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[juddspaintballs]

I just finished installing...everything.  Anyways, I'm using my sidearm heat exchanger on an electric water heater (still on).  I took the drain off of the water heater and hooked up the sidearm domestic side down there.  It feeds back in at the hot outlet.  While showering, I get hot water right off, then it cools off throughout the shower.  It never did that before.  I suspect I need to switch the sidearm to feed back into the cold water inlet instead of the hot water outlet.  I'm thinking that the hot water draw off of the tank is sucking some water off of the top of the tank, as it should, and some water through the sidearm as well.  Since the sidearm isn't capable of heating domestic water to shower temps on demand, my shower cools off.  Is my thinking correct?

[juddspaintballs]

I went ahead and switched the sidearm to tie into the cold water inlet rather than the hot water outlet of the water heater.  That seemed to fix the problem completely.  I reviewed the setup at my last house where I had a circulator on the sidearm, and it was tied into the hot outlet too.  I would only run out of hot water on very long showers there, probably because the entire tank was heated to boiler water temperatures and the mixing valve let me run a long shower before noticing.  I don't have a circulator or a mixing valve on this water heater, but I think I'm going to need to get a mixing valve for it. 

[mlappin]

Next time you can also place a Tee at the relief valve on the water heater as well. We have soft water so I removed the anode rod in the water heater and plumbed mine in there. Was 15 years ago and hasn’t seemed to hurt the water heater any and I actually removed the anode rod more like 20 years ago. Won a free water sampling by Culligan from the county fair, everything was good except for a strange odor, Culligan man said to remove anode rod as soft water can react wit the anode rod and do strange things.

[juddspaintballs]

My sidearm is quite a bit taller than the relief valve.  I know I could angle the sidearm sideways, but it would be some interesting plumbing since the relief is almost directly over the drain valve.  Teed into the cold water seems to be working quite well and we have plenty of hot water.  Now I need to disassemble everything again and install a tempering valve.  Two days ago I wasn't very good at sweating pipes.  I am now!

[Revx1000]

when i hooked up mine it did the same , what i have found is there is a plastic drain back valve in the out let of the water heater , iremoved it and problem sovled .  what happens is the water flow will come from the bottom of the heater via the side arm . getting that little sucker out of there is kinda a botch to do . i used oring picks ,flat blade screw driver and long noise needle pliers and a choice words . i love this side arm have not had the power turned on to the hot water heater since i lit the stove 1st oct   

[Jared43758]

You should be able to turn the electric off to your hot water tank.

[mlappin]

Our gas is off to our hot water heater.