Cold Tap In Bath Not Running.

[AndyMoss]

Hi,

Hope someone can help. After a few weeks of intermittent running - sometimes a trickle, sometimes an OK amount - the cold tap in my bath has stopped completely. I believe it is fed from the tank in the loft because the bathroom toilet is also fed from there and in looking for a solution I shut off a stopcock which shut off the toilet and what was tickling out of the bath tap.

I haven't been up to check the tank as yet as the toilet is filling up normally so I surmise that the tank is filling OK - I can hear it tootling away after a flush. The pipe from the tank comes down from the loft and then I presume it splits off under the floor to the the toilet and the bath. I read somewhere that if you connect a mains tap to the bath tap and open both up this can fix an airlock, but I tried and it didn't work.

Any help or suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

[Armo74]

If your cold tank was empty you would not get hot water either.

If your tap is of the non quarter turn type the jumper is probably stuck.
You will need to strip the tap down and take a look.

 

[AndyMoss]

Thanks for that. I have a combi boiler installed, so all hot water comes from there, and the upstairs cold water in the bathroom basin is mains. Your tap theory would explain the gradual decline in water over the last couple of weeks. I should have probably explained that it is a mixer tap with a shower attachment. The hot water runs fine, but ever since it was installed it has never mixed particularly well.

 

[AndyMoss]

Just had another look at the problem and it definately looks like a problem with the tap. Hot tap will turn loads of times whilst the cold will barely do 360 degrees. Will take of the head and have looks. Thanks again.

 

[HERTS P&D]

The worm has come apart!

Andy

 

[CBF]

plus if you have a combi why have they left the roof tank connected & not swapped all the cold supplies to mains ?

 

[AndyMoss]

Hi CBF, No idea. They took the old immersion heater out, but the cold tank is still up there gurgling away, seemingly only supplying the upstairs toilet and bath. The combi installation was a grant job so I suppose they do the bare minimum to get the system going. If they didn't need to take the tank out, then I suppose they wouldn't. More costs?!

 

[CBF]

done plenty of grant work & tbh we normally just disconnect the roof tank & leave it up there, but we always connect the cold supplies to mains

 

[AndyMoss]

I live in West Wales, and an old house isn't a house round here unless it's got either fruity plumbing or electrics! . I would have preferred if they had taken everything out, as the toilet cistern leaks a tiny amount into the bowl so the tank is gurgling nearly 24/7, but that's a problem for another day. I'll have a look at the tap tomorrow and report back.

 

[AndyMoss]

Thanks again Armo74! I took the tap head out to have a look tonight and it appears that it was just jammed. All the washers looked in good nick. I split the head in two and put it back together and now it all works fine! - The plumbing equivalent of turning it off and on again.

The mixer taps still don't actually mix for the shower (half price in B&Q, and now I know why) but at least I now have cold water for a bath.