Why is tap water warm when washer is on...
June 18, 2010 9:05 AM Subscribe
When we ran the washing machine yesterday, warm water came out of the cold faucet in the sinks.
We never noticed this issue before and I wonder if something changed.
Googling has not helped (there is lots of speculation but cannot tell what's good info), though the term "broken mix valve" keeps coming up. What does this mean? If a mix valve has broken, is the drinking water from our sinks filled with diluted detergent from the washing machine?
Running the faucet did not get the water cold, but it returned to cold after the washing machine had finished its cycle.
*on the other side of a valve controlled by a solenoid.
posted by TomMelee at 9:28 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by TomMelee at 9:28 AM on June 18, 2010
I've had hot water out of cold water taps since my house got re-plumbed through the attic and the weather turned hot (90s). After running for a while, it did get colder. Could your pipes be somewhere they are susceptible to getting hot like that? If so, that would be the case from all the taps, not just the washer.
posted by lazydog at 11:25 AM on June 18, 2010
posted by lazydog at 11:25 AM on June 18, 2010
Best answer: Washing machines (and dishwashers and refrigerators with water/ice) are actually designed with a siphon break that prevents any kind of non potable contamination. It's not very difficult; one just needs to arrange the exit of the water control system to be an inch or so (the minimum separation is 2.5X the outlet size) above the filled container.
In a clothes washer the mixing valve has check valves that are supposed to prevent the cold water supply from flowing into the hot water side and vice versa. Failure of this system coupled with a pressure differential (say the washer is filling with hot water when someone opens a cold water tap in the bathroom) can cause the symptom you described but it isn't dangerous because the water is still potable until it exits the valve.
It would be a good idea to get it fixed though because this condition may be an early warning of the valve completely failing which could result in water flooding your laundry room.
There are problems in plumbing that can cause this too so it might not be the washer's fault.
posted by Mitheral at 11:44 AM on June 18, 2010
In a clothes washer the mixing valve has check valves that are supposed to prevent the cold water supply from flowing into the hot water side and vice versa. Failure of this system coupled with a pressure differential (say the washer is filling with hot water when someone opens a cold water tap in the bathroom) can cause the symptom you described but it isn't dangerous because the water is still potable until it exits the valve.
It would be a good idea to get it fixed though because this condition may be an early warning of the valve completely failing which could result in water flooding your laundry room.
There are problems in plumbing that can cause this too so it might not be the washer's fault.
posted by Mitheral at 11:44 AM on June 18, 2010
We get warm water out of our cold taps throughout the house because the unqualified plumber let the hot and cold water supply lines touch at several places. If we run the cold water long enough, it does get cold.
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:13 PM on June 18, 2010
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:13 PM on June 18, 2010
Where do you live? I live in SW GA and warm water always comes out of the cold tap for a time before turning cooler during the summer months. Just a thought.
posted by wv kay in ga at 6:44 PM on June 18, 2010
posted by wv kay in ga at 6:44 PM on June 18, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you all for these answers and perspectives.
posted by keener_sounds at 5:06 AM on June 19, 2010
posted by keener_sounds at 5:06 AM on June 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Upstream and on the other side of a solenoid.
posted by TomMelee at 9:28 AM on June 18, 2010