"Don Young" wrote in message
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"phaeton" wrote in message
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In my apartment's bathroom, there is a standard sink with a standard-
type Moen faucet. You lift up this oblong handle to open the water
valve(s), and you regulate temperature by turning it counterclockwise
(hot) or clockwise (cold). Pretty standard. Under the sink, I see
the two expected water lines that go to little shutoff valves which
lead into the wall. I can't see into the walls, of course, but I
would assume that this faucet would be plumbed like anyone would
expect.

So there's some bizarre things that will happen.

Scenario 1:
I turn on the water, and what should be hot water (all the way
counterclockwise) is ice cold. In fact, it is colder than the 'cold'
water by about 20 degrees. Sometimes, if you reach over and flush the
toilet, it becomes scalding hot until the toilet stops running, then
resumes its ice coldness. Sometimes flushing the toilet has no
effect. Eventually the hot water heats up, and usually the faucet
acts like normal after that.

Scenario 2:
I turn on the water, and it is scalding hot, even if I turn the dial
all the way clockwise to make it cold. However, it remains scalding
hot for about two minutes of constant running. Usually it will return
to normal, but sometimes it will act as though the temps are
reversed- hot becomes cold and cold becomes hot. After several
minutes of running (and not touching the dial) the water becomes
lukewarm and then returns to its previous temp. The faucet acts like
normal after that, with the hot and cold on the correct sides and with
proper control of the water.

Scenario 3:
The faucet will periodically 'just work' like any other straight
away. Hot is hot, cold is cold, and there is no temperature shifting.


I know that apartments are known for water temp/pressure issues due to
many people using it at once. However, this particular building I'm
in has only 8 units, and I can pretty much hear when anyone is using
water. All three above scenarios happen at any given time of the day
between 6am and 3am. There's no rhyme or reason other than one of the
three scenarios *always* happen.

Since it is an apartment, it can probably not be fixed. But I am
truly baffled by all this. Any ideas how this can happen?

thx
Other than the "ice cold water", all of your symptoms are commonly found
when a single valve faucet leaks internally between the hot and cold
sides. Variation in pressures will cause the hot water to leak into the
cold pipe at times. At other times the cold water will leak into the hot
pipe. This can continue throughout a house, so that other faucets will
momentarily get the wrong water temperature.

The solution is to correctly install a new cartridge or whatever the
faucet uses to control the water, unless there is a defect in the body in
which case replace the faucet. You can test this by turning off the water
to only one of the supply lines and disconnecting the line. You will get
water out of the faucet side of the disconnected line if the faucet leaks
internally. It may not leak in all positions of the handle but there would
be a position where it would leak without water coming out of the faucet
itself.

Don Young

It's not possible for the water to be 20° colder than the water coming into
your house. So what you think is cold is actually 20° warmer than the water
coming from the street. Completely consistant with the internal leak
described by Don Young.
--
Peace,
BobJ