Bathroom sink stopped after water heater replaced

[Nick1994]

Yesterday the water out of my hot water heater was all of a sudden scalding hot so I turned off the breaker to it and left for work. After work I ran and picked up a new water heater (old one was 12 years old and it was leaking when I checked it). This morning I hooked up the new one and I get great pressure for the hot water in the kitchen sink, master bathroom sink, showers, etc. but the hallway bathroom only has the slightest dribble coming out of the sink when on hot. I unhooked the hose under the faucet and put it in a bucket and turned on the valve underneath and it's the same slightest dribble.

Last night while I had the old water heater unhooked I left the kitchen and hallway faucets "on" to hot water as they were still dribbling.

Any ideas why this water line has stopped? Sediment in the pipe maybe?

 

[Nick1994]

Here's what came out of the faucet to the bathtub in the hallway bathroom when I turned it on.

Masterbath and hallway bathroom are back-to-back if that helps any.

 

[WobblyElvis]

I have seen debris plug the valve in the faucet. Disconnect the water line from the faucet, turn the faucet on and blow compressed air backwards through the tap. This should blow the debris clear of the valve. {and make a bit of a mess}

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: WobblyElvis
I have seen debris plug the valve in the faucet. Disconnect the water line from the faucet, turn the faucet on and blow compressed air backwards through the tap. This should blow the debris clear of the valve. {and make a bit of a mess}
I mentioned I disconnected the water line to the sink above.

My next idea since I don't have a compressor is to turn the water off at the water heater and buy a hose to go from the cold valve to the hot valve and turn those valves on, then turn on the hot water to the bathtub and maybe it'll blow it loose?

 

[WobblyElvis]

You are on the right track. You want to create a back flow through the valve anyway you can. Looks like you have a lot of crud there. May have back flush it a few times.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I unhooked the hose under the faucet and put it in a bucket and turned on the valve underneath and it's the same slightest dribble.


I would do the next step: remove the hose and see what the flow is directly out of the valve. Maybe the hose has an internal clog. Next...the valve. Take it off, then check the flow of water out of the pipe. Maybe a chunk of debris is sitting right in front of the valve. Blowing water or air backwards might also dislodge things enough to break up the clog and let it pass out of the system.

Also be aware of Watts Floodsafe connectors that can go bad.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[Fitter30]

be sure to check the aerator at the end of the faucet

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: Fitter30
be sure to check the aerator at the end of the faucet


+1 I'd do that first and work back from there.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Fitter30
be sure to check the aerator at the end of the faucet


+1 I'd do that first and work back from there.



THIS.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Chris Meutsch
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: Fitter30
be sure to check the aerator at the end of the faucet


+1 I'd do that first and work back from there.



THIS.
Guys.

For the third time, I've disconnected the hose from the faucet and the same dribble comes out of the hose. Cold water flows fine out of the faucet.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
For the third time, I've disconnected the hose from the faucet and the same dribble comes out of the hose. Cold water flows fine out of the faucet.


Yeah, the hot water shutoff is clogged somehow. If you are lucky you will be able to turn it off/on and maybe crush/dislodge whatever is blocking the valve. Or you may damage the washer or seat doing that and it will no longer seal off properly.

You may have to turn the water off to the house, unscrew the shutoff valve from the pipe (assuming it isn't soldered on), hook a hose up to the pipe stub and then (carefully) turn the water back on to let the pipe flush itself out. You can also try (after turning the house off) to unscrew the packing nut just below the valve handle and pull the valve stem assembly out of the valve body. Then when you turn on the house supply it might flush out the valve. Just make sure someone is there with a bucket.

 

[kschachn]

Another thing that might work is to turn off the house supply and then open a basement faucet. Then go upstairs and open the offending hot water valve. It may pull the water backwards and also take the sediment with it.

All assuming you have a faucet lower than the one in question. You're in Arizona so I don't know.

 

[SHOZ]

With the cold water line still unhooked

turn on the hot and cold faucets and try to stop what comes out of the spout. A rag and your hand should be enough to force the hot water to flow through the cold water valve and out the pipe.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
With the cold water line still unhooked

turn on the hot and cold faucets and try to stop what comes out of the spout. A rag and your hand should be enough to force the hot water to flow through the cold water valve and out the pipe.


Haha, I tried that earlier and made a mess, couldn't stop the flow.

No basements in homes in Phoenix. I'll have to work on it this weekend, I can do with just cold water for the week in the sink. I really hope the valve isn't soldered on.

 

[JC1]

Shut off the water supply to the house and disconnect the line to the shutoff valve, open the shutoff valve and use a coat hanger or small piece of wire to clear the block if there is one in the shut off valve.

That's if it's not a hard line right to the faucet.

 

[ryan2022]

If nothing else works, you might have a flood protector supply line.

I had this issue before.

If you disconnect t the entire supply and reinstall it it SHOULD reset.

There's usually a cylinder portion that looks out of place on the supply. I've only seen them once before.

 

[walterjay]

Usually it is something lodged in the supply valve under the sink. A dislodged washer will do this. I would replace the supply valve.

 

[BHopkins]

Originally Posted By: ryan2022
If nothing else works, you might have a flood protector supply line.

I had this issue before.

If you disconnect t the entire supply and reinstall it it SHOULD reset.

There's usually a cylinder portion that looks out of place on the supply. I've only seen them once before.



Exactly what I was wondering. I have a few of these under sinks in my home. They are designed to shut off the flow of water if a sudden pressure differential between the two sides of the valve occurs. It is built into the supply end of the supply line. When you disconnected the water heater, there would have been no pressure on the supply side, and then when you turned it back on, the valve may have shut down the flow because it detected a sudden pressure on the supply side.

You can identify these anti-flood supply lines by a metal cylinder on the supply end, about 3/4" in diameter and a little over an inch in length. Mine are chrome plated.

Try this.
Shut off the shut-off valve.
Disconnect the supply line.
Open and close the lavatory faucet.
Reconnect the supply line.
SLOWLY open the shut-off valve.

Now try running the hot water.

 

[Nick1994]

Solved!

Took off the hose at the valve tonight and it was caked full of sediment. The picture I have below is after most of it fell out into the bucket I put the hose in. The metal on the outside of the hoses was also falling apart and covered in wires and was poking my hands pretty bad. Went to Home Depot and got new hoses and it works like a charm. Old hoses were 10 years old. I think I'll replace the rest of them in the house soon.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I unhooked the hose under the faucet and put it in a bucket and turned on the valve underneath and it's the same slightest dribble.


I would do the next step: remove the hose and see what the flow is directly out of the valve. Maybe the hose has an internal clog. Next...the valve. Take it off, then check the flow of water out of the pipe. Maybe a chunk of debris is sitting right in front of the valve. Blowing water or air backwards might also dislodge things enough to break up the clog and let it pass out of the system.

Also be aware of Watts Floodsafe connectors that can go bad.

Let us know what you find out.


Life would be easier if the pros would share their basic diagnostic skills logic with us earlier on in our DIY careers. It takes us years to amass the experience they get every month. Its sometimes humbling to work along a pro trades person and watch them methodically diagnose a solution. This irritates me, yet earns my respect for their expertise.

Glad you're all fixed up.