# Hot water from cold pipes, 4 out of 6 floors



## doms (Jan 1, 2009)

Ok, I have a six story building we service that has hot water coming from the cold side of faucets and urinals on 4 out of six floors. 5-6th floors are fine. Toilets somehow are not affected. This is from what i can see through access hatches, a standard plumbing layout. Water heater is 100 gallon on roof with resurc. Found one faucet with a bad cartridge which I replaced with no change to problem. Unable to locate any thermostatic mixing valves. The building has a pump station in the basement for pressure to all the floors, there pump guy had come out and fixed a cooling valve that feeds cool water to the pumps that prevents overheating? This thing has me stumped, without finding a bad mixing valve or mop sink left on what's left?


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

doms said:


> Ok, I have a six story building we service that has hot water coming from the cold side of faucets and urinals on 4 out of six floors. 5-6th floors are fine. Toilets somehow are not affected. This is from what i can see through access hatches, a standard plumbing layout. Water heater is 100 gallon on roof with resurc. Found one faucet with a bad cartridge which I replaced with no change to problem. Unable to locate any thermostatic mixing valves. The building has a pump station in the basement for pressure to all the floors, there pump guy had come out and fixed a cooling valve that feeds cool water to the pumps that prevents overheating? This thing has me stumped, without finding a bad mixing valve or mop sink left on what's left?


Lets think ouside the box ... You said in your post that "their pump guy had come out and fixed a cooling valve that feeds cool water to the pumps that prevents overheating?" Did this problem exsist before he came out? (Y/N) If the answer was N then 
I just wonder what valves he shut or what be opened?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I would say to call a local plumber


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Doms- a licensed plumbing contractor is what you listed in your bio. I would think your expertise as a plumber would include basic troubleshooting skills. It's obvious there's a cross-connection....you'll need to find it. I have a hunch that you aren't who you say you are...you write about a "standard plumbing layout." That phrase tells me something's not quite right. That's a layman's term.


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## CSINEV (Aug 6, 2010)

OK so your a plumber or maybe your not. I dunno:whistling2:

But most times there is a service sink on each floor and the cleaning people hook-up a soap dispensing system to it and they leave the hot and cold levers on the faucet turned on because the soap dispensing unit has its own valve. This is your cross connection for each floor and why it's not on every floor.:thumbsup:

If your a real plumber, I hope this helps. If your not, that will be $100.00 please.:yes::laughing:


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I did a job like this once and fixed it.


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

CSINEV said:


> OK so your a plumber or maybe your not. I dunno:whistling2:
> 
> But most times there is a service sink on each floor and the cleaning people hook-up a soap dispensing system to it and they leave the hot and cold levers on the faucet turned on because the soap dispensing unit has its own valve. This is your cross connection for each floor and why it's not on every floor.:thumbsup:
> 
> If your a real plumber, I hope this helps. If your not, that will be $100.00 please.:yes::laughing:


^ This ^

I would also look for a mop sink that has one of those cute shut offs on the hose bib. Most of the time the faucet is left on and the diverter is off and it allows the water to mix.


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## Plumberologist (Aug 21, 2010)

Ron said:


> I did a job like this once and fixed it.


me too me too


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

4 out of 6 floors? I had this problem on 6 out of 8 floors, but never 4 out of 6. You sure the building is only 6 floors. I am so confused.:blink:


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

CSINEV said:


> OK so your a plumber or maybe your not. I dunno:whistling2:
> 
> But most times there is a service sink on each floor and the cleaning people hook-up a soap dispensing system to it and they leave the hot and cold levers on the faucet turned on because the soap dispensing unit has its own valve. This is your cross connection for each floor and why it's not on every floor.:thumbsup:
> 
> If your a real plumber, I hope this helps. If your not, that will be $100.00 please.:yes::laughing:


Seen this oodles of times. Threads been around a while, get 'er fixed?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I would hope by now someone figured it out...:laughing:


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## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

It is a cross connection, it's just a matter of finding it. If it were me I'd look at the pump in the basement first, then work my way up looking at the most likely first and doing a process of elimination. Of course if you can't find it, just tear it all out and start over:laughing:


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