Very hot water as soon as taps turned on

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chinto

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New member here with some plumbing woes. Tried to search for te answer, but couldn't find my specific problem. I will try to give as much detail as I can, but i am a stranger to plumbing so bare with me if/when i use the incorrect terminology.

My house is appox 20 years old. A while back i needed to replace the tub surround in our upstairs bathroom. In removing the old tub, I needed to replace the faucet in the tub as it was quite rusty. The only part I replaced was the spout, not the taps. (tap is 1 knob that controls both temp and pressure)

bathtub.gif


(not actual spout I replaced. I'm just showing a pic of what was replaced)


This reno seemed to go without trouble, but about 2-3 months after completion we started to get a hammering sound coming from the pipes leading to the shower when you turn the tap to a certain temp. Any hotter and the noise goes away, any colder and the noise goes away. And yep you guesed it. The temp that the noise occurs at, is the desired temp for showering.

At the sme time that this noise started happening, we started having a concern with the sink in the same bathroom. When the tap is turned on in the sink, scalding hot water comes out for about 10 seconds until cold water starts coming out. This happens regardless of what temp you turn the tap too.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 

Verdeboy

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I would suspect that there is something loose in the shower cartridge. That sort of water hammer that you are describing is usually caused by something as simple as a loose washer. I would turn off the water to your shower and pull the cartridge out and check for a loose washer or seal. Try flushing out the line as well, since a large piece of debris could also be vibrating, though less likely than a loose washer.
 

chinto

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I would suspect that there is something loose in the shower cartridge. That sort of water hammer that you are describing is usually caused by something as simple as a loose washer. I would turn off the water to your shower and pull the cartridge out and check for a loose washer or seal. Try flushing out the line as well, since a large piece of debris could also be vibrating, though less likely than a loose washer.

please forgive my ignorance, but what component is the cartridge?
 

Verdeboy

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On a single-handle faucet, the cartridge is located under the handle. Each brand of cartridge requires different tools to remove it, so a brand name or pic is needed to help you further.
 

chinto

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here's the best I could do for now:

GEDC1181.jpg


GEDC1182.jpg


If this does not help, please let me know.

Also,

My description of the problem was not entirely accurate (guess I was quite tired).

2-3 months after completion we started to get a hammering sound coming from the pipes leading to the shower when you turn the tap to a certain temp. Any hotter and the noise goes away, any colder and the noise goes away. And yep you guessed it. The temp that the noise occurs at, is the desired temp for showering. The only thing I forgot to include was that the hammering noise only occurs, when the water is directed through the spout. It does not occur when it is through the shower head. The problem with the shower is that it is either very hot, or cold water. i cannot seem to find a comfortable showering temp.
cheers
 
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hj

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faucet

May be PP, but their stem is usually black, not white. The instant, and very hot, water in the cold side is usually more a symptom of a cracked underfloor hot water line, than a bad faucet.
 

Verdeboy

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I'm guessing you are from the UK, in which case, I'm not familiar with that faucet.

If you have water shut-offs behind the shower wall, and if you have another bathroom to use, you can try pulling out that cartridge. You will need to turn off the water first and then remove the screws that hold on the backer plate.

Then remove the white sleeve. There may also be a retaining nut or a clip that holds the cartridge in place. Once those are removed, you should be able to pull out that cartridge with a pliers and examine it. Check to see if any washers are loose or damaged. There may also be a scald-protector that is sticking or otherwise not working properly. If there is no scald-protector, you may want to have one installed.
 
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chinto

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I'm guessing you are from the UK, in which case, I'm not familiar with that faucet..

Nope. I'm in Canada


If you have water shut-offs behind the shower wall, and if you have another bathroom to use, you can try pulling out that cartridge. You will need to turn off the water first and then remove the screws that hold on the backer plate.

Then remove the white sleeve. There may also be a retaining nut or a clip that holds the cartridge in place. Once those are removed, you should be able to pull out that cartridge with a pliers and examine it. Check to see if any washers are loose or damaged. There may also be a scald-protector that is sticking or otherwise not working properly. If there is no scald-protector, you may want to have one installed.

Thanks, I'll take a look at it
 

chinto

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May be PP, but their stem is usually black, not white. The instant, and very hot, water in the cold side is usually more a symptom of a cracked underfloor hot water line, than a bad faucet.

Wouldn't a cracked water line be evident by flooding?
 

Verdeboy

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Wouldn't a cracked water line be evident by flooding?

If the water was trapped under a concrete slab, you may not notice it, but you would notice a high gas bill and a high water bill.
 

chinto

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If the water was trapped under a concrete slab, you may not notice it, but you would notice a high gas bill and a high water bill.


I have a basement. My bills have not changed since the problem began.
 
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