Hot water filling going in toilet


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Old 06-18-04, 10:21 PM
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Hot water filling going in toilet

We have kind of a weird situation here. It's a very large house (9 bathrooms). One 80 gallon water heater. Nothing has been replaced or touched in years. Yesterday, one of my housemates said hot water was going into his toilet and was also coming out of the cold water valve in the sink. I checked the water heater and it is absolutely definitely connected properly (cold line into the C and line out coming out of the H). No problems until yesterday.

Any ideas? It's highly likely that nothing was being used at the time my housemate reported this. Oh and his wife witnessed it too, so its not like he was hitting the sauce or anything.

Sam
 
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Old 06-18-04, 11:28 PM
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Could be a thermal expansion situation, or there might be a problem with a solenoid valve on a washing machine that is mixing hot with cold.


If someone tied both hot and cold supplies to a laundry tub faucet and using hte faucet as a mixer, this is improper and needs to be corrected.
 
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Old 06-19-04, 09:58 AM
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I have seen situations where a faucet for a mop sink or similar has a hose with a shutoff. The person opens the faucet valves and then when done, shuts the flow of water off with an external valve on the hose. Then the hot water and cold end up mixing through the faucet. You might check for a similar situation.
 
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Old 06-20-04, 04:45 PM
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Do you have a single handle shower valve. Sounds like a faulty balancing spool or cartridge
 
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Old 06-20-04, 09:33 PM
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My Two Cents

Hello: Sam

Rare possibility granted but it has happened and very much happened like you described. If the room that is effected happens to be the closest to the hot water heater, this condition is equally as likely to exist but is not limited to a room closest to the tank.

The thermostat on the water heater is overheating the water. As the water temp rises, so does the expansion of the water and the pressure. When that happens, hot water is pushed, by expansion, back into the cold water inlet side of the water heater.

Thus hot water comes out of the cold water faucets. To test this possibility condition, turn the control on the water heaters thermostat to the "PILOT" position. Leave it in that position for several hours or a day while using hot water as normally. (So as not to waste the existing hot water.)

Once the tank has no hot water left, only cold water in it, the hot water faucets will not have hot water coming out of them. But also the cold water faucets will not have hot water coming out of them either.

Than return the control on the water heater to the "ON" position and wait for the water heater to recover and begin providing hot water again as it does now. You'll notice, at this time, the condition returns. Hot water out of the cold water faucets and into the toilet(s).

Hot water expansion resumes and the condition you're describing returns. A sure sign the thermostat control on the water heater is at fault. Lost it's ability to control the water temp. Thermostat on water heater must be replaced and done so as soon as possible.

Excessively hot overheated hot water is an explosion awaiting to happen. The hot water heater becomes a steam boiler, boiling the water contianed within it, without enough overpressure controls. Burner fails to shut down.

Tanks ruptures are possible. Water pipes can burst, spring leaks and faucets pop water valves, etc. A condition which becomes a serious danger very quickly, when the water heaters burner fails to shut down or the themostat cannot control the water temp accurately.
 
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Old 06-24-04, 03:40 PM
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Cool

I have had this problem at work but could be same situation. We have a large building. While being built the water line were put into conduit. And because of the long run between the water storage tanks and the bathrooms they put in a circulator to keep the hot water as close as they can to each bath. And by the water pipes being located in the conduit the heat radiated and warmed up the cold water supply. We noticed hot water coming out of the urinals and either question the Clerk of the Works or the Plumbing Company. If you have 9 bathrooms, I think this could be quite possibly the problem.
 
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Old 06-25-04, 10:37 AM
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hot water in toilet

Odd situation but found that I had a bad faucet in my bathroom sink. I had the cold water line disconnected and the hot water supply line on. One of the kids turned on the hot water faucet and water came out of the cold water side of the faucet connection. If this is true of your situation,try flushing the toilet and feeling the cold water feed under the sink or nearest fixture (bathtub or whatever) and see if the supply line heats up. Long shot but worth a try. God luck and post back.
 
 

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