What to do if there is no hot water. Why does hot water flow from a cold faucet?

Anatoly. St. Petersburg

My bathroom often leaks from both faucets. hot water. I know that the most popular joke of my friends is now suggesting that I was lucky, but believe me, there is no happiness in this. Explain why hot water flows from a cold faucet?

Sometimes it happens that there is a violation of the water supply and you need to quickly find out the reason why hot water flows from a cold tap.

It is difficult to independently understand the causes of such an unhealthy phenomenon, but the master puts on the root cause as soon as possible.

But, if there is no desire or opportunity to turn to professionals for help, determining the source and solving the reasons that caused it can be caused by a number of certain difficulties and take a significant amount of time.

Causes of water supply disruption

When hot water flows from a cold tap, instead of ice water, this is extremely unpleasant and such a phenomenon should alert any tenant. It is impossible to ignore the fact that the tap water has changed temperature, as the reasons can be varied.

The most easily solved is the confused marks when installing the mixer, it is easy to determine this - cold water flows from the hot tap, and hot from the blue one.

This situation is resolved as soon as possible. But if this is not the case, then such connivance does not lead to anything good, especially when hot water is supplied centrally.

In the event that city services are involved in the supply of hot water, you should immediately contact the housing office, or another relevant institution that provides the house with a resource.

Solving the problem when heated liquid flows from both taps is their direct responsibility, since a leak, especially when a home is equipped with a hot water meter, can cause significant damage to the tenant's personal finances.

The cost of hot water supply is 5-8 times higher than the cost of cold water supply. Thus, it is not only pointless for tenants to hide the violation, but it is also extremely profitable to correct it.

Nevertheless, according to many statements of ordinary citizens, such a water supply issue can be resolved by the public utilities for a fairly significant period of time and, as a result, not be resolved.

So, if the services are in no hurry to resolve the troubles that have arisen, but the tap, which is responsible for the cold water supply of the dwelling, continues to pour warm water, you need to look for methods and ways yourself.

The main causes of violations of hot and cold water supply

Even a weak level of water heating from a cold tap should make residents think that there is some kind of malfunction in the city water supply system, which concerns the communications of a particular house, riser, or a single dwelling.

There are three reasons for such problems:

There are some pressure disturbances in the water supply system - in the hot water supply system, the pressure indicators significantly exceed the pressure indicators in cold system. It is also possible that there is no pressure at all in the SSH.
On taps of hot and cold water for apartments check valves dismantled.
Plumbing fixtures in the dwelling are faulty, or their outlets are incorrectly connected (when instead of hot from the red tap it is cold and vice versa).

Each of the problems requires a separate and more extended description.

Pressure drops

Because of some design features, the pressure in the hot water system is slightly higher than in the SHV.

When during operation the cold pipeline becomes clogged faster than the hot one, disturbances can occur and a huge difference in the pressure levels of adjacent systems is manifested.

Also, it is likely that repair or preventive work is being carried out on one of the sections of the cold pipeline.

As a result, there is no pressure at all, and hot water penetrates cold pipes and pours out of cold taps.

Also, the reason for the pressure difference may lie in the not entirely correct location of the pipelines - during the installation of communications, the dependence of height and pressure was neglected.

The pressure difference is the main condition for the mixing of hot liquid into a cold riser and faucet.

No check valves

The absence of check valves is a common phenomenon, since they began to be mounted relatively recently.

AT apartment buildings they were not provided for by the Soviet construction - valves of this kind are installed in conjunction with meters to account for water consumption. The device of the valve is such that nullifies all possible ways winding counters.

The absence of such a device on a hot riser does not fundamentally solve anything.

Problems begin when the valve is not installed on the cold riser, which means that the liquid can flow in any direction, without obstacles in its own way.

Also, it should be noted that there is a dependence on the level above the ground - the higher the floor, the stronger the effect of the absence of a check valve will be and the more noticeable will be the admixture of hot water in the cold riser.

