Cold water out of hot tap?

[digisatman]

Hi all,

Got a weird problem with taps/shower in house, previously when hot water tap was turned on hot water would come out as normal. But nowadays when I turn the hot water on or hot shower tap on, cold water seems to come out for a few seconds before it turns to hot water.

Any ideas whats wrong?

 

[digisatman]

This was actually a serious thread! Not a troll at all.

For example the shower scenario, previously mid-shower when I turn the shower tap off, it goes off, then when I turn it on (on same temperature gauge) it resumes at same temperature.

Now, when I turn the tap off mid shower and turn it on (on same temperature gauge) ice cold water comes out for about 3-4 seconds then goes back to normal hot temperature.

This also happens at other taps in the house, I was thinking it was something to do with excessive cold water pressure or something?

 

[digisatman]

Not sure what the facepalms are for...So when people use hot water, turn it off, then turn it back on a few seconds later ICE COLD water is supposed to come out for a good few seconds before returning to hot???

 

[digisatman]

It happens in all the bathroom taps, and far more pronounced in the shower especially, as soon as i turn it off then on again its ice cold for a few seconds (it never used to be like this - in either the bathroom taps or shower).

I think ive got a systems boiler as I have a hot water storage tank.

 

[digisatman]

With the shower it's likely to be to do with the thermostat (if it's a mixer), as iirc they start cold and warm up fast to try and keep the temperature constant, and start cold because it's much safer than starting with the hot and adding cold to cool it down...

Yeah thats seems perfectly reasonable as ive had to replace the cartridge in the shower before, but the weird thing is the cold water that comes through when I turn the hot water bathroom taps etc? And the fact that the problems occured at the same time leads me to believe that it isn't a problem with solely the shower unit.

Ive just did a test on the bathroom taps, and its actually a few minutes before the water is ice cold out of the water tap - it never used to be like this, takes about 6-7 seconds for water to start getting hot, its as if the cold water is filling all the pipes in the systems somehow, whereas hot water remained in the pipes and cooled off before.

 

[digisatman]

Are all your taps cold feeds running from mains??

Also are they mixer taps??

If so then an imbalance in pressure can cause a backflow through the tap and push the hotwater back through the system. You would usually have an overflow trickling somewhere when the taps were on however.

Yeah all cold feeds are running from mains and are mixers taps - the pressure idea does seems like the problem, how would I fix the imbalance?

thanks for the help.

 

[digisatman]

Have you changed anything then? Plumbing, new boiler?
Unless water is running somewhere it shouldn't be possible for cold water to move about..

Is the hot water tank in the roof? Changed the insulation/mice eaten the lagging?

Just to qualify my statements, I once read a DIY book which had some plumbing bits in it.

Hot water tanks upstairs, but nothing has changed plumbing wise to be honest, although I recently did change the taps in the kitchen downstairs as one side was starting to leak.

Who has a shower and turns the tap off halfway through only to turn it on again a few seconds later? Are you pausing to wee on your feet?

To soap up? Hardly rocket science...

There is no point in trying to fight back.. when people have assumed you to be a retard/numptie.. then you better just let the thread die down a natural thread..

/and i say this a friend..

Got a few decent replies so its all good! Plus good to know i made a few people laugh too!