Cold water is warm.

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JerryR

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First we live in Florida and it’s been hotter than normal lately.

My wife complained that the cold water was no longer cold but warm. Yep I ran the cold water in the kitchen sink and it felt warm.

I suspected that perhaps the hot water circulation pump that uses cold water return had turned on without be commanded. So I pulled the plug on the pump and turned off the ball valves on the pump. Ran water for 5 minutes and it still was cold. WTH?

Got to think if there perhaps could be some crossover in a shower balancing valve, or feedback from water heater, so I’m went to my water heater that has a tempering valve connected to it and shut the water off to the HW tank gate valve.

Ran cold water in kitchen for 5 minutes and it still felt warm? Now I’m confused.

Ok now I go outside and turn on the outdoor hose spigot connected to the house entrance and it too felt warm. Ah Ha.

Ok now I get my digital meat thermometer and measure cold water temp at sink. It’s 81.3 degrees. I let it run and it remains at 81 degrees.

So I go outside and check water from street. It’s 81 degrees.

This morning I run the water and it’s 80 degrees and it no longer feels warm, but normal Florida cold.

ONE DEGREE difference made it no longer feel warm.
 

LLigetfa

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City water?
On well water systems, there have been known cases where a leak in the down-pipe would cause the pump to continually recirculate the water until it was warm. In some cases, the water would get so hot that it would melt the PVC casing, causing it to collapse and trap the pump.
 

Reach4

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Try turning off the water heater supply valve, and see if your hot water faucets still provide water. If so, that would indicate a crossover. If nowhere else, you have a hot water faucet at the washing machine.
 
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LLigetfa

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Look at the bright side... there should not be a problem with the cold lines and toilet tanks sweating. It should also reduce your water heating costs.

My water coming from the well is so cold I have to insulate the pipes, the pressure tank, and the iron filter and the water softener. I even have to blend some hot in with the cold to keep the toilet tanks from sweating.
 

JerryR

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To answer the questions

We’re on city water

Washer machine valves are always turned off when not in use

When testing, With water heater gate valve turned off and I ran hot water until expansion tank depleted pressure then no hot water runs.
 

Reach4

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When testing, With water heater gate valve turned off and I ran hot water until expansion tank depleted pressure then no hot water runs.
That suggests that you should increase the precharge of your expansion tank a couple PSI more than the normal water pressure. The expansion tank should normally be empty. That is unrelated to your warm cold, however.

I wonder if the de-powered recirculation system is recirculating by gravity.
When you experience the warm cold, you might try feeling pipes.

Another idea is to turn off one supply valve (hot or cold) under the sink where the recirculation gadget is. If the problem stops, you have identified the circulation. But why would this not have served as a crossover point? There may be a check valve in the under-sink gadget to keep cold from going to hot.
 

JerryR

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UPDATE: Stuff happens!

After turning off the 20 year old gate valve that shuts off water to the hot water heater that valve broke. It just spins and won’t turn water on to water heater. So no hot water in the house

And all my plumbing tools and supplies are at our cabin where I was working on issues. So I’ve got to go to Lowes and buy pipe cutter etc. I’ll probably just buy a Sharkbite ball valve for now since my torch and soldering supplies are also at the cabin.
 

JerryR

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Installed sharkbite integrated ball valve with corrugated SS line. Had to buy a pipe cutter and sharkbite kit from Lowes tonight since all my plumbing stuff is st our cabin. Now my wife and I can take showers tonight.
 

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