I think it the cold storage tank that is overflowing as it's closest to the exterior wall.
plumber vs plumber advice
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Oh dear. Spoke to my builder and he doesn't understand what you guys mean. I think that what you are saying is that all the new mixer taps need a single valve check on the tails. My builder has never heard of these before. It's quite possible that all three of the new taps are causing my problem and that by isolating them one at a time I won't be able to prove what you are saying. My builder and his plumber are sticking to the idea that I must replace the hot water tank because it has a faulty coil. But as a layperson I just cannot understand how the hot water tank can be causing this problem when there is no electricity into the property at the moment.
COld water leaks just as well as hot!
It's the pressure which is the problem.
The mains is much higher pressure that the tank-fed, hot water. So you have a crossover somewhere, of high to low pressure water.
This can be:
in a hot water cylinder, but that makes the small (Feed and Expansion = F & E = Central Heating Header Tank) overflow
or any mixer tap, especially monobloc varieties where the two "waters" are closer together.
Brass bodies of some taps can become porous, or plastic mechanisms of mixer taps can "let by". This is VERY common, as DIA says.
Sometimes the pressure inside a tap while hot and cold are open together, is such that the cold pushes the hot backwards through the open hot tap.
If you think it might be the basin tap, run (hot) hot water and feel the pipes. It'll cool down quite quickly if cold is getting back up the pipe. Also (easier) if you open the hot tap after a minute or so it will be much colder than if it weren't leaking internally.
Also, the hot pipe which comes out of the top of the hot water cylinder is normally heated well by convection, if no hot taps are on. If it's getting cold, the CW is coming back up the pipes.
You can't guess which tank is overflowing by assuming it's the one closer the outlet pipe! Have a look.
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isolate all the mixer taps at the same time and see if the problem stops. if it does, you can turn one of them on for a day and see if the problem recurs. if not turn it off again and turn on one of the others. they will probably have been fitted with flexible tap connectors incorporating a service valve which makes it easy. the valve is on the fixing at the end of the flexible hose furthest from the tap. it needs a large screwdriver.
this problem arises with mixer taps which have a high pressure cold supply from the water mains and a low-pressure hot supply from the tank.
some mixer taps can leak internally allowing high-pressure cold to leak upwards into the tank.
ceramic taps do not have tap washers that go up and down. they have porcelain discs with holes in them that slide over each other.
you are going to have to find out for sure if it is the big tank or the little tank that is overflowing.
edited: too slow!
this problem arises with mixer taps which have a high pressure cold supply from the water mains and a low-pressure hot supply from the tank.
some mixer taps can leak internally allowing high-pressure cold to leak upwards into the tank.
ceramic taps do not have tap washers that go up and down. they have porcelain discs with holes in them that slide over each other.
you are going to have to find out for sure if it is the big tank or the little tank that is overflowing.
edited: too slow!
Its not important if neither you nor your builder and his plumber know whats happening.
It is important to find out WHICH tank is overflowing.
THEN see if the ball valve is correctly set.
If not then the crossover will be between a mains cold supply and the tank hot supply.
Finding it can take an experienced person a little while. A high tech aid is a digital thermometer used properly! This works because mains water comes into a property at a lower temperature than ambient. So a passing mixer tap will be cooler when mains water is flowing through it.
Tony
It is important to find out WHICH tank is overflowing.
THEN see if the ball valve is correctly set.
If not then the crossover will be between a mains cold supply and the tank hot supply.
Finding it can take an experienced person a little while. A high tech aid is a digital thermometer used properly! This works because mains water comes into a property at a lower temperature than ambient. So a passing mixer tap will be cooler when mains water is flowing through it.
Tony
DIA, I dont see how you can "know" that its the cold supply tank based on that illogical reason. Or for that matter that the valve is corectly set.
I do agree though that its most likely to be a passing joystick mixer tap. Its a pity that people who install them dont know that you have to fit non return valves ( under teh water regulations apart from anything else! ).
Tony
How about an Agatha Christy weekend Tony
The tank nearest the wall.
There's a small tank in front of it.
As for the new ballvalve one has togive the plumber some some credit, even if they do sound like a van load of Poles.
How about an Agatha Christy weekend Tony
You mean the one in Chesterfield this weekend?
I was going to go there but unfortunately could not see any details of a venue for the curry meal last night so did not go in the end.
I had a Chinese meal in Cov instead.
Tony
Interbuild and a meal at the end of Oct perhaps
Theres also an Installer Live soon!
Tony
Maybe Softus, but ignorance is curable.
Someone once said never argue with a fool, he will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Did someone place a bet on exactly what my problem would be? I won't go into the details - but - I had to print out all your suggestions and hire a second plumber. Then I had to read out your instructions to him and even then he couldn't ... well never mind, it got fixed in the end. I could hear this sort of hissing noise in the kitchen tap when the sink taps had been isolated and the mains water turned on. We explained that he needed to fit a non-return which he thankfully had in the van. He didn't know whether to put it on the hot or cold so my husband said the hot!
So it was the new kitchen tap which was not a joystick.
Thank you very much for all your help. You have saved me at least £350. My faith in plumbers has taken a bit of a bashing tho.
So do I pay the original plumber for replacing the ball cock in the overflow tank? He hasn't given me a bill yet, but if he does...?
So it was the new kitchen tap which was not a joystick.
Thank you very much for all your help. You have saved me at least £350. My faith in plumbers has taken a bit of a bashing tho.
So do I pay the original plumber for replacing the ball cock in the overflow tank? He hasn't given me a bill yet, but if he does...?
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