Watts/Grundfos recirculating system woes. Hot water from all faucets. I'm desperate

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DigitallyChallenged

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I had a Watts/Grundfos valve recirculating system installed in March. All was well until this week when all of our faucets had only cold water. Figuring that the valve went bad I ordered another from Amazon. This arrived yesterday, I installed it last night and all seemed well.

This morning I discover that I only have hot water coming out of my faucets! I have to struggle once again to remove the valve and reconnect my hoses.
I bought a backup valve from Home Depot and installed it this afternoon. Once again I have hot water only although the temperature is 124 at the hot tap and 104 at the cold tap.

The odds of both replacement valves being bad would be quite rare I would hope but I can't figure out what else it could be. I am desperate for advice. Is there a more reliable valve than the Grundfos? Any way for me to troubleshoot this?
 

John Gayewski

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Your system is full of hot water. Run the cold for a while and the cooler water should return.

If your truly getting only hot water and the cold doesn't just have a "precharge" of hot then there's a check valve open.
 

WorthFlorida

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This morning I discover that I only have hot water coming out of my faucets! ........
You mean hot or warm water on both sides of the faucets? Are you sure the circulator pump is off regardless of the switch position. If it is running while you draw cold water, the water will be warm. See page 7 of the installation manual. https://www.watts.com/dfsmedia/0533dbba17714b1ab581ab07a4cbb521/53316-source/2916008-iom-wq-500800

Switch off the timer/circulator. The sink with the check valve, close the stop valves for both hot and cold water so no water will circulate. All other faucets should have both hot and cold water flowing?
 

DigitallyChallenged

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Thank you for posting the link to the Watts manual. I checked the valve and it slows to a trickle with temp <100 degrees. We had the pump running 24/7 and I have now changed it to timer 6 a.m.-11 p.m. I tried running ing the cold water for 5 minutes before doing the valve check but it stayed hot.

Why after 6 months would I suddenly have this problem with the "recharge"? Before this week cold was cold instantly and the hot took less than 15 seconds to get hot.

Unrelated question. If the hot supply is turned off to the temp valve does this risk burning out the pump if it is left on?
 

WorthFlorida

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Why after 6 months would I suddenly have this problem with the "recharge"? Before this week cold was cold instantly and the hot took less than 15 seconds to get hot.
I know you replaced the valve twice, are you sure the valve is installed in the correct position? The manual has a caution statement and a picture. Picture #5 and #6. If you can post a picture of the valve setup.

I never worked on one of these but in the manual they call the check valve a sensor valve? From the manual it seems that the valve will close when the heated water at the valve reaches a preset temperature to stop heated water from flowing in the cold water line back to the water heater. See below that I copied from the manual.

Have you performed this test. It will prove that the problem is at the valve or at the water heater/pimp (doubtful). Without being there it hard to say but others and you believe it is the valve. Why suddenly this happened, ?.
Switch off the timer/circulator. The sink with the sensor valve, close the stop valves for both hot and cold water so no water will circulate. All other faucets should have both hot and cold water flowing?

Screen Shot 2022-10-07 at 2.19.52 PM.jpg
 

DigitallyChallenged

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With pump and supply lines off water is correct to other faucets. Doing test I get a steady trickle off water but it is less than 100 degrees. This is the photo of the setup
 

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John Gayewski

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The sensing valve and check valve are two different things. Without a working check valve your hot and cold are just one system and whichever has the easiest path will take over.
 

DigitallyChallenged

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Spent 1.5 hours on hold getting to Watts tech support. Turned out not to involve pump or valve. Pump increases hot side pressure 2 psi. If a faucet mixing valve is bad hot water forced into cold line. I discovered that a bar sink faucet was the problem. Now I just have to get a frozen Allen screw loose.
 

John Gayewski

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Spent 1.5 hours on hold getting to Watts tech support. Turned out not to involve pump or valve. Pump increases hot side pressure 2 psi. If a faucet mixing valve is bad hot water forced into cold line. I discovered that a bar sink faucet was the problem. Now I just have to get a frozen Allen screw loose.
Yet another reason these systems are not worth much and a recirc line is generally better.
 

DigitallyChallenged

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"Yet another reason these systems are not worth much and a recirc line is generally better."

Not easy to do as a retrofit...
 
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