Faucet Question

[Terence McCann]

Inspected a repo where the hot water could not be turned on.

If the hot water is off, but the cold water is still operational, will the faucet, shown in the picture, still deliver cold water or does it need water pressure from both the hot and cold water sides to operate?

All three faucets (this style) in the home would not deliver any water.

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[Nolan Kienitz]

TM -

My experience has been that there 'is' cold water flow when no h/w is present on the single-control valves.

Can't say I've experienced all makes/models of the single-control valves and I've had many, from vacant homes, where the 'hot' side of the single-control cartridge fails to operate. Seems as if the single-control valves (varies by manufacturer) have more failures when they are idle or not operated for extended lengths of time. Such as vacant properties.

I've had one client advise me that the single-control valves (h/w side of cartridge) would not work after a couple of months in the 2nd floor of their home. They pretty much never used the upstairs bathrooms as they had not yet populated the bedrooms with their "yet to be born" young-ins.

[Jim Katen]

Inspected a repo where the hot water could not be turned on.

If the hot water is off, but the cold water is still operational, will the faucet, shown in the picture, still deliver cold water or does it need water pressure from both the hot and cold water sides to operate?

All three faucets (this style) in the home would not deliver any water.

Depends on the age. Starting sometime in the early '90s all single-valve tub/shower control valves have been required to be the pressure-balancing type; if there's no pressure on the hot side, the cold side won't flow either and vice versa.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Ben H]

Inspected a repo where the hot water could not be turned on.

If the hot water is off, but the cold water is still operational, will the faucet, shown in the picture, still deliver cold water or does it need water pressure from both the hot and cold water sides to operate?

All three faucets (this style) in the home would not deliver any water.

Depends on the age. Starting sometime in the early '90s all single-valve tub/shower control valves have been required to be the pressure-balancing type; if there's no pressure on the hot side, the cold side won't flow either and vice versa.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

Any idea how this actually works?

[Jim Katen]

Any idea how this actually works?

There are two styles. One uses a piston and the other a diaphragm, but they're actually doing the same thing.

Go here:

http://www.steamshop.com/Powers/B-470.pdf

Look at the series of diagrams on page 5.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[Terence McCann]

Thanks Jim.