[thehvacguy]

Check it out... I'm in south east Idaho where pipes can freeze cause its cold. All the apartments are occupied and everyone has water. Except for me. My hot water works, but not my cold water. It stopped working 2 days ago when it started getting below 0 outside. I am at the end of the cold water line. My neighbor is across the way and the pipes go underground about 50 feet across the driveway. I figure they are frozen down there somewhere but what gets me is if I turn on the hot water in the kitchen, why does my toilet start filling up? And if I leave the cold water valve open in my shower with hot water running in the kitchen, why do I get hot water coming out of the cold water valve in my bathroom???

 

[TheEplumber]

I couldn't quite follow all your diagnosis- got distractions going on around me. But I'd say you got a bad shower cartridge. Why do you even have any pressure if your CW is frozen? Doesn't it feed your water heater too?

 

[paintdrying]

sounds like a crossed up line somewhere.

 

[zl700]

Crossover at the kitchen faucet, grab the cold side supply line below, I bet it's warm. (There's no cold water pressure pushing back)

 

[redman88]

is this a new to you house?????

 

[oh'mike]

Apartment building----you have a valve open that is causing 'cross over'---the hot is entering the cold line when you run water at the faucet---then runs out of the cold pipes---call your landlord----

 

[AllanJ]

Are you saying that all hot water faucets work and no cold water faucets work when turning them on one at a time?

Trace the cold water line continuing on from the water heater. Must be frozen in that stretch.

 

[thehvacguy]

My dad is the landlord so I have to fix this freakin problem... There is 3 apartment buildings, and 3 boilers. One for each building. The buildings are in a u shape and share a courtyard. The boiler room is.to my left all the way at the end where.my hot water comes from. For some reason my cold water comes from the building across from me and is buried under the parking lot. It's only buried at 18" or so. So what I came up with is to just get a 3/8 by 3/8 hose and tie my hot water to my cold water line and pressurize my cold line with hot water til it in freezes and wait til summer to dig it up and fix the leaks. The city pays for the water so its no big deal. But that makes sense how the hot water is going into the cold through the mixing valve cause there is no pressure. In LA pipes don't freeze so this is new to me lol.

 

[jagans]

The City Pays for the water? Where is this, Obamaland?

You mean the taxpayers pay for the water? Because we all know that the city dont pay for squat. They just take from the working stiffs, and re-distribute to Obamaland.

 

[DexterII]

Is your water heater in your building, or is hot water piped from another building?

 

[jagans]

Crossover. Common in single lever faucets.

 

[thehvacguy]

The City Pays for the water? Where is this, Obamaland?

You mean the taxpayers pay for the water? Because we all know that the city dont pay for squat. They just take from the working stiffs, and re-distribute to Obamaland.

No, dumbass... I'm blue collar just like you and our water comes from our property taxes. Renters don't pay, property owners do.

 

[thehvacguy]

Is your water heater in your building, or is hot water piped from another building?

There are three buildings on this property. My apartment is on the row where the boiler room is, I am at the other end of the row from the boiler room. I might just re-pipe my apartment when spring comes. It is retarted that my cold water comes from across the parking lot...

 

[oh'mike]

That is an odd set up----Good luck,Mike---

 

[thehvacguy]

That is an odd set up----Good luck,Mike---

A lot of things are built weird in Idaho. The water melted though. I just put a half inch nipple between the two hoses going to no bathroom sink and it worked!

 

[DidIDoThat]

If your water line is only 18" deep, your in deep trouble !
Who ever installed that didn't pull a permit and should be tared and feathered !
I live near Boise and code here is a min of 42" deep.

 

[thehvacguy]

If your water line is only 18" deep, your in deep trouble !
Who ever installed that didn't pull a permit and should be tared and feathered !
I live near Boise and code here is a min of 42" deep.

Yea.. I hate working on this building... The city of Idaho falls has NO permits on record period for this property... Last week I actually had to fix the cracked pipe that thawed out. Luckily I was able to chop it and remove the line feeding my house and I installed a berry hydrant on the other side of the parking lot. Then I tied in the cold water from the apartment next door (I don't know why the Hell this wasn't done in the first place!).

I started working for a plumbing/HVAC company in Shelley and on all our jobs we are burying the water supply at 7' below grade. And the crazy part is we still had one freeze up on us at that depth!!! This cold weather is harsh on everything!