Here is a description of my problem. I have a two story house with two water heaters. The water heaters are tied together. One water heater is on the master suite side of the house. The other is on the opposite side of the house serving the kitchen/laundry room. The upstairs bathroom has two sinks and a shower that pull hot water mainly from the kitchen side of the house. My problem is that when the washing machine is on (filling up with water), the cold water side of the fixture that is closest to the water heater is hot. It is not just lukewarm, it is steaming hot. I have isolated all of my single lever faucets and shower heads to rule out the possibility of cross-linked valve failure. I have also turned off the hot water to the washing machine to rule it out as well.
I closed the valves and shut down the water heater above the kitchen, and cannot re-create the problem with just the one water heater from the opposite side of the house. After that, we opened the valves to the water heater without turning the heat back on. When I turned the washing machine back on (cold only), I can feel the cold water entering the hot water heater pipes. Then, I had my wife turn the sink faucet on (cold). I could feel the flow reverse in the hot water heater. Then cold supply line turned hot. It seems that the washing machine is creating a loss of pressure on the cold water supply which is causing the hot water to backflow out of the hot water heater.
Anyone have any experience with an issue like this? I am thinking of installing a check valve on the cold water supply to the hot water heater to prevent water from backflowing out. Any issues with this?
Comment/Suggestions Please!!
I closed the valves and shut down the water heater above the kitchen, and cannot re-create the problem with just the one water heater from the opposite side of the house. After that, we opened the valves to the water heater without turning the heat back on. When I turned the washing machine back on (cold only), I can feel the cold water entering the hot water heater pipes. Then, I had my wife turn the sink faucet on (cold). I could feel the flow reverse in the hot water heater. Then cold supply line turned hot. It seems that the washing machine is creating a loss of pressure on the cold water supply which is causing the hot water to backflow out of the hot water heater.
Anyone have any experience with an issue like this? I am thinking of installing a check valve on the cold water supply to the hot water heater to prevent water from backflowing out. Any issues with this?
Comment/Suggestions Please!!