Air lock-Gravity water system

[Lynn102050]

Hi, I have a conventional 3 bdrm home w/2 baths, one up and one down. I have a 750 gallon water tank about 80 feet above the house level, and have been using this system for 20 years. My wife left the hose on her flowers two nights ago, and ran the tank dry in 4 hours. The next morning we had no pressure even with enough water back in tank to have taken a shower. It has been 2 days, and I still cannot get pressure back. I suspect a problem with the hot water tanks, which are 40 gallons each and located on 2nd floor. I have tried opening all faucets, but get little to no air bursts. I hooked a hose to the hot water tank drain and tried letting them run for about 30 minutes, with no results. It seems like there is little water going into hot water tanks on the supply side. I can open the lowest hose bibb on the outside of house and get a respectable flow, but very little pressure. I can barely get enough hot water in lower shower to take a shower. This happened once before the day we first hooked up the house when it was new 20 years ago, and almost drove my plumber crazy. If finally flushed and has worked flawlessly until now. I have done everything I know that we did back then, but nothing seems to work this time. Can anybody help? Thanks, Lynn

 

[picasso]

You could either let the tank run dry and let it fill up very slowly or back flush with mains water, I suspect your mains water isint very good (hence the tank) which cuts down your options, good luck and be patient.

 

[Nige F]

Hi, I have a conventional 3 bdrm home w/2 baths, one up and one down. I have a 750 gallon water tank about 80 feet above the house level, and have been using this system for 20 years. My wife left the hose on her flowers two nights ago, and ran the tank dry in 4 hours. The next morning we had no pressure even with enough water back in tank to have taken a shower. It has been 2 days, and I still cannot get pressure back. I suspect a problem with the hot water tanks, which are 40 gallons each and located on 2nd floor. . This happened once before the day we first hooked up the house when it was new 20 years ago, and almost drove my plumber crazy. Thanks, Lynn

That`d be our first floor then here in UK . Well, I had a similar problem @ a large old hotel I worked at . There was an air lock in the cold feed from our roof tanks - unusual because most air locks are on the outlet side of the hot water- from the hot tanks . You are on the right track , but need to push water through the drain off to the hot tanks . But you might need to temporarily stop the water coming out of the top of the tanks - thus making it go back up the cold feed . because @ the moment it can go out the ventpipe - all assuming you have a conventional to UK storage set up . Probably best to get a plumber - Maybe those guys from Roto Rooter who do the ghost hunting too

 

[kevplumb]

because @ the moment it can go out the ventpipe - all assuming you have a conventional to UK

mostly unvented here nige

and badly fitted to boot

 

[Nige F]

Bug ger

 

[kevplumb]

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this is the norm

 

[brett1976]

you say u have an air lock maybe , maybe try connecting a pipe directly from ur cold feed to hot tap and force water thru hoping to push air out .

we have like rubber pipes that connect to both and has a shower out let ,
old school mixer shower

also another problem might be because it hasent been drained for 20 years u will have build up in the pipes that once its drain might have caused a blockage ?