The dependence on the floor can be explained by the fact that it is easier for cold water to go down than to go up.

But, separately, the valves cannot influence the mixing of water of different temperatures in the risers - somewhere there must be one, or else - several, places in the dwelling in which the risers are in contact more than is necessary.

Incorrect plumbing connection

At a particular point in time, there are practically no separate taps for hot and cold water in the apartments. Residents prefer combined options - mixers. Faucets are not always installed with two handles.

Often, rotary single-handle variations of mixers are purchased and mounted, otherwise - cartridge ones.

Direct malfunctions of cartridge mixers can lead to the addition of cold water hot.

The problem of hot impurities in cold water may also be due to the connection of a mixer with a violation of technology.

This happens due to the inexperience of the person who performs the repair event. To prevent this from happening, you need to use installation services from knowledgeable people.

There is a possibility that something in the faucet is out of order.
The main causes of hot admixture can be:

worn seal;
wear of the entire mixer;
cranebox defect;
factory defect of the crane;
pad wear.

Each of these reasons can be a source of problems. But there are some parts that fail earlier and more often than others.

For the most part, it is the damaged gasket that is responsible for the fact that hot liquid enters the cold liquid.

Since the gasket is made of rubber, under the influence of high temperatures it can deteriorate very quickly.

Then, when parsing, a piece of rubber stuck to the metal of the internal parts of the mixer is found. When the gasket is stuck, it should be immediately replaced with a whole one.

Moreover, such a structural part of the mixer is a consumable that needs to be replaced with enviable regularity.

Only exceptional gasket models can last more than 5 years of active use of the crane.

The second frequent, according to statistics, the reason is the wear of the mixer. There is no way to eliminate such a nuisance as simply as the last one.

It cannot be fixed, the only option is to purchase a new serviceable crane and install it in place of the failed one. Ideally, if a professional is involved in replacing the mixer.

Oil seal wear is rare, but it also happens. In order to check its condition, you should disassemble the mixer - unscrew the stuffing box nut and inspect the part.
If necessary, replace it with the performance of each necessary action:

gland nut unwinds;
special tow, lubricated with a certain agent, is wound thin layer on the valve stem;
nut is tightened.

Rarely, but it also happens that a factory defect in the mixer is to blame. It can be expressed in the fact that the axle box crane is initially faulty, or there is some other violation.
Quite often, factory defects can be expressed by such problems with the mixer:

the sealant dries up with enviable regularity;
the size of the seal does not match the product;
there are cracks and other initial damage on the inside of the mixer.

As in the case of a worn mixer, it is required complete replacement plumbing device. If the marriage was detected in a timely manner, then you need to contact the store where the product was purchased and demand that it be replaced with a serviceable one.

It is extremely rare that the axle box crane fails - in this case it is necessary to replace it.

When choosing a new component for the mixer, it should be remembered that axle boxes on domestic models and axle boxes on imported ones cannot act as a substitute for each other.

Regardless of what specifically caused the replacement of cold water with hot liquid, you should begin to deal with the misunderstanding that has arisen as soon as possible - in any case, the first adequate step would be to call the housing office and find out if they know what the reason is. And then you should act according to the situation.

Ask an expert in the comments

Using ordinary tap water, the consumer may be in for a surprise: instead of cold water, he gets hot. Whether this is a reason for joy or not, it is up to each tenant to decide.

If hot water flows from a cold faucet, then this indicates a malfunction of the water supply system. For some consumers, this situation can be very upsetting, as boiling water flows from a cold tap, which will need to be cooled for further use.

In any case, even if it does not cause inconvenience, it is desirable to know why this is happening?

Hot water can flow from a cold faucet:

with water pressure drops in the system;
in case of improper installation of the pipeline within the apartment - without installing check valves;
in case of defects or wear of mixer elements;
improper connection or use of water heating equipment, water meters and other plumbing or household equipment.

