help overflow has become a tap

[carol129]

Can any one enlighten me as to what is going on with my water system.
Not been in from work long and ran the cold water tap in the kitchen, suddenly heard water pouring outside the patio door. It seems when i turn on my cold tap either upstairs or down, water is pouring out from my overflow from the cold water main tank upstairs.
Can any one tell me why and what the problem might be.
Many thanks

 

[Bahco]

Sounds like your cold water is finding its way into your hot water cylinder. Have you had a mixer tap or shower fitted lately

 

[carol129]

Sounds like your cold water is finding its way into your hot water cylinder. Have you had a mixer tap or shower fitted lately

No - not had any recent plumbing done at all

 

[Softus]

Are you sure that the pouring is directly related to the turning on of the kitchen tap?

In other words, might it be that the pouring starts when you turn off the cold tap, and stops when you turn on the hot tap?

 

[carol129]

Are you sure that the pouring is directly related to the turning on of the kitchen tap?

In other words, might it be that the pouring starts when you turn off the cold tap, and stops when you turn on the hot tap?

Only the cold flow of the mixer tap in the kitchen was being run (was running for a few minutes) when it was noticed water was pouring from the overflow outside. The tap was turned off and the flowing continued outside for a while longer then stopped. At first I didnt relate it to turning the tap on until it begain again on turning the tap on again. I then tried the bathroom cold tap, nipped downstairs and the poring was there again. Tried the downstairs again and it was the same. Strangely enough I have tried it again a few mins ago and it does not appear to be doing it now so I am a bit puzzled.

 

[Softus]

If it's the fault that Bahco has alluded to, then then the pouring will lag behind the last use of a tap.

Turning the cold tap on will lead to the pouring slowing and then stopping.

Turning the cold tap off will quickly lead to the pouring starting.

Turning the hot tap on will lead to the pouring stopping more quickly.

Turning the hot tap off will, after a significant delay, lead to the pouring starting.

If the behaviour is different to the above then you have a different problem to the increasingly commonplace one of a faulty mixer with unbalanced supplies.