend may be right. I would check the valve you used to turn the water off to this faucet. It's likely to be the only one between the hot side of the faucet and the tank.

My plumber friend thought the individual shut off valves were stupid. To his mind, they were left sitting there for twenty years doing nothing until you needed them and the moment you touched them, they failed. Either the washer would disintegrate and go down the drain looking like black ink or the stem would start to leak. There is some truth in his observation. Be prepared to replace yours. Or maybe you will be luck and the washer will fail and get ot of the way and you can worry about it later.

Another possibility is there is a piece of trash in the line. I have flushed many systems through the bath tub faucet. It has high flow and no screen. If you laundry tub faucet is the only one affected it's likely the trash is just up stream and will not come out of a bathtub.

There were some water heaters made with defective dip tubes. They usually crumbled up and fell in to the bottom of the tank, but sometimes little bits of white plastic would come out of a faucet.

Shut off valves

Bill Howatt

I had a house with only 1 shut-off valve and would never recommend that but there is merit in the valve failure issue when you go to use it after many years of disuse. I have experienced problems with both cases.

The one-valve case was in my first house when I was less informed than now. Toilet float valve was leaking so I got a part, shut-off (all) the water and removed the metal float valve assembly. Put it on the kitchen table and it literally crumbled when I tried to do anything. Stores were now all closed and I didn't have a big junk box of plumbing stuff then. So the whole house was without water. This gave me my first rule of plumbing: Don't touch it if the stores are closed!

Maybe a rule should be:"Operate all shut-off valves when you replace your smoke detector batteries."

Bill

How about ball valves?

Jerry Nicholson

Would ball valves be subject to long term deterioration also? So far the only problem that I have had with one was that the stem had gotten so tight that I had to put an extender on the valve handle to turn it off.

Re: How about ball valves?

John Veerkamp

a good ball valve should last 50 years or more.

My general rule of thumb is...

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

"Don't touch it if the stores are closed!"

When it comes to plumbing and electrical things, my general rule of thumb is don't touch it period.

Re: Shut off valves

Don Stephan

Actually, there is a lot of merit to the thought of operating shut off valves twice a year. A long time ago my high school classmate/plumber sold me on ball valves for shutoff valves. He has never known one to seize, and Cincinnati generally has very hard water that seizes stem shutoff valves.

Re: How about ball valves?

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

I did plumbing as a side job for several years. I had the highest license in Indiana and was bonded and insured. In my experience I have never seen a ball valve malfunction, although I have some that were pretty hard to rotate after several years of non-use. Even those loosened after a few actuation's. These are all I install in my own home!

Re: How about ball valves?

Barry Irby

I agree. But I did not mention them for fear that the current generation of ball valves might be cheap knock offs of the classic ones. Seems everything has been degraded. I hope ball valves are an exception.

Joe, we got off in the Weeds a bit....

Barry Irby

did you find and solve the problem?

Re: Joe, we got off in the Weeds a bit....

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

No Barry, not yet. Not till the weekend. I think I will try with replacing some other washers first that are upstream of the utility sink faucet.

Thanks.

Good....

Barry Irby

You may be able to listen tot he pipe using a screwdriver with the handle pressed against the bone right at your ear and the tip against the pipe or valve. Sort of a redneck stethoscope. Not sure if it will isolate the location for you but it might help. Let us know if you find the problem. I would start with the shut off valve for this faucet.