The most common cause of hot water instead of cold water is the squeezing effect. hot water cold due to the fact that the pressure of hot water (6 atm.) In the water supply system of the house is greater than the pressure of cold water (4 atm.), And there is no check valve. AT high-rise buildings cold water and hot water supply systems supply water to apartments in different ways. Cold water is coming from bottom to top, and hot vice versa from top to bottom. For pumping hot water into the sunbed above the last upper floor, from where it is distributed to the apartments, it has more than high pressure compared to cold.

Fundamental Solution

In order to prevent this phenomenon from happening, in each apartment in the house at the inlet from the cold water riser, a check valve must be installed, preferably at the hot outlet. A non-return valve is a device that prevents the flow of water into reverse side by pipeline. That is, water cannot, on its own or under pressure, go into the pipeline from which it came.

Instead of installing 2 valves, you can install new types of water meters on hot and cold water pipes that are equipped with these devices.

What devices are to blame for squeezing

Any plumbing fixture can cause squeezing if a non-return valve is not used, because almost every home uses Dishwasher, boiler, washing machine.

Most often used by consumers single lever mixer. Refers to the cartridge type. The main working part has 3 holes for supplying cold, hot water and drain mixed water. Mixing of water is carried out by overlapping the holes for cold and hot water by the required amount with the mutual movement of two ceramic plates, adjustable by a handle. The tightness of the system is ensured by careful fitting and tight connection of these plates. As the mixer wears, the plates can lift up against each other, creating a gap, in which case a squeezing effect can occur.

The same situation is also possible when using a standard mixer, which has 2 taps and a shower, if the tap-shower switch is set to an intermediate neutral position when the taps are open. In this case, if a non-return valve is not used, then water will circulate in the system due to the pressure difference in the hot and cold water supply pipes leading to the mixer. Hot water will mix with cold water. This phenomenon is accompanied by the noise of flowing water, which is an additional overflow diagnostic.

Another device that can cause the phenomenon of squeezing is a bidet (hygienic shower) with a mixer and additional button on the shower head that closes the water, without shutting off both taps. If after hygiene procedures do not close the mixer valves, but only release the button, then the water in the bidet will not be supplied, but there will be a mixture of hot water in the cold water system, which can flow out when the cold water valve is open, including in the neighbor's apartment. By constantly closing the bidet faucet valve, you can avoid the situation when the cold water faucet is either cold or hot water.

The boiler may be the source of the problem. In the absence of a check valve, hot water from the boiler will flow into the cold water riser, due to a decrease in pressure when one of the neighbors uses cold water, or if they forget to close the taps at the inlet or outlet of the boiler when the tap on the hot water riser is open. If the boiler is constantly connected to the network, then in the event of an overflow, there will be hot water from the boiler in the cold water supply pipes, and, as a result, electricity costs may increase significantly.

Where is the source of the problem

If installation water pipes in your apartment is done correctly with the installation of check valves, then the appearance of hot water from a hungry tap is unlikely, and if this is observed, then one of the neighbors in the porch has a problem.

It is imperative for the apartment owner to determine in which apartment the problem is located, since it is the owner of the property who is responsible for squeezing in the absence of a non-return valve.

What needs to be done

Check the cold water meter. It must not rotate in the opposite direction. If, nevertheless, it is spinning, then it is necessary to close the tap on the riser, if the movement has stopped, then you definitely have a problem and you need to find a mixer or device that squeezes hot water.

If there are no water meters, turn off the tap on the hot water riser, open cold water in the mixer and wait until the hot water stops flowing. Then close the mixer, open the hot water tap on the riser and determine by hand whether the cold water outlet is heating up. If the problem is in your apartment, then the outlet will heat up, and if the neighbors have it, then it will remain cold.
To determine in which neighboring apartments the cause of the leak, turn off the hot water on the riser. Then, on the mixer, open the cold water tap, when hot water stops flowing, go to the riser and determine with your hand whether the riser is heated in the upper or lower part of the tap, which will show you the source of the malfunction on the upper or lower floors.

