Mixing valve: Tough problem

18 years ago

Situation: Well pump, expansion tank, electric hot water, 3 toilets with 3 mixing valves.

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Problem: Hot water at 2 bathroom sinks is not as hot as the 3rd bathroom sink at the far end of the house.

Found 3 toilets with mixing valves. Just 2 of the 3 toilet mixing valves seem to be a problem and allow too much cold water to back up into the hot water lines at the bathroom sinks. The sink in the bathroom at the far end of the house is fine as it is very hot so the mixing valve there is not causing a problem.

My solution, that I thought would work.

Installed 2 swing flap valves on the hot water side of each mixing valve with the flow arrow pointing towards each toilet. Both Check valves are installed right on the mixing valves of each toilet.

After each toilet is flushed I can feel each swing check valve get hot as hot water flows toward each toilet. This is expected. But, after each toilet stops running and the hot water at each bathroom sink is turned on I can feel cold pass on BOTH sides of the swing check valves in about five seconds. WHY???

It is like both swing checks are not even installed! This is driving me nuts! Would a spring check valve make a difference as opposed to a flap check valve?

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Comments (4)

radiantman08
18 years ago
why not just have one mixing valve for the whole house, and why do you have mixing valves on toilet's, are they sweating?

george
newjerseybt
Original Author
18 years ago
Sorry for the delayed response. GW Email did not advise me you replied.

This is a older 1972 house on a well water system. The water is very cold and yes the tanks sweat.

Not a bad idea running one mixing valve to all 3 toilets but it would be a pain to redo the pipes since they are installed under a 4 1/2 foot crawlspace.

I may have to try to create a plumbing schematic (using software)as many pipes are unused and capped from previous renovations which makes visualizing the routing confusing.
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radiantman08
18 years ago
i think that is the answer. is it going in so could that the tan sweats.......................... ?
is the hot water anywhere near your piping for the toilet, you can get mix valves with 1/2 npt.
newjerseybt
Original Author
18 years ago
OK...just finished other projects...

Back to plumbing...

I was thinking of blocking off the hot water, but after seeing puddles under the tank (after shutting off the hot water supply) I decided the mixing valves must remain.

There is also the possibility that a former owner of my house plumbed up something wrong when he put in his spa. The electrical work could have killed someone right in the tub. I tore out that spa nightmare and gutted the bathroom but maybe there is something I haven't seen yet hidden by crawl space floor insulation which is why I need to double check the pipe routing.

Your right though about using one mixing valve. The hot water tank is located in a perfect position. I'll think about major changes after I install a main line water filter as I am getting tired of cleaning the brown rust every week from the bowls.

It is that 4 1/2' crawl space which makes me procrastinate.