Cold Water Problem

[AndrewRoss]

Hi, I have just changed all the taps in my bathroom, the basin ones and the two free standing taps on the bath for a mixer style with a shower head.

Before the tap replacement - I turned off the water supply (downstairs stop valve) and the tap down stairs went off, I then went into the loft and turned off three valves (two from the cold water storage tank and 1 feeding another smaller - header ? tank). Both taps downstairs now don't flow, hot in the bathroom doesn't but the cold upstairs took ages to drain the cold water tank - which drained and didn't refill.

After the tap replacement, I turned on all 4 valves. Downstairs hot and cold are running fine. Upstairs hot is running fine, cold at the start was non-existent. I left the cold water storage tank to refill, which it did, now the cold water tap runs quickly for a second, then really slowly until it almost stops. If I turn the cold water tap on, the toilet cistern stops filling, when I turn it off it starts again - very slowly. The bath mixer cold does the same, quick, slow, trickle, stop. How can I fix this and what do you think had happened?

Thank you for all your help.

 

[kevplumb]

sounds like airlocks do you have a washing machine in the kitchen fed from the main

 

[AndrewRoss]

yeah there is a washing machine fed from the mains

 

[bathstyle]

Classic airlock.

Easy to sort out if it's a hot airlock, not so easy on the cold

try holding the palm of your hand over the bath tap spout and opening the hot and cold tap at he same time, the hot passing through the spout may clear the cold airlock

 

[AndrewRoss]

its the cold tap that's locked, not the hot, thanks for the quick replies though - what do I do for a cold?

 

[kevplumb]

try holding the palm of your hand over the bath tap spout and opening the hot and cold tap at he same time, the hot passing through the spout may clear the cold airlock

wont work if the cold is tank fed

connect the wmc valves together with one of the hoses and open both valves

should blow it out

dont do it for to long tho

 

[bathstyle]

Try what I have suggested, you will notice that the WC will start filling rapidly, wait for it to fill up, then wait some more, keep your hand under the spout the whole time- totally seal the spout off with your hand.

 

[AndrewRoss]

try holding the palm of your hand over the bath tap spout and opening the hot and cold tap at he same time, the hot passing through the spout may clear the cold airlock

wont work if the cold is tank fed

connect the wmc valves together with one of the hoses and open both valves

should blow it out

dont do it for to long tho

erm, what do you mean by wmc valves?

 

[bathstyle]

try holding the palm of your hand over the bath tap spout and opening the hot and cold tap at he same time, the hot passing through the spout may clear the cold airlock

wont work if the cold is tank fed

connect the wmc valves together with one of the hoses and open both valves

should blow it out

dont do it for to long tho

You don't necessarily need mains pressure to blow out the airlock, I have had success with this method, besides the OP has described a cold airlock, what you are suggesting is for a hot airlock

 

[kevplumb]

its the cold tap that's locked, not the hot, thanks for the quick replies though - what do I do for a cold?

first ignore my last post

connect a hose from the cold main to the tank fed tap and same procedure

wet vac on the offending tap has been known to work as well

 

[bathstyle]

I would seriously try my method, it has proven to work.

I have also had success by holding a small piece of hose pipe onto the Cold storage cistern ballvalve spout and the other end down the offending tank connector- poked right inside there. Sounds ridiculous but does work

 

[kevplumb]

I have also had success by holding a small piece of hose pipe onto the Cold storage cistern ballvalve spout and the other end down the offending tank connector- poked right inside there. Sounds ridiculous but does work

this is true have done it myself

 

[AndrewRoss]

Try what I have suggested, you will notice that the WC will start filling rapidly, wait for it to fill up, then wait some more, keep your hand under the spout the whole time- totally seal the spout off with your hand.

OK, I tried this about three or 4 times, the toilet did indeed start filling quicker, but once I let go the cold tap was still running very slowly. How long should I hold my hand there for?

 

[AndrewRoss]

its the cold tap that's locked, not the hot, thanks for the quick replies though - what do I do for a cold?

first ignore my last post

connect a hose from the cold main to the tank fed tap and same procedure

wet vac on the offending tap has been known to work as well

Do you mean a hosepipe from the downstairs cold tap to the upstairs cold tap? Then open both of them?

 

[bathstyle]

its the cold tap that's locked, not the hot, thanks for the quick replies though - what do I do for a cold?

first ignore my last post

connect a hose from the cold main to the tank fed tap and same procedure

wet vac on the offending tap has been known to work as well

Do you mean a hosepipe from the downstairs cold tap to the upstairs cold tap? Then open both of them?

Yes, the mains pressure will clear the airlock, even from an outside tap if that's easier