Thread: Explain this one to me

Video of situation.

1 - YouTube

Was the hot or cold off at the hwt and the water was backflowing through the faucet...and TOILET? LOL

Matt Fletcher
Grosse Pointe Home Inspector
Detroit, Grosse Pointe Home Inspection

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Wow. Trying to anticipate how that was done / installed makes my head hurt. I cannot envision how a sink valve seems to be ahead of other fixtures. I have an after-market hot-water recirc. system that does connect hot and cold to the same water temp controlled valve. If that valve failed, strange things would happen.

I've heard of this before. If I remember correctly it's a bad tempering valve or air in the pipes or something like that.

...........empty house. Most likely was winterized and someone connected the hot and cold as a by-pass at the water heater for the purpose of pumping in anti-freeze solutiuon. Pretty common situation-no real mystery.........Greg.

Greg, they don't generally put anti-freeze in the water lines here in MI. Do they do that were you live? I would be concerned about someone be poisoned by it. But who knows, anything is possible

Here, they disconnect the water meter, blow out the pipes with a compressor. I do it myself after an inspection.

The do put anti-freeze in the traps and toilets here.

Matt Fletcher
Grosse Pointe Home Inspector
Detroit, Grosse Pointe Home Inspection

Originally Posted by Matt Fletcher

Greg, they don't generally put anti-freeze in the water lines here in MI. Do they do that were you live? I would be concerned about someone be poisoned by it. But who knows, anything is possible

Here, they disconnect the water meter, blow out the pipes with a compressor. I do it myself after an inspection.

The do put anti-freeze in the traps and toilets here.

Hi.........I winterize a number of proprties each year, and like you, only blow out the system with compressed air. There are a few guys in the area that pump in RV anti freeze. I've never seen the point in doing that- especially since you have to monkey with by-passing the W/H. Every time you do a disconnect, you have another opportunity for a new leak

This can happen when air is in the line and the valve to the fixture (tub, toilet) are open. You then open the valve on a fixture that happens to be at the start/end of that run and it allows more water/air to flow through the pipe and then you have water coming out of the fixture like the tub and the toilet. Once the line is "primed" it should stop, this is why you could not repeat it on the tub.

FYI, never put anything into the water supply of a home! You can poison anyone who drinks the water and if the home does not have a backflow preventer in the system it could enter the city water. Never, never, never!

It pays to hang out where the Pros hang out, ( thanks Scott ). My only exposure to anti-freeze is via autos which I know to be lethal, if ingested. I surfed up RV anti-freeze and found a brief explanation of the varieties available and toxicity, ( more like lack of ). Link is;

Types of RV Anti Freeze. Not all non-toxic anti freeze are created equal -- J&M Camper Sales - Your Maine Camper Dealer

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

This can happen when air is in the line and
FYI, never put anything into the water supply of a home! You can poison anyone who drinks the water and if the home does not have a backflow preventer in the system it could enter the city water. Never, never, never!

...........very, very common to put POTABLE anti-freeze solution in supply lines when winterizing. It's used throughout the manufactured home and recreational vehicle industries and is a staple in the tool box of PROFESSIONAL property preservationists. Guess you have to be a northerner to realize this

Have you considered the possibility the house might be possessed?

Originally Posted by Gregory Booth

...........very, very common to put POTABLE anti-freeze solution in supply lines when winterizing. It's used throughout the manufactured home and recreational vehicle industries and is a staple in the tool box of PROFESSIONAL property preservationists. Guess you have to be a northerner to realize this

Nah, ya don't have to be a Yankee but I just find it better to never do anything to something you are not 100% sure about.

I must say I have never seen the word Professional and Property Preservationist used in the same sentence!

Originally Posted by Scott Patterson

Nah, ya don't have to be a Yankee but I just find it better to never do anything to something you are not 100% sure about.

I must say I have never seen the word Professional and Property Preservationist used in the same sentence!

.............yeah! I"ll also admit that there's many things I've never seen too
Happy Thanksgiving.........Greg.