Limited Hot water out of taps

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29 Mar 2007
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Berkshire
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I have very limited water supply coming out of my HOT waters taps, the
symptom is quite good water flow initially, then rapidly dropping off to a
trickle. This is the same for all the hot water taps, upstairs and downstairs.

The cold supply taps are OK.

It looks like a air lock but I haven't touched the system at all and it was
working last night OK.

Any ideas?
 
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kevplumb said:
1st check the header tank :idea:

He mighn`t have a header tank :idea: Might be a combi ;) .. Do you have a big copper tank in your upstairs area :?:
 
I have a header tank.

But the flow from the cold taps upstairs are fine, which are feed from the
header tank. So why would it be that?
 
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If it's all of your hot taps then the cause is a blockage, which could be either air or debris.

Assuming for the moment that you have a gravity-fed hot water system, then start by having a look in your cold storage cistern (commonly in the loft) - the cistern should have a lid, and the water should be crystal clear.

If all OK there, then have a look at the any valves you find between the CSS and the hot water cylinder; they should all be gate valves, but if any is a stop cock then it could be harbouring a blockage.

Whether or it's air or debris you could use the same method to attempt clearance, which is to couple up the cold mains to a hot outlet.

It's easiest if you happen to have bath filler fed by cold at mains pressure - you just do this:

1. Put your palm under the spout to stop all water emerging.
2. Open the hot tap fully.
3. Open the cold tap partially, for about 10 seconds or so.
4. Close the cold tap.
5. Suddenly remove your palm from the spout (downwards to prevent cuts).

If you can't do it with a bath filler, then use washing machine connections (if you have both hold and cold supplies there) - just couple up one of the appliance hoses to cross connect the hot and cold valves, then:

1. Open cold valve.
2. Open hot valve for 10 seconds or so.
3. Close hot valve.
4. Close cold valve.
5. Open a hot tap somewhere to see if it's cured.

If these don't work for you then come back and seek more advice.
 
cm13551 said:
I have a header tank.

But the flow from the cold taps upstairs are fine, which are feed from the
header tank. So why would it be that?

Has it just happened or has it always been rubbish?
 
But the flow from the cold taps upstairs are fine, which are feed from the
header tank. So why would it be that?

If correctly installed, the feed from your header tank to your cold taps will be at a lower level than the cold feed to your hot water cylinder. The hot would therefore fail before the cold.

I suggest that you physically check the header or run the cold for a while (if access difficult) before investigating further.
 
If correctly installed, the feed from your header tank to your cold taps will be at a lower level than the cold feed to your hot water cylinder. The hot would therefore fail before the cold.
If correctly installed the cold taps will normally be supplied from the mains, the header tank supplies the cold supply & then to the cylinder which is stored Hot water. :oops: :oops: unless it`s tank fed cold water, mainly upstairs, but no hint of that as yet.
 
Bamber gaspipe said:
If correctly installed the cold taps will normally be supplied from the mains, the header tank supplies the cold supply & then to the cylinder which is stored Hot water. :oops: :oops:

Depends where you are.

Regional practice varies. Round here they like to feed cold bathroom taps from the mains, in London they like to feed them from the tank.

I like to feed mine from the tank.
 
[quote="JohnD

I like to feed mine from the tank.[/quote]

Have you had a look at your tank lately??
 
like to feed mine from the tank


Have you had a look at your tank lately? The only reason for houses in the nineteenth century to be fed by a cold supply via a tank was because the incoming supply was notoriously bad, pressure wise, that`s why header tanks for cold water were introduced to
 
Of course!

The tightly-fitting lid keeps the drowned rats from getting out, and the spiders mostly wash down to the bath tap after their legs have fallen off :LOL:

The kitchen tap is mains fed.
 

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