Hot water tank, both pipes hot

Passing my heater this morning, I grabbed the inlet and the outlet pipes on the water tank to see the temperature differential. They were both hot.

There is a valid reason for this. I'll post the answer later for anyone that cannot figure it out.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski
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It's obvious - you're a lousy plumber. ;)

R
Reply to
RicodJour

The hot water is flowing backwards because the tank was mounted upside down.

Reply to
mm

You need the unions or maybe they are couplings that insulate on both pipes at the tank, I think.

Reply to
ransley

I give....

cuz water heater is completely filled with hot water? And the heat from the water conducts out through both the hot & cold piping?

don't keep us in suspense too long

cheers Bob

Reply to
fftt

Run the hot water for a second and the cold pipe will get cold. Heat rises and a sitting tank is bound to have hot water rise in the cold pipe by convection. Also the pipe inside the tank that brings the cold water to the bottom of the tank may be broken off.

Reply to
Van Chocstraw

Nope, water was running. Hint: that helped make it hot

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Normally, the outlet is hot when running water and the inlet is made cold by hte incoking water. This is, though, an indirect fired water tank. Having used enough hot water to trip the thermostat, the heating sycle started so water was passing through the heat exchanger and back into the storage tank, already heated. Only during the actual heating cycle do you have both pipes hot.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

You have a recirculating system?

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne Whitney

What are you talking about? The heat exchanger on an indirect is a loop into the boiler, not the potable water. The only way your scenario would be true, is if the potable water went through a coil in the boiler before it went to the domestic cold inlet on the indirect. Without anyone knowing what type of system you have and how it's set up, any answer could only be a wag.

Reply to
RBM

Because the man was too short to reach the elevator button to the 20th floor.

Oh, sorry. Right answer, wrong question.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Broken or missing dip tube does some strange things.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Your answer is a wag. A wrong wag. True that some indirect fired systems have an internal coil for exchange in the tank, but mine has an external plate exchanger on the boiler. As stated, both top pipes are hot when using and making hot water. That was the "mystery" compared to a regular stand alone heater. There is a third pipe at the bottom of the tank too to complete the loop.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

And anyone would know that you have some type of hybid system, because???

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Reply to
RBM

In a standard tank I am correct. You need to better explain your setup if you have a clue.

Reply to
Van Chocstraw

The purpose of me asking was to see if anyone could figure out it was not a standard tank. Sorry that went over your head.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Well I"m glad you could figure that out. Sorry for the lighthearted attempt at stumping people with a non-standard tank. Seems as thought at was lost on you and Count Chocula

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Reply to
Jesse

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