Why would capping/plugging my out line on the hot water tank cause my front loader washing machine to fill up and overflo out the door?

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rufftruff

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So had a hot water tank start to leak. Called a friends plumber who wanted 1800 to replace my 40 gal gas tank. Can't really afford that so we go in DIY mode. To take care of the main issue, the water leaking on floor, I disconnected the tank, and plugged the line. The shut off looked a little iffy, so we turned the water off at curb to do that. Then disconnected the out line and drained tank. We did this so we could have water on. Then last night we kept hearing water dripping. Found a very small but steady stream of water coming out of the out line/supply line that was disconnected from tank. Had not capped that when I took the line off the tank. Didn't know why it was coming out of a line that is disconnected from tank, but didn't want water damage, so I plugged that one too. A few hours later went to go in my utility room and found it laying in water. My front loader washing machine had water in it so full that it was coming out around the door? So my question is WHY?????????????????? Drained washer, and since the only new thing done that day was capping that out line, removed it. Now water is still coming into washer (I can see the little stream running thru where the soap dispenser is) instead of coming out of the disconnected out line on hot water tank like it was Had to turn off at curb again to get it to stop, so now no water again. Help!!
 
If you shut off the cold to the heater and are still getting water out of the hot out sounds like the valve is not holding on the cold in, I would also put a valve on the hot that's disconnected to the fixtures unplug you washer, if it still leaks you may have a bad solenoid valve allowing water to continue to fill ihave seen that before shut off the valves at your hoses
 
If you shut the cold water off at a water heater and still have water flowing somewhere on a hot line, then there is a crossover somewhere.
We see that with lots of shower valves, Kohler K304 series, I've seen it on KWC shower valves and Grohe where a check valves get stuck.
 
So had a hot water tank start to leak. Called a friends plumber who wanted 1800 to replace my 40 gal gas tank. Can't really afford that so we go in DIY mode. To take care of the main issue, the water leaking on floor, I disconnected the tank, and plugged the line. The shut off looked a little iffy, so we turned the water off at curb to do that. Then disconnected the out line and drained tank. We did this so we could have water on. Then last night we kept hearing water dripping. Found a very small but steady stream of water coming out of the out line/supply line that was disconnected from tank. Had not capped that when I took the line off the tank. Didn't know why it was coming out of a line that is disconnected from tank, but didn't want water damage, so I plugged that one too. A few hours later went to go in my utility room and found it laying in water. My front loader washing machine had water in it so full that it was coming out around the door? So my question is WHY?????????????????? Drained washer, and since the only new thing done that day was capping that out line, removed it. Now water is still coming into washer (I can see the little stream running thru where the soap dispenser is) instead of coming out of the disconnected out line on hot water tank like it was Had to turn off at curb again to get it to stop, so now no water again. Help!!
Your washer has a bad solenoid valve.

The solenoid valve should stop all water from entering your washing machine.

The two problems are a coincidence.
 
The water that was coming out of the disconnected uncapped hot line at the water heater could’ve been caused by someone opening the hot and cold of a faucet. The cold water will cross over into the hot pipe and flow back to the piping that’s disconnected at the water heater.

You picking up what I’m laying down ?
 
I had a very similar problem happen, it turns out that water pressure is what keeps the solenoid valves turned off, and if the pressure drops too low, and they pop open, they will leak forever. your washer should have some shutoffs where the hoses connect to the wall, try turning those off.
 
I had a very similar problem happen, it turns out that water pressure is what keeps the solenoid valves turned off, and if the pressure drops too low, and they pop open, they will leak forever. your washer should have some shutoffs where the hoses connect to the wall, try turning those off.
I’ve never seen that happen in almost 40 yrs of plumbing in peoples homes everyday.

I’ve turned peoples hot water off at the water heater and left the cold on thousands of times and the washer solenoids do not leak.
 
I’ve never seen that happen in almost 40 yrs of plumbing in peoples homes everyday.

I’ve turned peoples hot water off at the water heater and left the cold on thousands of times and the washer solenoids do not leak.
Yabut turning it off and cutting the pipe are going to give different results, no?

I suspect the OP has a cross-connect with a small amount of flow.

My vacation house had a solenoid leak when the water pressure dropped to 2-3PSI (around 100 inches of water or less in the cistern and the pressure pump dropped out.) For three months. Now I turn off the washing machine valves when I leave.
 
Yabut turning it off and cutting the pipe are going to give different results, no?

I suspect the OP has a cross-connect with a small amount of flow.

My vacation house had a solenoid leak when the water pressure dropped to 2-3PSI (around 100 inches of water or less in the cistern and the pressure pump dropped out.) For three months. Now I turn off the washing machine valves when I leave.
I cut the cold water off to water heaters all the time to replace the water heaters. The washer doesn’t fill up with water.

What will happen when I do the above water heater replacement is of the homeowner uses a faucet and opens both the hot and cold valves the cold water will back feed through the faucet and the hot pipe back to my open hot pipe I disconnected from the water heater and spill out on the floor.
 

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