We all know just how frustrating the absence of hot water can be. The absence of cold water can be just as exasperating as well. If cold water isn’t coming out of your faucet, you may wonder why. The following possibilities may explain the disappearance of cold water, however. If cold water isn’t working but hot is, these possible reasons may eliminate your confusion entirely.
The “Cold Water Not Coming Out of Faucet” Dilemma
If you want to figure out why cold water all of a sudden is nowhere to be found in your home, you should seriously consider these explanations.
One – Blocked and Frozen Pipes
Cold and hot water go to the sink via pipes that aren’t the same. During the colder months of the year, a section of the cold water pipe that goes to your sink may freeze. You should determine the exact sinks in your home that are devoid of cold water. Doing so may help you pinpoint the specific frozen pipe location.
Pipe obstructions are sometimes behind cold water issues as well. Debris can cause pipe blockages. This debris may come from water mains. Debris that is the result of metal that has corroded can block pipes at times, too. If this kind of metal has chipped away in the interior of a pipe, that may contribute to a blockage. If your problem involves the absence of cold water exclusively, that may signify an obstruction that isn’t outdoors.
Two – Shut-Off Valve Matters
If you’re a parent who lives in the company of playful kids, your shut-off valve may be behind your cold water crisis. If you have roommates who are absent-minded, the same thing applies. The shut-off valve is situated right below your sink. Check there and look for the pair of pipes that direct you to the cold and hot water lines. Attempt to rotate the knob for cold water. Your goal behind this is to check whether you can get it going again. This knob typically is on the right side for those who have faucets that have single handles.
Three – Pressure Balancing Valve Concerns
Your shower may be totally free of cold water. Other faucets in your home may be perfectly okay in the cold water department as well. If that describes your current situation well, the shower faucet cartridge might be the “bad guy.” The cartridge consists of a pressure balancing valve that occasionally isn’t able to do its job correctly. This can stop cold water from coming out of your shower head. If you extract and swap out the existing shower faucet cartridge, that might successfully reverse your cold water situation. You may have to use a device that’s referred to as a cartridge puller, too. If you want to steer clear of the stress factors of having to both acquire and utilize this unfamiliar tool, reaching out to a professional plumber for assistance may be the way to go.
Four – Heating and Pipes
It can be a headache to realize that hot water is flowing out of your designated cold water faucet. Pipes being nearby may be the cause of that. Plumbing occasionally has to squeeze into rather cramped areas. That’s why cold and hot water lines can be overly close to each other. They ideally go side by side to each other. Despite that, these lines sometimes are right next to each other leading to faucets. This problematic closeness may make the hot water pipe’s heat affect the line for cold water.
A different scenario entirely could explain hot water flowing out of a cold water faucet, too. Ventilation duct heat transfer may be the cause. When forced-air heating operates, the ventilation ducts’ metal surfaces may become warm. If you have a cold water pipe that’s near your ducts, heat may be sent there. That’s how it may warm any water that’s located in the cold line.
Five – Copper Pipe and Thermostat Matters
Do you have pipes that are nowhere near close to each other? Is heat transfer nonexistent? Pay attention to your thermostat. A faulty thermostat may actually be the source of your frustrations. If you’re equipped with a water expansion tank, you may be able to locate the thermostat within the immersion heater. Thermometers sometimes cease working properly in these heaters. If that happens, water overheating may become an issue. This water may access your cold water pipes, too.
Do you have copper pipes? This metal is highly heat-conductive. That’s why heat is able to travel through it without any issues. Copper pipe owners who run water that’s hot in their faucets may heat their faucets in general gradually.
Taking Care of Water Temperature Woes
If you’ve noticed hot water flowing out of your cold water faucet recently, you should try to figure out when this problem first reared its ugly head. It’s actually not at all unusual for warmer water to flow out of a cold water faucet for a short period of time. Hot water that persistently comes out of a cold water faucet, however, may be an indication of an issue that you shouldn’t ignore. If you never see the return of your cold water, you should hire a talented professional plumber to get to the bottom of things for you.
It’s impossible to guess how hot the water that flows out of a cold water faucet may turn. That’s why you should do what you can to refrain from burning your skin after you switch on your cold water faucet. Pipe insulation may be a pretty simple solution for this. Insulating the pipes may be able to minimize the transferring of heat.
Contact the Skilled Team Members at Emergency Plumbing Squad
Are you in the midst of a cold water crisis? All you have to do is get in contact with the staff at Emergency Plumbing Squad. Emergency Plumbing Squad can provide you with water repair service that’s safe, efficient, reliable and effective.