If the problem is in your apartment, and you do not leave the faucet valves in the intermediate position for a long time and constantly close the bidet valves, and hot water continues to flow from the cold tap, then the faucet malfunction is the cause. Most often this is an old, corroded gasket whose service life (7 years) has expired or a bad faucet gland. The mixer itself may be faulty. Replacing faulty parts yourself or with the help of a plumber will fix the problem.

Video why hot water flows from a cold tap

Possible consequences

The appearance of a cold water tap at a different temperature can cause such troubles:

destruction of flexible hoses for supplying cold water;
the mixer is defective;
clogging of the pipeline;
due to the lack of a check valve on the boiler, there is an increased consumption of electricity.

In conclusion, it should be noted that an emergency situation with water supply due to the overflow of hot water into the cold water supply system is mainly negative consequences for the apartment owner. cardinal decision This is the installation of check valves or water meters of a new generation.

Plumbing often fails. One of the most annoying problems with her is hot water from a cold tap. This is not only extremely inconvenient, but also fraught with burns. It is impossible to ignore the breakdown, otherwise the situation will only worsen in the future. Why does hot water flow from a cold faucet? What troubles can lead to malfunctions in the water supply system? How to find and fix a breakdown? Consider the most common and available ways independent solution Problems.

In some cases, apartment owners are even happy that they get warm water for the price of cold water. This is a big mistake. You should immediately find the reason why hot water flows from a cold tap. Plumbing equipment for cold water supply is not able to withstand high temperatures for a long time. It breaks down, and repairs are many times more expensive.

Standard two valve mixer

The consequences may be:

Breakage of flexible pipes. Faucet connections may fail. As a result, leaks will appear, it will be necessary to change the tubes.

Mixer problems. It will completely or partially cease to perform its functions. The only way to repair a broken faucet is to replace it. This is an extra expense, because malfunctions can be prevented.

Violation of the plumbing. Often, water meters, filters, drain cisterns toilets.

Clogged pipes. Prolonged bursting of hot water can lead to breakage of the pipeline. In this case, it is very difficult to find out exactly where the plug has formed, and then the pipes are cut into pieces to replace the desired section.

Large consumption of electricity. One of the reasons for the breakdown is the lack of a check valve on the water heater in front of the meter. Hot water from the device is supplied to the mixers not only in the apartment where it is located, but also to the neighbors. The heater is constantly turned on, which leads to increased power consumption.

Where does the hot water mix - find out

Water supply system apartment building equipped in such a way that it is not always possible to clearly determine where hot water is mixed. Often the "heroes of the occasion" themselves do not know that it is their plumbing that is faulty, and the entire entrance is suffering.

Define desired apartment quite simple: you should close one of the cold water shut-off valves in the entrance, and open the taps in this apartment to supply cold water. If water flows from a faucet, then it is broken. So you can check the plumbing fixtures in all apartments.

If shutting off the taps does not work, then the cause of the problem may be in the pipeline. In this case, residents will have to turn to the utilities or management company.

Causes of hot water in a cold faucet

There are several reasons why hot water flows from a cold faucet:

Pressure difference in pipelines of hot and cold water supply (DHW and cold water). If the plumbing is not connected correctly or is faulty, hot water “presses through” cold water.

Malfunctions in the mixer. All appliances wear out, and faucets are no exception. Over time, they break down, which can lead to hot water mixing with cold water.

Problems with hygienic shower. If it is defective, incorrectly connected, or if the owners make mistakes in operation, this may lead to a malfunction of the system.

Errors in connecting the shower. Often, owners save on the services of professional craftsmen and connect plumbing on their own. This is fraught with trouble.

Incorrect connection or operation of the water heater. Hot water from the boiler can be mixed with cold water if the non-return valve is not installed or is faulty.

We fix problems with our own hands

Not in all cases it is possible to fix the breakdowns on their own. However, this is quite possible if the malfunctions are insignificant. Below we consider the most simple ways do-it-yourself plumbing repairs

Advice. If there is no confidence in own forces, it is better to contact professional craftsmen. Paying for their services will cost less than re-repair.

