No hot water pressure after running washing machine

Recently we purchased a front loader washing machine. It works fine but after it completes the cycle and shuts off, there is no hot water pressure throughout the house. The cold water pressure is normal. I never had the problem prior to the new washing machine. I replaced the gas water heater T&P release valve just in case. The hot water is clear when I flush the water heater. The house is 14 years old and has copper pipes. Any idea what to check next?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Are you saying that when you turn on a hot water faucet no water comes out?

The water just trickles out then stops. After a few hours it returns to normal.

sounds like there is something wrong with hot water tank,,,,,,,,,,,,how old is the tank? does this happen when you use the hot water anywhere else in the house,,,,,,shower,,,dishwasher?

It could be the heater but this is a very odd problem.

Does the new water heater have heat trap nipples installed?

I would look at those first.

If it has them it could be they are installed upside down.

By any chance, have you noticed if there is water being released through that TP valve, while the burner runs to reheat the water?

water

About the only thing that could cause that problem, and it should happen no matter where the hot water is used is a broken valve at the water heater. Replacing the T&P valve was a good thing, but had nothing to do with your problem. When you replaced it did the valve handle stop turning when you closed it and also stop turning the other way when you opened it again?

The water heater is 6 years old. The problem happens at all hot water outlets throughout the house. I am not sure about the heat trap nipples. I doubt they are a special type. No water has been released through the TP valve. When replacing the TP valve, the shut off valve handle did stp turning when it was closed and stopped turning when it was opened.

What a challenge! That's what I love about plumbing - there's always something new.

I like the heat trap idea - there are several different kinds of heat traps for water heaters and most involve a plastic ball that hits against a seat when the water attempts to flow in the wrong direction. It's possible that there's some debris in the tank that flows up against the outlet when a lot of water is used.

Since the problem is all over the house, I'm guessing that the source of the problem is the water heater itself - and a disassembly and inspection of the water connections may reveal the problem.

Also, there are special valves that are designed to shut down a water heater if a pipe breaks - they might sense that a lot of water leaving the tank is indicative of a broken pipe.

They look something like this:



And can be viewed at plumbing store .com /floodstopsystems.html


They do not allow linking so you'll have to get there using my URL without the spaces.

Thanks for the explanation. I looked on the internet to see what the heat traps look like and I do not have any installed. I do not have the special valve in case a pipe brakes. The explanation of debris in the tank that flows up against the outlet when a lot of water is used sounds like a good possibility. If that is the case, what can be done to remove the debris from inside the tank?