Hot/cold water reversal

[richguess]

Sooo,

I’ve attempted to diagnose this problem still without success. My ACE 27.2, when plugged into city water, reverses the hot and cold on all faucets, including the outdoor shower. The toilet flushes hot water. When using the water tank, no city water hookup, it is normal. All connections I can see (under the sink, bypass valves, outdoor shower, etc.) are correct. Reversing the outdoor shower as suggested did nothing. Thor sent me a plumbing diagram, but otherwise was no help. Obviously something was reversed at the factory. I bought it used (as a 2018 with 5000 miles)and doubt the original owner even noticed it. On the IRV forum, someone had a similar problem, and found a reversed line under the indoor shower. (He had to cut out the floor, etc.) It’s not important enough to start cutting holes everywhere to find it, but if there is a solution please let me know. The MH has been great otherwise. Thx.

[lwmcguire]

If your not physically changing a valve when hooking up the city water connection, this isn't possible

Many have had the outdoor shower valves on and the head shut off and had issues with hot water but that isn't you problem

check the pex from the city connection to where the pump discharge line meets and you have your answer

[richguess]

I’m not sure what you mean by the “pump discharge line.” Are you referring to the output line from the water pump?

I assure you what’s happening is possible. Water pump off, city water on results in reversed hot/cold and hot water in the toilet. City water disconnected, water pump on, results in the opposite, cold water in the toilet, faucets functioning normally. No valves were turned.

[lwmcguire]

There is a check valve that should prevent hot water from flowing backwards through the hot water heater

Yes check the line from the water pump and from the city connection

See where they intersect and check the valves

The connection should be in the wet bay and in fairly close proximity to each

[richguess]

I’ve followed the line from the city water to the water heater (access under the sink, which is in the slide) and it goes up to the kitchen cold water faucet and into the hot water heater appropriately. The bypass valve on the water heater is closed. Lines from the heater and city water go under the floor, which I have no access to, to my knowledge.

I’m not sure what you mean by the “wet bay.”

Thx

[ducksface]

I know you've experimented and thought this through but I have to ask:
Do they actually 'reverse' or do both lines go hot?
Both lines hot I can diagram out.
Reverse I can't.

A little more information please.
Is the hot the same temperature on house and city water?
Is the cold the same temp on house and city water?
What's the shore pressure?
Whats the pump pressure (just a guess is OK.)

What happens when you're on shore water AND have your pump on?
Does your shore hookup fill the house tank or is it gravity fill?

[richguess]

Yes, the temps are the same on either city or tank. Hot is hot, cold is cold.

I don’t know the pressures, but I did put a pressure reducer on the city water fill side with no change.

It’s in storage now, I will check with pump on and city water on, but I think it has defaulted to city water and was reversed. Thx for the ideas. Will report back.

[OldWEB]

Would this diagram help?
I found it online somewhere.

[OldWEB]

Originally Posted by richguess

I’ve followed the line from the city water to the water heater (access under the sink, which is in the slide) and it goes up to the kitchen cold water faucet and into the hot water heater appropriately. The bypass valve on the water heater is closed. Lines from the heater and city water go under the floor, which I have no access to, to my knowledge.

I’m not sure what you mean by the “wet bay.”

Thx

Serious face now...The only way I can see your problem happening is if the city line is tapped into the Hot line. If it was:

• Turn on Hot tap, cold (city) water comes out
• Turn on Cold tap/toilet, (city) water runs into HWT backwards (top, hot side) and pushes Hot water out the bottom to the Cold water lines

Make sense what I said?

[richguess]

The initial diagram looks like the way I feel. When I get up to storage I’ll look at it an post a pic. I agree it seems like it’s somehow a back flow issue. Thx for the thoughts.

Rich

[lwmcguire]

Sketch the city line to where it connects to the discharge side of the water pump

That will tell you where the problem is

You have a cross connection some place

Wet bay is where you're water and sewer hook ups are typically located

[The Gritz Carlton]

Also check outside shower...if both knobs are "on" and the "quick stop" button on the shower head is in the "off" position, it will allow a mix of hot and cold to back feed into whichever line is opened somewhere else. Probability is low on this one but you gotta check everything.

[OldWEB]

Curious minds would like to know how you made out with this.

[richguess1946]

test

[richguess1946]

Second try at this post.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is the latest. Idid not find the cause of the problem, but investigated and experimented and here's what I have found:

Recap: When I am hooked up to city water, all faucets are hot/cold reversed, and the toilet flushed hot. When hooked up to my water tank, they are correct. The water tank is gravity fill, it has an inlet and air line on the top, a drain line on side/bottom, and an exit line. There is a shutoff valve on that exit line, then a (I believe) check valve to prevent backflow, then the water pump. There is no "manifold" or "city/tank" switch. There is a switch for the water pump.

1) I thought perhaps the fault lay in an abnormal connection within the kitchen faucet. Hence, I disconnected the hot and cold supply lines and capped them. I then tried the other faucets on both city and tank water. No change, still reversed.
2) I once again tried every possible combination of valve setting in the winterizing area in front of the back of the water heater. No change.
3) AND FINALLY I disconnected the cold supply line from the cold water side of the kitchen sink. I then, while running the water into the bucket, with the water heater on, turned on the city water. Water ran COLD. I then shut off the city water, did the same with the tank water. Turned on the pump, the water out of the blue line was HOT. There's a clue in here somewhere, but I can't figure it out yet. It does appear that (possibly) the kitchen faucet is hot/cold reversed, as city water that is cold runs out of the hot side of that faucet. However, that doesn't answer the question. Why would tank water run hot out of the cold supply line?

Thx for everybody's help. Maybe with all of out time off we can come to some sort of conclusion?

[OldWEB]

Your original post stated that the city water was 'reversed', now you say the pump causes HW to exit the blue kitchen line.

See my post #9 for a possible cause.


Added item: Trace the city line to exactly where it connects to the system, I hope that is possible.

[richguess]

Yes, my original post did say that, and it’s true. Plug in city water, turn on HWH. Kitchen bath and shower are reversed. Toilet is hot. Reconfirmed that today.

Also determined today that with HWH on, and city water connected, AND blue supply hose disconnected from the kitchen faucet, that COLD water runs out of the blue supply hose (as it should.). This leads me to conclude that even though there is a “cold” sticker on that side of the kitchen faucet braided line, they are reversed at the faucet.

Additionally determined that with the cold kitchen faucet disconnected, city water off, tank water on via pump, that HOT water comes out of the blue (cold) supply line. I honk there’s an answer in there somewhere.

[richguess]

Yes, very easy to trace city line. Have eyes on it.

[OldWEB]

With the HWH "off' (in and out), throughout the system only cold water should run, both city and pump.

[richguess]

Yes, of course. Didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Always had HWH on during the tests.