Why would someone deliberately cross connect hot and cold water lines?

Squunk · Feb 25, 2015

I'm looking for some help regarding a cross connection I found behind a friend's washing machine. There are 1/2" copper hot and cold water lines that come down to the hose connections. Then each line continues down for about another 6". At that point there is a smaller diameter (3/8"?) loop of about 2 feet of flexible copper line that connects the hot water line to the cold. Obviously this is not a mistake - somebody went to a lot of work to add this cross connection. Can anyone explain to me why this was done?

Mr_David · Feb 26, 2015

can't think of any reason.

can I see a picture of the hose connections higher up?

The loop at the bottom looks kinked, maybe by design

Hillbilly hot recirculating system?

gendow · Feb 26, 2015

That is bizarre. The piping should have terminated at the hose connections.

KULTULZ · Feb 26, 2015

Squunk said:
I'm looking for some help regarding a cross connection I found behind a friend's washing machine. There are 1/2" copper hot and cold water lines that come down to the hose connections. Then each line continues down for about another 6". At that point there is a smaller diameter (3/8"?) loop of about 2 feet of flexible copper line that connects the hot water line to the cold. Obviously this is not a mistake - somebody went to a lot of work to add this cross connection. Can anyone explain to me why this was done?

Mr_David said:
can't think of any reason.

can I see a picture of the hose connections higher up?

The loop at the bottom looks kinked, maybe by design

Hillbilly hot recirculating system?

I've wondered about a hookup like this to keep hot water in a line. Like when you are taking a shower, cut the shower head off to lather and when turned back on get hit with cold water momentarily (the water being held in the hot water line cooling). Same thing for a clothes or dishwasher.

It seems though, without valving, there would be a big use of hot water.

Squunk · Feb 26, 2015

Thanks to all for your replies. There's no kink in the copper flex line - just looks that way due to the angle of the picture. There is a basement shower about 3 feet away from the washer, but the hot water heater is only 5 feet in the other direction. Wouldn't have taken long to get hot water. I don't have another wide angle picture, but the hose connections that are just out of the picture are just your garden variety hose spigots.
One other thing I noticed was that the hot and cold water hoses to the washer were hooked up backwards - hot to cold and cold to hot. Is this a clue or just more weirdness?