Option 1: fixing a broken faucet

Gasket wear. This is the easiest repair. The gaskets most commonly worn are on semi-turn faucets and faucets that have shower diverters. You need to replace the seal, and the problem will be solved. You can buy a new gasket at any hardware store. Before replacing, turn off the water supply to the apartment, then remove the old gasket, install a new one and assemble the structure again.

Seal wear. To access it, remove the tap knob, then the decorative cap. The crane box will open, and above it is a hexagon, with which you can unscrew the nut and get to the stuffing box. By the way, often it does not even have to be removed, it is enough to tighten the nut more tightly. If this does not help, you need to replace the gland packing and reassemble the valve.

Note! A damaged gland will very rarely cause hot water to flow from a cold faucet, but it's worth checking.

Step-by-step instruction for seal replacement

Removal of the mixer itself. Devices don't last forever. If the mixer is old, then it is better not to repair it, but to replace it immediately. Repairing worn metal is pointless.

Faucet mixer. Sometimes the mixer is simply defective, and the problem arises due to the poor quality of the casting. Such a plumbing fixture should be changed in the store, and if the gasket is dry, you can buy a new one.

Advice. If the mixer is single-lever, you will have to replace the cartridge. The old one is unscrewed and thrown away, and a new one is installed in its place.

Option 2: if the problem is in the hygienic shower

AT last years apartment owners are increasingly installing a hygienic shower. This is a simplified version of a bidet for bathrooms where a full-fledged plumbing fixture does not fit. Such an “upgrade” of the toilet bowl is very functional, but not everyone uses it correctly. This may be one of the reasons why hot water flows from a cold faucet.

In order for water to start flowing from the shower, press the start button on the mixer. When the procedure is completed, you need to release the button, close the valve. Many people forget to perform the last step, because the water stops flowing after pressing the button.

If the mixer is not closed, hot and cold liquids are still mixed in it. However, it does not follow from hygienic shower, but enters the system. At the moment when a cold water tap is opened in a neighboring apartment, the pressure drops, and hot water flows through a pipe designed for cold water.

Advice. When buying any plumbing fixture, carefully read the instruction manual, even if you are sure that you know exactly how to use it.

Option 3: when the water heater fails

Why does hot water flow from a cold faucet? If a non-return valve is not installed on the boiler, it will still have to be installed after the shut-off valves so that there is no mixing of hot water with cold water. But sometimes warm water enters the cold water system when the valve is installed and working. The reason is the incorrect operation of the water heater.

To use the water heater, close the hot water shut-off valve. Otherwise, the water will go into the cold water system. When turning off the water heater, close all valves and taps so that they do not affect the pressure in the system.

It happens that the reason why hot water flows from a cold tap is utility services. In this case, it makes sense to contact them for help. This does not always give the expected effect, so you should be prepared for drastic measures - the rejection of centralized hot water supply. Can install electric heater, counters and no longer depend on service providers. These are considerable expenses, but they always pay off, because your own nerves are more expensive.

Read this post:

As practice shows, not only a person can go to extremes, but also equipment created by his hands - for example, plumbing in an apartment. Either you don’t get hot water from him at all, or it runs from two taps at once. Yes, yes, and this happens in life - it should be noted that such incorrect operation of the water supply system is not a rare occurrence. Yes, what can you say about this, since you have landed on this page of our website, you have probably already encountered this problem yourself. This is what we will try to solve in this article, in which we will deal in detail with the question of why hot water flows from a cold tap - we will talk about the most common reasons for this behavior of the tap, the consequences that such behavior may be fraught with and how to fix this problem.

