Posted: 2/15/2009 4:49:18 PM EDT
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Ok, I am trying to fix my bathtub, and have run into the most mysterious plumbing problem I have come across.
Here is how the bathtub lines connect to the hot water heater, there is only a few feet between the two. 
To start off, one day both hot and cold water stopped coming out of it. Hot and cold water were coming through the sink and other locations in the house, and she has only 1 water heater. I turned the outside water valve off, and disassembled the bathtub faucet valves. A small amount of dirt came out, but everything else looked clean. If I blew into the pipe air would come out of the faucet so it seemed clear. I put it back together thinking that was a complete waste of time. Turned the water back on so that we could go about our normal business. Amazing whatever I did fixed the problem, water starting following again. A few days went by and again it stopped running. I repeated the process and it fixed it. This has happened about 10 times now, having to turn the water off and remove the faucet valves just too find nothing wrong. The valves are in working order, and there is not any moving parts inside of the valves that could be changing over a course of time. I am completely lost as to why turning the water off and removing each of the valves could be fixing it. If it was a valve problem then either the hot water or the cold water should at least work. Could there be some type of hidden pressure valve or something inside of the faucet/valve housing or somewhere that is being triggered? The problem must be within one or two feet of pipe. Any help would be appreciated this is an extremely annoying problem, and its going to take the removal of the water heater just to replace the valve housing if that’s even the problem. |
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is the water not coming out of the tubspout, shower head or both It comes out of neither, so I think it has to be a problem at the center of the Brown Cross pipe. If the faucet were stopped up it would back up and the shower would always work, but when I remove the valves I can blow and feel the air coming out. You can hear a thumb type noise when it stops working, almost like something is turning off. Something must be wrong where the cold and the hot water meet. |
| Well water? Hard water? You get water from the other faucets but not the ones closest you have it isolated to that short run. Galvy pipe or plastic or copper? Sounds like you have an intermittent obstruction in the shout run. Something that moves up to a bend or valve. Years ago our little water system was replaced because dirt (sediment) would eventually fill your water tank. After a few years they wouldn't even flush out any more and you'd have a 400lb water tank with a 10 gal capacity . You ever drain the tank and see what comes out? |
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Sounds like your mixer valve is shot, could be a weak/broken spring, or just wear or corrosion/sediment buildup. Get new guts and try them. ETA- I am not a plumber, nor did I stay at a holiday inn last night. +1 Sounds like Mixet. He is showing 2 levers... the "mixing" is done manually in that system. the mixers are in the single lever system and there is not a "valve" to speak of. It is just openings that allow the hot and cold to mix before they come out the faucet. |
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Well water? Hard water? You get water from the other faucets but not the ones closest you have it isolated to that short run. Galvy pipe or plastic or copper? Sounds like you have an intermittent obstruction in the shout run. Something that moves up to a bend or valve. Years ago our little water system was replaced because dirt (sediment) would eventually fill your water tank. After a few years they wouldn't even flush out any more and you'd have a 400lb water tank with a 10 gal capacity . You ever drain the tank and see what comes out? The pipes are Plastic up until the Brown Cross pipe those are metal. This bathtub was only installed 1 or 2 years ago. I hooked a hose to the water heater and drained it and didn't see anything suspicious. We are on city water but live the in the country, and good 15 minutes from the nearest town. I thought sediment buildup at first, but with it being such a new bathtub and plumbing work It’s going to suck if I have to do this every 2 years. The thump I hear when it cuts off jars the wall a bit, and it stops working fast. If it was sediment I would think it would gradually stop it up, not shut if off so quickly. |
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Ummm.. you are disassembling the cold water valve with the water on to the house? Is there a supply valve to the tub? Who invited your ass in here?.. 
Tiny, from the Piston ring installers Guild. Fuck... thats it... dude has oversized O rings... must have broken one with that "hard" water. |
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That "thump" you hear is nothing more than water hammer... the pipes being slammed from the water stopping. post a damn pic of the back already so I can get a fuckin gander at what you are dealing with. Ok, ill try to squeeze behind the water heater to get a picture. Be back in a few. |
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Sounds like your mixer valve is shot, could be a weak/broken spring, or just wear or corrosion/sediment buildup. Get new guts and try them. ETA- I am not a plumber, nor did I stay at a holiday inn last night. +1 Sounds like Mixet. He is showing 2 levers... the "mixing" is done manually in that system. the mixers are in the single lever system and there is not a "valve" to speak of. It is just openings that allow the hot and cold to mix before they come out the faucet. 
