Bad valve?

I live in a condominium and a couple of weeks ago I came home to find the bathtub water on full blast. I have no idea how long it was running but the water, thankfully, was going down the drain and not overflowing as I live on the top floor. I had used it that morning and figured I hadn't turned the one faucet tightly enough (?) I wasn't too concerned about it until the maintenance man called me because he had shut off the water in a unit below me and heard my water running. He said when he came in, it was on full blast and that the only way that could happen would be if I left it on which (I'm 150% positive I did not) or for someone to have entered my unit and turned it on which isn't likely. A friend of mine thought that it be a problem with the valve? Has anyone ever heard of this happening?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Do you pull the handle out to turn it on and then turn it left or right to adjust water temp?

No they are just regular turn handles, one hot one cold.

Try turning them and see if they don't turn 360 degrees. Force them a little.

"I came home to find the bathtub water on full blast. . . .

He said when he came in, it was on full blast and that the only way that could happen would be if I left it on which (I'm 150% positive I did not) or for someone to have entered my unit and turned it on which isn't likely."

I suspect that if you ever find the truth, it will be that someone was doing maintenance on the drains or water system and wanted to get a high flow through the whole system. You are at the end of the water line and the beginning of the drains.

Thanks for the replies. I will try turning the handle 360 degrees like you suggested when I get home tonight. I'm also going to check and see if I can find out if work was performed by the city (if I can do that) I've called several plumbers and some said they had never heard of this happening but then I did find a couple that said it was rare but that it could happen.

water

I had it happen on one job. The faucet had heavy lever handles and they opened by turning downwards. As long as the pressure was on the handles stayed in the off position. When the water main was turned off the weight of the handles would rotate them downward and open the faucet. Then when the main was turned back on the flood happened. In my case it was a vessel sink which never drained well anyway so the water ran for a long time, possibly days, before someone came home and discovered it. Since then, I tell anyone whose lever handles turn downward, that the safest thing is to interchange the stems so the faucet handles rotate upwards to turn on. If I am installing the stems, I put them in that way, but manufacturers usually do it the opposite way because they don't know the difference between wall mounted and deck mounted faucets.

Hi. Thanks for the reply. They are actually just plain old price pfister acrylic handles but I will definitely have my plumber try it - as soon as I find one that is. I just spoke to the building maintenance guy who has been there for 16 years and he says he has never seen this happen or heard of it happening. I am just at my wits end because I know I didn't leave it on and I know no one has been in my unit. Both times this has happened I did use the bathtub so I have to think it is something faulty with the plumbing.

I forgot the main reason he doesn't believe this could happen and that is they are safety valves (30 years old if that matters).

valves

I suppose it could happen if the stems were very loose and the pressure was very high. But if he is a good plumber, and the manager approves, he can easily, (i.e., in a half hour or less), convert that faucet to a ceramic disc version which does not move in and out so the pressure could not turn it on.

faucet

Also the packing gland may be real loose and it needs attention or the o-ring seal is worn badly. Which ever it is....Have seen it happen also.....

Maybe just a good old faucet repair would fix it..........

Thanks everyone. At least I know I'm not crazy now. I can post the end result if anyone is interested.

p.s. Anyone know a good plumber in the Los Angeles area?