Varying water tenps

[Brand]

We have a 2012 water heater. We just replaced the thermostats and elements during our troubleshooting. Here is the situation: I’m not 100% certain when this started. Possibly when I rerouted two lines from sinks to the other of the room and now they are hooked up to a washing machine. The timeline is a guess.

When we shower the water varies from warm to lukewarm. I can switch immediately to the bathtub faucet and it will be much warmer sometimes even very hot. Sometimes it is lukewarm and she shower is cold. Switch it back to the shower and cool to warm. If the tub faucet is on full hot and I turn on the sink any sink I get scalded. But the tub water is still just warm. If I turn on any sink when the shower is off I get warm never hot water. I’m guessing we need a new water heater but the fact that in seconds it can change everywhere in the house if the shower /tub water is on leads my to think shower cartridge. Could both be dying at the same time?

 

[Brand]

Also I drained most of the tank prior to changing the top thermostat. The water got hotter as it drained.

 

[Geofd]

Do you have single handle faucets?????

 

[Geofd]

Do you have single handle faucets?????

Try isolating your washing machine valves

 

[Brand]

I’ve come to the conclusion that we have some sort of crossover. I did try to isolate today. Turned off the cold water to the tank. Turned on the hot only on the only two handled faucet. I turned off the water to the washer. The kitchen sink. The toilets. The new shower-single handle (but the issue started way before it was installed). Forgot about the ice maker. The sink upstairs Which I left the hot only running had ice cold water still coming out of the hot faucet. I couldn’t turn off the water to the upstairs shower which is single handled and about 15 years old. The shut off valve to the cold line will not close for the upstairs lines.

 

[Jeff Handy]

When you extended those lines, you likely caused this problem.

Or you tapped into lines that were serving defective valves.

You probably should call a pro to untangle your messy situation.

 

[Brand]

Thank you.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Your description of your actions is jumbled and hard to follow, so probably safer to stop before you make things worse.
Let a pro straighten this out.
Your water heater is probably fine.

 

[Brand]

Sorry I was multitasking and replying. Not the smartest idea. Ha. Probably should have focused more. If need be I’ll have him attempt to find a plumber. I’m not going to do anything that will cause any harm. All I did was turn off valves and turn them back on. Thank you again.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Sounded like you were changing plumbing around, moving or adding plumbing pipes to other fixtures, not just operating valves.

Also, who is “he”?

 

[Brand]

Oh not sure why it sounded that way. He is My husband. He has replaced all of the plumbing in our home over the past 25 years. We never had an issue until recently. He believed It may have started when he moved the lines in the spring. I do not think it was that long ago. And it is progressively getting worse. We’ve never dealt w a crossover issue before. So while he slept after work today I googled and did some troubleshooting as described where I shut off valves to isolate where the cold water could be getting into the hot lines. That was what several articles and posts suggested. I ran into a problem when I went to shut off the water lines to the upstairs bathroom because the cold water valve is broken and does not shut off. It just turns endlessly. So my troubleshooting had to stop. Which sucks because I believe the issue could be the cartridge in the single handled shower in the upstairs bath.

 

[Jeff Handy]

A defective single handle valve is often the source of crossover.

Just turn off the main valve for all the water in the house, then change the valve guts on the sink that is suspect.

Post a pic here of the faucet, to help identify what parts you will need, before shutting off the water.

 

[Brand]

Thank you yes that is our suspicion. And after the downstairs sink and washing machine’s lines being turned off and the issue still pursued I concluded this afternoon that it probably is the upstairs shower. I had filled out an inquiry yesterday to price pfister regarding which shower cartridge and whether it is under warranty or not. I have not heard back from that email just yet. It appears that they should replace the cartridge for free. Thank you again. It is a price pfister marielle from approx 2004-2005.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Should be a lifetime warranty on their parts.

Washing machines can also create crossover, the electronic valves don’t always shut properly.
But if you had them fully off at the supply shutoff valves, that should rule them out.

 

[bran]

Thank you, yes that is what I read about price pfister. I plan to call today if I do not get a response by lunchtime. That may be quicker. The kids are tired of cool showers haha.

Yes, I started w the washing machine and shut the valves off. That was the point I started with. The upstairs lines ( which only lead to the shower that I feel is the issue and the toilet and the sink that is 2 handles) were the only ones I was unable to isolate/shut off due to the shut off valve on that cold line being apparently broken. So that is on his list of repairs also.

 

[bran]

Replacement parts covered under warranty and being sent from Pfister. But I think my hubby is going to go pick them up local because of the timeline of shipping. The USPS is insanely slow right now. :/
Thanks again.

 

[Brand]

He went and bought one locally and it’s all fixed!! Hot water everywhere!

 

[Jeff Handy]

Hurray!