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one.
Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. 
I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. 
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Ok start with the simplest thing... those handles sticking out, take them off. Disassemble the valves themselves (with the water turned off outside)
once you can see inside them to the seat, it will be a brass piece with an octogon shaped hole in it. then get two buckets. Have the wife hold one over each disassembled valve and then go back out and turn the water on. The thing is that water will shoot straight out of the valves so it needs to be contained, let it flow for about 15 seconds and then shut off the water outside and reassemble them. |
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem4.jpg Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem3.jpg I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem2.jpg and this kids, is why they license plumbers |
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I have this problem sometimes. I take those valves off and then turn the water back on. Let it run just a little before you put the valves back on. Sometimes the crap does not come out just by taking the valves off and letting the water drain. You need the pressure to blow it all out.
Might make a little mess but it should keep it clean for a while. |
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem4.jpg Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem3.jpg I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem2.jpg and this kids, is why they license plumbers FUCK UNIONS and FUCK CODE Did the water work? A LICENSED FUCKING PLUMBER cant stop sediment from collecting in the system either. |
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem4.jpg Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem3.jpg I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem2.jpg and this kids, is why they license plumbers FUCK UNIONS and FUCK CODE Did the water work? A LICENSED FUCKING PLUMBER cant stop sediment from collecting in the system either. HA!.. he holds that lic. out and sediment runs the other direction... what do you mean?.. 
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem4.jpg Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem3.jpg I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem2.jpg and this kids, is why they license plumbers FUCK UNIONS and FUCK CODE Did the water work? A LICENSED FUCKING PLUMBER cant stop sediment from collecting in the system either. HA!.. he holds that lic. out and sediment runs the other direction... what do you mean?..
I agree on the union part, the codes however are there for a reason. concerning the last part.....and to win this pissing match....ever heard of a whole house filter & water conditioner? |
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Fuck you Bill.
I have been the evening's entertainment here. After laughing at me, then attempting to tear the lock up on my door... they decided to shove the rookie up into the ceiling to see If the wall went to the roof. I went and woke uip the chief to get the master key. Guess which key I will have a copy of next shift? ETA: I bet he has cartrige packs... but it seems odd that they both would quit working at the same time. |
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Fuck you Bill. I have been the evening's entertainment here. After laughing at me, then attempting to tear the lock up on my door... they decided to shove the rookie up into the ceiling to see If the wall went to the roof. I went and woke uip the chief to get the master key. Guess which key I will have a copy of next shift? ETA: I bet he has cartrige packs... but it seems odd that they both would quit working at the same time. 
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Here are the pipes looking down. the metal one in the middle goes to shower head. The cold water is the left plastic pipe and the hot is the right one. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem4.jpg Here are the pipes looking up from the ground. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem3.jpg I turn the main water valve off and disassemble these valves and it seems to start working for a few days. http://www.skyunlimited.net/ar15/plumbing_problem2.jpg and this kids, is why they license plumbers FUCK UNIONS and FUCK CODE Did the water work? A LICENSED FUCKING PLUMBER cant stop sediment from collecting in the system either. HA!.. he holds that lic. out and sediment runs the other direction... what do you mean?..
I agree on the union part, the codes however are there for a reason. concerning the last part.....and to win this pissing match....ever heard of a whole house filter & water conditioner? The code would not be there if the unions werent lobbying the states to require only lic holders do any work. Most of code is common sense anyways. I agree it is good to have a "safe standard" that everyone uses, I mainly have a problem with the inspectors who have authority to stop a project if they dont get to snoop, and the requirement that I cant work on my own stuff because I dont have a lic. Whole house filter and conditioner in this case FTW, but it is not needed everywhere. Although it probably wouldnt stop his problems here because I would bet the sediment is in the Hot water heater. Edit for tequila typos |