Quote:
Originally Posted by SeattlePioneer 
Unfortunately, people get all kinds of advice on this, most of it bad in my opinion. "Not enough hot water" can have quite a number of causes, and really requires careful service by an experienced repairman to diagnose the actual cause.
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Local repairmen ought to know about a code requirement that requires this kind of tempering valve and be on the lookout for it. They may not be able to remove it, but they should at least tell the home moaner about it.
Seattle Pioneer
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I've had 4 plumbers/repairmen in here and only one of them bothered to indicate the mixing valve might be causing the problem. The other ones were all over the map - buy a brand new water heater, replace the elements...
I know next to nothing about plumbing and I have no idea if the mixing valve really is causing the problem. However, since the elements have been replaced and 3 Enbridge repairmen have found nothing else wrong with the water heater, and I have insulated the pipes, and when I touch the hot water pipe at the point where it comes out of the water heater, it is very very hot. When I touch the 'hot' pipe after it comes out of the mixing valve, it is only room temperature. So it appears that the mixing valve might be causing the problem.
Out of the 4 guys who have come to my house so far to look at this problem, I'm not getting a great deal of help. The best advice I've received has been in this forum.
I'm going to remove the mixing valve, clean it like lightsout06810 suggested, and put it back.
If this does not make a difference, I'm going to remove it permanently and reconnect the pipes.
If this does not solve the problem, then I'll buy a brand new water heater and have it installed by a professional.
If that doesn't solve the problem, then I really won't know what to do.
I am very suspicious of this mixing valve. This is a new part of the building code. It's so new that apparently many plumbers have never heard of it and are unfamiliar with them. 3/4 of them, in my experience, wouldn't even think to suggest it as being the cause of the problem.
I agree with your comment on the nanny state. I never asked for this problem. I have enough things to deal with already. The government is not helping by making things more complicated than they have to be.
I understand that there needs to be a building code and 9 times out of 10 the rules are there for good reason.
But when the code forces this product on me, a product which deteriorates to the point of being useless after a short period of time; forcing me to waste days trying to figure out what is wrong and then having my time wasted further by repairmen who I need help from, and they can't or won't help, this is one part of the code I can do without.