Feel a complete drip

[Chris_E_Dub]

Myself and my finacé moved into a new property last Friday. We had no problems with the water supply until last night, when we were using the hot tap downstairs in the kitchen and the water ran to a trickle. I assumed this was an airblock and read through my DIY book to see how to fix it. It transpires there might be something more to this though – we have no water at all from the bath or sink taps upstairs in the bathroom, or from the hot tap dpwnstairs. The cold tap in the kitchen is fine as is the electric shower. The boiler is unable to fire up as there is no supplly of water to it.

I went up to the loft to check the ball cock was free to move and lo and behold the cistern was entirely empty. It was 11pm at the time, so there was a bit of a limit to what I could do there and then, but I tried cleaning (a small amount of) scale from the feeder/tap that lets the water in to the cistern, but this made no difference. The header tank seems to be okay, and when the ball cock in there is movec, water flows in – but is this coming from what little is in the cistern?

Does this scenario sound familiar, or more importantly, like it will be simple/cheap to remedy? I am kind of hoping that it is simply the mechanism that lets the water in that needs cleaning or replacing..?

Many thanks

 

[Bahco]

Sounds like float valve failure
Go to your local plumbers merchants and buy a high pressure float valve and new float (less than a fiver )
They are straitforward to fit, turn off water and replace ensuring you set the water level (by bending the metal arm up or down carefully) to 1 inch below the overflow level.
Let us know how you get on

 

[blahblah]

Have you checked that the feed into the cold tank isn't actually turned off? (Header tank isolated seperately I hope). Can't see why boiler should be affected. Perhaps more detail required.

 

[DP]

Blahblah, could you email me , to discuss game of football with gas hose on a forum elsewhere

 

[Dragonrider]

Are you sure some little plonker hasn't turned your stop cock off at your boundry line?

Sounds like the last occupants may have turned the water off, just in case, when they left, and you've used up what you had in the tank by now.

Might be worth checking the outside supply to be sure it's turned on?

OR, haven't they paid the bill, and your local water co has turned you off?

 

[salem2000]

Are you sure some little plonker hasn't turned your stop cock off at your boundry line?

Sounds like the last occupants may have turned the water off, just in case, when they left, and you've used up what you had in the tank by now.

Might be worth checking the outside supply to be sure it's turned on?

OR, haven't they paid the bill, and your local water co has turned you off?

The tap in Kitchen and header tank supply is working, so i'd go with the ball valve.

 

[blahblah]

DP. How do I get your email address?

 

[moderator]

item 13 here

 

[blahblah]

I don't appear to be on the pace here. How do I view his profile to find the email button please?

 

[breezer]

use the search facility.

type in name (author of post bit) of who you are looking for

it then shows all posts by theat person, click on profile

 

[breezer]

use the search facility.

type in name (author of post bit) of who you are looking for

it then shows all posts by that person, look for a post they started, click on their name, it will then show their profile.

 

[oilman]

Please read both of breezers posts, they are not identical despite looking very much like a "double-post".

It is part of breezers plan to get an average posting rating of 10 posts/day. (Not sure how he manages to find so much time to follow such a sad existence )

breezer, do you have shares in DIYnot Ltd?

 

[ChrisR]

If your boiler is a combi it would NOT be connected to a cistern for its supply!

Start to take the ball-valve apart in situ - undo the big knurled nut a bit. It should start to squirt you with water, which would be a good sign - but turn the water supply off then. Keep dismantlning and take out the conical plastic bit (usually white plastic) You may find it's FULL of crud. Clean it all out or buy another cone.

If you go for a whole new valve you need to buy a BS1212 PART 2 float valve (Not Part 1). You don't bend the arm at all on those, you undo the screw clamping the ball to the L shaped brass rod and slide it up or down as required.

 

[Chris_E_Dub]

Thanks for all your comments dudes – bought a new ball valve and fitted it – now everything is fine – the previous valve had had the button (not the correct word, I am sure) wedged in due to so much scale and corrossion, but the new one is allowing the cistern to fill, and cuts off when it reaches maximum capacity.

Wicked!