SCALDING HOT WATER FROM FAUCETS

ww

The water is heated up by a coil in the Delco Boiler DB4s...I see a valve near the coil...seems like a backwards gate valve...clockwise stem gets longer...and counterclockwise stem goes in...Whatever position I put the valve there is no change in temperature of water. Don't know if the valve is defective,bad washer,etc.

Does anyone know a solution to this problem or possible cause?

icesailor

The valve is burned out.

Post a photo of the valve and piping.

Jean-David Beyer

Do you not want a temperature regulating valve in that application, not a gate valve?

ww

ok..here is a photo of the valve. ..it would seem if there was regulation of the temperature that may be best..

icesailor

That's a photo of the coil, inside the boiler front. The mixing valve is just barely visible in the edge of the photo, outside the jacket.

Where is that boiler? I've seen a lot of them in my life and they all had that light installed inside. 1950's vintage.

Post another photo from the side showing the water piping outside the left side of the boiler. What is barely visible on the photo.

ww

that valve on the left is a hose bib on the side. i thought that valve in the middle outside the coil was the mixing valve.

boiler is in a 2 family house in northeast.

ww

ok...i'll have to see what it is replaced with..you mention how it works and it seems maybe another option could work better than the existing valve as you mentioned above...have to explore those options..one mentioned was a temperature regulating valve...any suggestions to something better?

icesailor

Southeastern Massachusetts? New Bedford, Dartmouth?

That valve that Hatteras Guy is talking about was to be used if the thermostatic mixer failed. It was supposed to be closed. Only opened if the mixer failed. It isn't supposed to be used as a hot water control valve. Not ever. That boiler made so much hot water that you could get scalded easily.

If you are in Massachusetts, it's been a legal requirement that the mixer be installed, with a pressure relief valve installed for over 50 years. I don't know the breed of that boiler, but the only ones I saw installed were by quality installers. Most had Torridheat burners. And Sarco mixers. They all had the light inside, and they seldom had the front covers on.

icesailor

@Hatterasguy:

Nannies huh? Those "nannies" used to get the skin boiled right off their skins. Especially the little Nannies.

Massachusetts was the first to develop boiler codes to stop exploding water heater storage tanks. They were the first to require pressure balance shower valves (Symmons Industries) with single lever valves opening in the cold position so people and little Nannies didn't get scalded. Big Nannies too. Like the guy who came home from work after having more than one adult beverage. He got in the shower and when the 150 degree hot water hit him, he passed out. When he was found, he had 3rd degree burns wherever the water hit him.

Its hard to sell safety when your competition doesn't believe in selling the cost of safety. The Tort Lawyers will be glad to help you out. So we have to have the Government do it for us.

I promise you, if you haven't had a lot of experience between pressure balance single lever shower valves, and old single lever valves without pressure balance valves and how they react to flow changes, you will experience it and not know what is happening.

I experience it every time I get in the shower and turn on the hand spray and the water gets cooler.

That green boiler makes some serious hot water. SERIOUS!!!!!

hot_rod

more for piece of mind that you install and maintain a proper, listed, thermostatic valve.

It could be an unknowing visitor or guest that gets scalded, perhaps the next owner, why risk it.

ww

ok...this valve now on the boiler doesn't seem to do anything if off or on..so then what is the reason for that...bad washer,seat,both or is that how is was to begin with?

just out of curiosity what do you think?..if it's a question of just turning off the water main i'll check it out and put in new washer or what's needed and see how it works...i can see how it works since i don't take too long showers or use alot of water.

I do agree that this has to be changed out and will do that with that special valve..since i'm the only one using the water now it's not a danger to anyone else. By the way the location is in NY.

hot_rod

read mad Hatteras post a few up from here, that gate valve is a "glorified" attempt to blend some cold to the hot. It's really a guess as to how to set it, at max flow, min. flow or somewhere in between?

It has no way of adjusting the mixed temperature as the coil temperature changes, as he noted.

Maybe the gate or stop mechanism inside has finally eroded away, eliminating it's ability to regulate the cold?

Abracadabra

ww said:

ok...this valve now on the boiler doesn't seem to do anything if off or on..so then what is the reason for that...bad washer,seat,both or is that how is was to begin with?

the valve stem broke. separating the stem from the wedge. turning the stem now does nothing.

icesailor

Hatterasguy said:

Yep, nannies.

I've lived all my life with single lever bath/shower valves without pressure balance and I can tell you, with certainty, that I'm still alive and have no third degree burns to tell about.

Next think you'll do is to legislate radiator guards on any radiator that delivers steam or water above 150°F. Hell, somebody might put their hand on it. Got to legislate against that.

Make sure the government takes care of you, no matter the cost.

Bob SImon (from CBS) probably said the same about seat belts. He drove around for over 60 years without needing them. Until the Limo he was being limo'ed in, hit a wall and he was killed. Because, unrestrained, flew around the inside of the Limo, had massive head injuries, and was killed.

You never need seat belts until you need them.

You never need a PFD on a boat until the gunwales are underwater.

Everyone on an airplane wears a seatbelt. Whether they want to or not.

icesailor

You need to brush up on your hot water scalding information.

http://www.antiscald.com/prevention/general_info/table.php

For the elderly and very young, they get burned before they are ever aware of it.

If you get into a bathtub full of the hottest water you can stand, and fall asleep, you might die from Hyperthermia. Overheating.

If you can stand 110 degree water in a hot tub or jetted (whirlpool) tub, your body core temperature can easily go over 106 degrees and you can suffer brain damage. People have died in hot tubs when enjoying adult beverages and fell asleep and died.

140 degree water can give you a 3rd degree burn in 3 seconds. Try keeping your hand under 140 degree water for 3 seconds. You can't. Unless you are impaired.

icesailor

Do you not understand that the AHJ's don't give a rats @$$ about how fast YOU can react to hot water,, its the others they worry about.

Run that 131 degree water through your non-pressure balance single control shower valve, and have it set so you can stand it. Have someone open just a cold water faucet and let the hot go to 131. The first feeling you notice that feels like the water just got cold, is your nerve endings trying to decide if the water is cold or hot. The brain has to figure it out. When your brain has sorted it out, you've been burned.

This is well established, peer reviewed science. Not something dreamed up.

I watched that SNL-40 Anniversary show Sunday night. They showed and did a tribute to Tracy Morgan. Someone else who might wish that he had his seat belt on when that Wal-Mart truck, driven by a sleep deprived truck driver, smashed in to the back of his Limo, killing one of his pals. Also probably not wearing a seat belt.

Its like riding Motorcycles and not wearing a helmet, or ice sailing without one. You only need one when your head is about to smash into the pavement. Then, you become a POD. Potential Organ Donor.

There's a serious need for POD's in this country.

icesailor

Nothing like "Uniform Codes" like Massachusetts has. It puts a fins stop on those inspectors that want to make up things they they "Like to see".

If the Board accepts it, it is accepted Statewide, and whatever the I/O manual says, or "exceptions" in the codes. the board will over rule in your favor.

The Insulation issue is a requirement of the building code and it isn't required on cold water pipes. It should be because of the fact that water condenses on the cold pipes in summer and the sweat gets all over everywhere.

Can that AHJ person quote you book, chapter and verse out of his Bible where those regulations are located? Sometimes, they are asking you to break the UL Listing of the product.

ww

i think we are getting away from the real question i had....so if i just want to see if this valve needs a washer or something..or just change it out with the new device...from what i can see i will just have to turn off the water main and open faucets to change this..right?

ww

ok..thanks..to the left of the valve there is drain valve which i'll open and drain before doing the job.