No hot water upstairs or downstairs no cold water upstairs

[nickoconnor]

Hello everyone,

I have a problem where my cold water tank in the loft (old galvanized) is not filling up with water.

There is no cold water upstairs and no hot water either.

There IS cold water downstairs but no hot water.

The radiators are working fine and I have bled them just now (not much air in the highest one in the bathroom).

Just wondering why there is no cold water filling up the tank as doesn't this just come from the mains?

I have jiggled the ball cock mechanism but can't tell if there is simply no water trapped behind the mechanism wanting to get in or if there is no water in the pipes coming up into the loft...

Apologies if I have not described the situation very well but i am not familiar with the mechanics.

Any advice would be really gratefully welcome - it being Saturday night!

Many thanks,

Nick.

 

[nickoconnor]

I should say that I have a boiler (a normal boiler, not a combination one) downstairs with a small tank for the radiators in the loft.

Sometimes, when we have all used up the water with baths it runs out of water and I have been putting my hand over the cold tap and turning on the hot tap to force water up the cold pipe to rid an air lock which always works...

 

[electronicsuk]

It will most likely be a faulty valve, although I don't know how common it is for them to fail in the closed position. If you turn off your water supply at the mains and crack off the nut on the valve ever so slightly, you should be able to see if there's any water there.

EDIT: As you say there's also a CH header tank, why not push the ballcock in that tank down for a second and see if it starts to fill? It will be fed from the same cold mains as the HW header tank, surely? Also, if your header tank empties after running a bath, it isn't large enough. You either need a bigger one, or a higher flow rate to refill it.

 

[nickoconnor]

Hi Matthew,

That sounds like a good idea! I will go and check that water comes into the small heating tank.

Nick.

 

[nickoconnor]

Hi Matthew,

I pushed the ballcock in the tank down for a second and it starts to fill...

So water gets to that small radiator tank but not the bigger cold water tank.

And, yes, the big cold watre tank needs replacing as the ball cock was bent down and so it only fills up 75% and anyway it is corroded and probably a health risk...

Cheers,

Nick.

 

[electronicsuk]

And, yes, the big cold watre tank needs replacing as the ball cock was bent down and so it only fills up 75% and anyway it is corroded and probably a health risk...

Sounds like your best bet might be to pop to Screwfix or somewhere similar and buy a kit with the tank, ballcock, lid and insulation jacket. As you say, it's probably about time the whole lot was replaced.

 

[nickoconnor]

Hi Matthew,

Yes, you are quite right. to be honest, despite friendly advice, I have been putting off repacing this old tank and its corroded connections for some time...

Good though, to have someone like you suggest the steps to determine the probable cause. I was getting such confused messages from just Googling making me think it could be all sorts of complex boiler things.

Thank you very much and my kindest regards,

Nick.

 

[MrGassafe]

Most likely to be just a blocked nozzle on the float valve.

Isolate the mains supply to the float valve and dismantle and clean the crap from the jet. A good idea to fit a new washer at the same time.

 

[TicklyT]

Before buying a new cold storage tank........


......Measure your loft hatch!


The original tank may have been installed first, and the roof built around it afterwards.
Sometimes it's easier to install two smaller tanks linked together