Pipe dripping from roof not sure why?

snewman · 18 Sep 2006

hello - any help gratefully received as have so far not been able to get a plumber to even call me back on this!

Couple of weeks back we had a powercut when I had the hot water heating up. We have a potterton boiler will be 10 years old so far worked OK. Came home after a hour or so of elec being off and overflow pipe is dripping. 30 mins later it's gushing! Turned stopcock off and stopped drained out the hot water from the tank into the bath and thought everything OK but not so.

Hubby replaced the ball bit that goes in the tank as this was covered in limescale but we still have this dripping problem so have to use hot water and then turn off water supply. Can't go on like this not knowing what the problem is.

We have a small house and we have a mixer tap for our shower / bath taps no electric shower so need the hot water on.

Hope someone can help. Maybe nothing to do with powercut but v strange coincidence.

JohnD · 18 Sep 2006

Get torch, go in loft, see how many water tanks (cisterns) you have up there. Probably one big one (for taps) and one small one (for boiler).

Look under their lids and see if one of them is so full as to be overflowing down the pipe you mention.

Compare this to the other tank, and see if the water level is higher or lower (relative to the loft floor) than the water level in the other one.

Bail out the overflowing cistern with a bucket or something.

Observe if the ball valve appears to be be dripping or weeping water into the tank; and does it appear to be coming from the joint where the valve is attached, or from the pipe where the water feed is meant to flow.

Lift up the float and see if the water flow stops.

Climb back down. Have you got a hot-water cylinder which is heated by the boiler?

Come back here and tell us all those interesting things, and we will probably be able to tell you what the trouble is.

ChrisR · 18 Sep 2006

Good list John. When we have all the info let's see if we can have fewer opinions than experts this time

JohnD · 18 Sep 2006

I forgot to add the one about the mixer tap "does the shower tap receive cold water from the tank, or is it cold at mains pressure?"

(numbskull

)

ChrisR · 18 Sep 2006

And is the kitchen tap a mixer, if so what type..

snewman · 18 Sep 2006

Many thanks guys, I'll do as you say tonight and get back to you. Cheers, snewman

holty · 18 Sep 2006

hi just a question when your hubby replaced the ball valve did he get a brass part 1, ball valve. what could be the problem is that you cant adjust the water level so just bend the arm so the water level is lower.

snewman · 19 Sep 2006

Hi guys, have followed advice and here are observations...

Get torch, go in loft, see how many water tanks (cisterns) you have up there. Probably one big one (for taps) and one small one (for boiler). Yes we have both
Look under their lids and see if one of them is so full as to be overflowing down the pipe you mention.

Currently not so full as have been turning water off at the main stop cock at night but does fill if stop cock is left on.
Compare this to the other tank, and see if the water level is higher or lower (relative to the loft floor) than the water level in the other one.

Small tank level does not appear to have moved in some time as can see line of dirty residue around level

Bail out the overflowing cistern with a bucket or something.

Observe if the ball valve appears to be be dripping or weeping water into the tank; and does it appear to be coming from the joint where the valve is attached, or from the pipe where the water feed is meant to flow. I replaced the ball valve with a brand new one and it works fine
Lift up the float and see if the water flow stops. Yes
Climb back down. Have you got a hot-water cylinder which is heated by the boiler? Yes

Come back here and tell us all those interesting things, and we will probably be able to tell you what the trouble is.

We have a Themostatic mixer tap for the shower (the hot water for which comes from the hot water cylinder)

There is a standard kitchen tap set, which has the hot and cold taps and the water comes out of one ‘swan neck’ style spout.

snewman · 20 Sep 2006

Hello can anyone help???

JohnD · 20 Sep 2006

OK, now turn the water back on and sit in the loft with your torch to see where the water is coming from - if, as you say, there is no sign of high water level in the small tank, then it is presumably overflowing from the big one. As you say the water is gushing you should be able to see the flow.

The question about the water level (relative to the floor) in the two tanks, is that if there is a damaged coil i the cylinder, water can flow from one to the other. So which is higher off the floor?

Have a look at the ball valves and see which of then is letting water in. It is not unusual for a ballcock to drip or leak.

If neither ball cock is letting water in (look very carefully) then suspicion turns to the mixer taps. If they have service valves on there tails to the tap, tun those off. If not, feel the pipes to the taps to see if there seems to be cold water flowing up the hot pipe.

snewman · 20 Sep 2006

Thanks will get hubby to do all this. Cheers.

JohnD · 20 Sep 2006

It's woman's work !

snewman · 20 Sep 2006

Yeah I could do it but then who'd keep the kids from climbing up the ladder to the loft and please don't say hubby!!

wilgartw · 20 Sep 2006

send the kids up there (after they have finished sweeping the chimney)

snewman · 20 Sep 2006

But then they will find all their christmas pressies!

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Pipe dripping from roof not sure why?

holty

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