I wonder if anyone on here can help me.... about 7 years ago we had a loft extension done and, at the same time, the plumber on that job replaced our existing "family" bathroom. Once he'd finished I noticed that a lot of swarf and "muck" was emerging from the taps in the bathroom (bath and sink) but he said this was caused by the "disturbance" to the cold water tank in the loft being moved during the loft extension build and it would settle. After about a year all cold water to the sink, bath and toilet in the "family" bathroom ceased. Couldn't find original plumber but found some advice on the net about putting a mains fed hose onto one of the taps thus forcing water through the system. This worked, and it has been fine ever since. Until the last few months. It happened again in January so we used the same method but it has happened again twice in the last four weeks and, obviously, we can't keep pulling a hose through the house to fix the problem. The hot water through the whole house (hot water storage system) is fine. All mains fed cold water is fine. The cold water storage tank in the loft fills just fine. The only "equipment" effected are the cold taps and the toilet cistern in the one bathroom. Is there some kind of "wire" or something similar to what you would use on blocked waste pipes which I could run through from the outlet in the tank? Thanks for any help you can give.....
Blocked cold water pipe?
- Thread starter Rabbitgirl
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The tank looks completely clean. The last time we blew the pipe out we also had someone watching at the tank and the only thing that came back was water.
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Okay but how do I find/remove the blockage? I can drain the tank by running hot taps and that is how I drained it and cleaned it previously - but it was pretty clean TBH, just a little "silt" in the bottom, no big "bits".
Mor information about my set up.... there are three outlets from the cold water storage tank. One goes to a pump for the shower in the loft extension... that has never blocked. One supplies the cold water to the hot water tank ... never blocked. And one goes to the "family" bathroom... that is the one that is blocking with increasing frequency.
You have found it by means of the blocked tap.
Turn the supply off, don't drain the tank.
Nope, you did not clean it, you drained it; two different things
Okay. I have THREE blocked taps, one whole bathroom with several meters of pipe between the bathroom and the tank.
and I think I DID clean the tank -- i.e it was drained, the last couple of inches of water was scooped out, the bottom of the tank was sponged and and I cleaned the tank. I'm a housewife - cleaning is what I do best
No matter how I drain the tank I still won't solve the blockage will I?
and I think I DID clean the tank -- i.e it was drained, the last couple of inches of water was scooped out, the bottom of the tank was sponged and and I cleaned the tank. I'm a housewife - cleaning is what I do best
No matter how I drain the tank I still won't solve the blockage will I?
Ah... I've just re-read your answer. You mean to cut the supply from the tank to the pipe (I thought you mean the mains into the tank ..sorry) and then drain the water from between the tank and the bathroom.
My problem (as I see it)... there is NO water coming out in the bathroom so how far up the several meters of pipe (most of which is inaccessible without dismantling two bedrooms and an extension floor) do I cut before the water comes out and then how do I clear whatever is blocking it?
My problem (as I see it)... there is NO water coming out in the bathroom so how far up the several meters of pipe (most of which is inaccessible without dismantling two bedrooms and an extension floor) do I cut before the water comes out and then how do I clear whatever is blocking it?
if your bathroom taps have aerators on the end unscrew them and clean them out, surprising how much debris collects and stops the flow. they look like this on the end of the taps
View media item 33368
View media item 33368
No, cut the pipe just before the blocked tap. No need to drain the tank.
Thanks, not that. No cold water to any of the outlets in the bathroom, toilet, bath or sink. I take them off to remove the limescale once a month anyway.
We have a blockage IN the pipe. We have tried forcing it back to the tank but no joy. That does seem to solve the problem temporarily each time but it comes back quicker and quicker. The tank IS clean as it has BEEN cleaned. No debris in there. Three outlets from the tank all at same level and only the one ever gets blocked.
I need to know if there is any other way to clear a blockage in a cold water pipe (from CWS not mains) other than forcing through mains pressure as I can't be doing that every week.
I need to know if there is any other way to clear a blockage in a cold water pipe (from CWS not mains) other than forcing through mains pressure as I can't be doing that every week.
Yeah I get that but it is not one blocked tap, the WHOLE bathroom (basin, sink and toilet cistern) have no cold water. WHERE do I cut the pipe without knowing where the blockage is. The distance from the outlet on the tank to the bathroom is about 10/12 metres with most of the pipe inaccessible without taking up four carpets, two lots of bedroom furniture, one double bed and a 4 layer sound and fireproofed flooor. The blockage could be anywhere along that run which is has 5 elbow joints that I can see in the loft let alone any under the floors/in walls.
Looks like Picasso beat me to it; sounds like an airlock
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