Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.
Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Help a nurse out please. Heart surgery is easier than this.

Immediate problem is no hot water and heat and the same time. Yes, the current beast is hydronic Aquatherm from First Co. The gas hot water heater was replaced several months ago and I noticed occasional intermittent lack of hot water. The installer came out twice and checked, but could find nothing wrong. Two of my neighbors had the exact same water heaters installed around the same time, in identical housing units, and they have no problems. I don’t think it’s a power/btu problem, but hey I don’t know. There is no special “smart” thermostat. If I turn valve of furnace to the off position, I have hot water. But of course then there is no heat. Is there some kind of one-way valve that could be broken? Five, I repeat f-i-v-e contractors have been unable to diagnose the problem! The heat/ac will need to be replaced soon, but that is another post. Any help appreciated. Thank you. MG
0
Leave a Comment
Categories
- 80.9K THE MAIN WALL
- 2.5K A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration
- 36 Biomass
- 394 Carbon Monoxide Awareness
- 2.6K Controls
- 1.4K Domestic Hot Water
- 3.7K Gas Heating
- 101 Geothermal
- 130 Indoor-Air Quality
- 2.3K Oil Heating
- 30 Pipe Deterioration
- 565 Plumbing
- 4.2K Radiant Heating
- 333 Solar
- 12.1K Strictly Steam
- 36 Water Quality
- 7 Industry Classes
- 52 Job Opportunities
- 7 Recall Announcements
Comments
Yours, Larry
Rick
Rick
Down south I'm guessing. I can't see the piping good enough to troubleshoot
Rick
Your heat for the living space is provided by the furnace, which are the 2nd pictures you posted.
If both are not working, do you have gas flowing? Do you have a gas stove? Does it work?
On your picture of your air handler is a green pump on the top right that has a sticker on it that says IFC on it. I believe the check valve on that pump has failed and is letting hot water go backward through it and messing with your showers and such. You need to have someone come out and check the pump. If you leave the furnace turned off at the thermostat long enough for the pipes to get cool (the pipe on the top left and the pipe on the top right), then start running some hot water somewhere. My guess is that the pipe on the left will start feeling cold and then the pipe on the right will start getting cold.
If that is the case, then the internal check valve on the pump needs replaced.
Rick
Rick-I agree with you. Any ideas how come I’ve had five reputable heat/ac companies come out and they cannot articulate that? The hot water heater guys say have the heating people fix it and the heat guys says to get the hot water guys to take care of it. And I have not even posted what I’ve been told about replacing the current system. It is just crazy. Thank you for your thoughts.
It definitely acts like a cross connection. One way to rule out the water heater is to feel the hot water pipe on the water heater when you are running water with the "furnace" valve still turned on. If you are running out of hot water at the fixture, but the pipe leaving the water heater is still hot, then that would verify it is not the water heater running out of hot water.
Rick
If they can't fix this............makes you wonder??
Yours, Larry
I noticed that. However there appears to be new pvc fittings at both sides of the brown section. Wondering if old WH ran hot, and they reused a section of old pipe for the change out.....
Yours, Larry
Do you all realize how valuable your experience and wisdom as craftsmen/women is? I am astonished that seven (I thought it was only five but I now see it is seven) reputable, established, experienced heating/AC contracting companies in Northern California were unable to solve my problem. They were all willing to repair/replace my system (with bids from $9K-$25K) but were unwilling or unable to solve a rather simple problem. Why is this I wonder? Was it lack of knowledge or laziness? Was it just too much trouble and not worth their time because it was not a more lucrative job? How do I now choose a company to replace the rusted pan? I don’t feel like I can trust any of them. I will have to contemplate my next move.
Again, thank you to all of you! Well done!
Rick
Now about that pan to be replaced... It might work nicely to line the pan with the same peel and stick membrane that roofers use. Just cut it large enough so corners are folded over with no possibility of leaks.
Yours, Larry
ps. Hat, thank-you!