Cold and Hot pipe feeds to bath hot tap?

scootermacc

Hi all.

My bath (soon to be replaced) has 1 unit comprising two separate taps for hot and cold AND a mixer shower unit attached to the top (its made by armitage shanks). It one where you flip a lever to stop the flow from the taps and force it to run from the handheld shower instead...

Anyway, for some reason the cold tap inlet pipe from under the floor has a 15mm tee running off it. This tee feeds INTO the hot water tap inlet pipe. I guess if you look at the other way round, there is a tee running from the hot inlet pipe to the cold inlet pipe. All pipes are 15mm plastic. Flow rate is good being served from combi boiler.

Having found this when removing the bath panel yesterday, it may explain why I get nice cold water when running the cold tap, but when you run the hot you get scalding water for about 20 seconds, then it runs cold. The only way to maintain hot water is to run it at a very low rate (20 mins to fill bath). I suspect though that this 'hot then cold' problem is to do with my 14 year old combi bolier being on the way out!

Irrespective, the 'tee; from hot to cold pipes has completely confused me. Why would there be a pipe running between the hot and cold inlets to the bath?
Does it have something to do with the mixer shower unit?

I need to understand this as the new bath will just have hot and cold taps, and I'm now not sure what amends I need to make.

I HAD assumed that hot pipe runs to hot tap, and cold runs to cold... or is that too simple?

Expertboy · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 9:35 pm Post Subject:

Are you saying that your hot water pipe has mains cold pressure water feeding into it?

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jobloggs · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 10:00 pm Post Subject:

Most unusual set up indeed. Is there a valve of any type on this connecting branch?

LearnerPlumber

Hey Moderator

Be realistic, some peolple need simple advice and these guys can give it very simply if they want to.....

be nice to all questioners.....

Accept that some tinkerers know very little about any D I Y...

Altho they're brain surgeons in their day job.......

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LearnerPlumber

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jobloggs · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:42 am Post Subject:

Quote:

I HAD assumed that hot pipe runs to hot tap, and cold runs to cold... or is that too simple?

It is just as simple as that!

AndersonC · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:48 am Post Subject:

I'd remove the tees and then simplify it - just plumb hot pipe to hot tap, maybe with an elbow and flexi tap hose, and cold to cold with a similar set up. The flexible tap connector hoses are great and only cost £2 ish. You tighten them to the tap tails and they have a compression or push fitting to your copper/plastic.

Talking of strange plumbing - the plumbing in my house which I am replacing seems to have been there since the house was built (100 yrs). Huge lead pipes with the most ridiculous bodges carried out by previous owners in attempts to part modernise the system.

I'll be off down the scrapyard soon - anyone know the going rate for lead?

Nige F · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:44 pm Post Subject:

Scalding water from the combi....I don`t doubt it

Maybe there was a mixing valve there under bath once

reducing the hot delivered temp.Then it "broke" and someone removed it