Grit blocking hot water supply to loft conversion shower

[ericcan]

Hello, I’m hoping someone might be able to help me…

I live in a three storey semi detached house. We have a loft conversion, with ensuite shower room. (We call it the top floor)

The cold water in the loft conversion en suite/top floor is mains fed, but the hot water has to be sent upstairs from the cylinder (in the first floor airing cupboard) We have a reverse head pump to do this.

Note also, we have a tank in the roof, which feeds water down to be heated (I guess!) and then stored in the cylinder on the first floor.

Last year, the hot water in the top floor shower stopped working. The cold water (mains) was was fine. Also note, the hot water in the basin next to the shower was fine so we assumed the pump was not the problem.

A plumber came round, opened up the shower and found the filter on the hot water was bunged up with grit and dust. He cleaned it out and all was sorted.

Last week, the exact same thing happened again. I called the same guy out and once again he opened up the mixer shower and found the hot water filter blocked with grit. He cleaned it out and all seemed sorted.

Today I notice the hot water to the shower is again barely a trickle. And again, the hot water to the basin is fine so the pump is working ok.

I’m guessing it’s the same thing again and was going to call the guy out again. The plumber has had £120 from me in the last year just for unblocking the filter twice, can anyone advise me what would be the best long term fix? It’s only been 10 days since his last visit so clearly there is grit somewhere in my system. Would the grit be in the cylinder on the first floor? Or the tank in the roof? Is it possible to get that drained/cleaned?

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Could be the hot water cylinder is getting clogged with limescale, if you are in a hard water area.
2. Could be real grit getting into the cold water storage cistern (loft) and thence into the hot water cylinder.
3. You could drain and clean the cold water storage cistern.
4. You could drain the hot water cylinder (not always so easy). Then if there is access via an immersion heater hole (slacken the immersion before draining) you might be able to scrape the worst of any limescale out.
5. You could get the plumber to fit a decent Y strainer in the hot pipework, in an accessible place, so that you could clean it out yourself.

 

[ericcan]

Thank you oldbuffer, you've given me much to consider. The problem is only on the hot water for the top floor shower, we've not noticed any problems elsewhere...yet.
A good few years ago we did get a bird in the cold water tank in the roof space, maybe I should get that 'serviced'...
Really hoping whatever is the issue doesn't end up costing a bomb!
Thank you again.

 

[flameport]

A good few years ago we did get a bird in the cold water tank in the roof space

That should be impossible - there should be a properly fitted lid so vermin can't enter.

 

[ericcan]

That should be impossible - there should be a properly fitted lid so vermin can't enter.

The lid on the old tank, which must have been decades old, was was not a proper fit and had some how been dislodged. We ended up having to replace the one big tank with two smaller ones with correctly (hopefully) fitted lids. The loft space where the water tank is, is so small and inaccessible they actually had to break up the wooden trim frame around the access point, to get the old tank out and the new ones put in. Will never understand why they put water a tank in such an awkward place.

 

[oldbuffer]

They are often put in before the roof goes on.