Hot Water System

Hot Water System FAQ:


The heating in my apartment is controlled by a central thermostat that also controls heat to the other apartments. The others seem to be fine but I am getting no heat in my place. The radiators heat up for a short while sometimes and then go cold, there is some hissing sound as well in one and a knocking sound in another. I have also noticed that when I shower the water in the bathroom goes cold all of a sudden and when I turn down the cold water it gets warm again. I have spoken to my landlord about this and hopefully the heating system will be fixed but I am wondering what is going on? Could the heating and hot water be related?

Hot Water System FAQ:


I just asked a question regarding a noise in the walls and I have narrowed it down to the hot water heater. There is a rumbling in the walls and sprinkler system, almost rhythmic and now there is a clanking in the walls downstairs. Because this is a gas heater I just wanted to make sure that it is safe to stay in the house until the landlord gets here because I have no idea how to turn it off.
Yeah I actually found what I guess would be a main copper pipe with a nozzle that is making all the noise, I don’t want to mess with it though because I am not sure which way to turn it. The house was built last year but it’s a development house which means it’s pretty to look at and big but really cheaply made.

Hot Water System FAQ:


I am in a rental condo in Atlanta with a heat pump (new technology for me). Every year in the fall I struggle with sharing hot water with my shower and the heat pump. The landlord said the heat pump is configured permanently to share hot water as a cost savings. Is this really the case or do you think something is wrong with the system? How can I diagnose problems with the hot water/heat pump system? Short of always turning the thermostat off prior to my shower, what can I do?