Hot water flowing from a cold water faucet

Why hot water flows from a cold tap: reasons

Oddly enough, there are a lot of reasons why hot water can run from a cold tap in a mixer. The culprit of such a celebration may be not only the mixer itself, but also other equipment installed in the apartment. Moreover, it may not even be you or your plumbing that is to blame - this is a disease apartment buildings, and any of your riser neighbors can be the instigator of such a nuisance, without even knowing it. Among the most common reasons why hot water flows from a cold water faucet, the following points can be noted.

Failed mixer. They can be both from the old age of this plumbing fixture, and due to factory defects. At least four common problems with a faucet can be counted - gasket wear, gland wear, mixer body wear and factory defects, and in most cases it consists in poor-quality gaskets that can be dried out from time to time or simply do not fit the desired size.
Improper plumbing. The simplest and most common example is . People try to simplify everything and instead of completely closing the mixer, they simply turn off the tap on the shower - as a result, due to the pressure difference in the pipes of cold and hot water, a banal squeezing occurs. The same thing can happen with a conventional bath faucet, when a person turns off the water not with a tap, but with a switch on, setting it to an intermediate position.
Incorrect plumbing connection. As a rule, it is either , or . In the case of the first plumbing fixture everything rests on improper assembly by amateur craftsmen - when the booth and all its hoses are connected not at the factory, but manually at the place where the booth is installed. In case of electric water heater it is the absence of a check valve - when your neighbor turns on the cold water, the pressure drops in the riser, and hot water from your boiler rushes to make up the pressure difference.

For more information about the situation with hot water in a cold faucet, see this video.

Some may find this behavior home plumbing not critical - on the contrary, some people may see certain advantages in this. I hasten to slow you down a little - the consequences can be very sad. We will talk further about what can happen if the causes of squeezing cold and hot water are not eliminated.

What water flows from the tap: cause - effect

As mentioned above, ignoring such a breakdown as hot water in a cold tap does not bode well - moreover, the consequences of such an ignorance can be very unpleasant. The thing is that in most cases, equipment designed for cold water does not withstand prolonged exposure. high temperature. As a result, you may get the following troubles.

In addition, if the presence of hot water in a cold tap is due to the absence of a check valve on the water tank in your apartment, this is fraught with huge energy consumption. Judge for yourself - instead of providing hot water only to your apartment, you will supply it and all your neighbors in the riser. In general, the consequences are by no means rosy - as you understand, it is better to deal with such a problem right away. Great solution in such a situation, check valves will be installed directly in front of the meter, at the inlet of the water supply to your apartment.

How to fix a breakdown: we analyze common options

It is not surprising to guess on your own that each type of breakdown has its own characteristics in the elimination. The easiest way is to eliminate imperfections - for example, if yours is not equipped with a check valve, then you just need to install it, while observing the direction of installation. Another thing is if we are talking about a full-fledged one. Take the same mixer. Not every person will be able to immediately figure out what and where to unscrew, change and then spin again. Here we need help, which we offer to your attention.

So, the main breakdowns of the mixer, associated with the solution of the question of why boiling water is pouring from a cold tap, are eliminated as follows.

Things are somewhat different with single-lever ones. Here the medicine is only the bottom - replacing the cartridge. It is performed very simply. First, we turn off the water, then remove the lever by unscrewing the screw hidden under the cap with a blue and red dot. Then we unscrew the decorative cap, under which the nut is hidden big size. We unscrew it and take out the cartridge - accordingly, we go to the store and buy a similar one, which we install instead of the old one, after which we assemble the mixer in the reverse order.

And in conclusion, the topic of why hot water flows from a cold tap, I will say a few words about troubleshooting. It has already been said above that such a problem usually concerns the entire riser, and not a single apartment - at least in standard situations when check valves are not installed in any of the apartments. So, if you don’t want to mess with neighbors, who, as a rule, are not distinguished by loyalty, you just need to install check valves at the water inlet to the apartment - if it’s in your apartment, then, accordingly, the hot water in the neighboring taps will turn into cold. In a good way, check valves should be mounted together with meters in each apartment - their presence guarantees that a question like the one discussed above will not arise.

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