No hot water from the taps

[36ian]

Hi Everyone,

My hot water taps have stopped working, here's what I've tried so far:-

I've checked the header tank, it's full and the ball valve is working, I've also probed / poked down the connecting pipe to the cylinder with a length of stiff wire about 1M long - still no water present at the taps?

I've connected a hose from the cold tap to the hot tap and turned it up full to create a 'back flow' to try and force out any air locks / blockages, I did this several times - still no water present at the taps other than the cold water I had just forced in?

Does anyone have any suggestions please

 

[seco services]

when you connected the hose to the hot water tap and back filled it did it start back filling the cws tank in the loft ?
have you checked the gate valve is fully open on the cold feed to the cylinder in the airing cupbaord ?

 

[36ian]

Is the CWS tank the header tank?

Please excuse my ignorance!

If it is then no it didn't.

Can I just point out that this is a very old house with very old pipework and the header tank / CWS is directly above the cylinder in a cupboard in the spare room.

Thanks

 

[seco services]

Is the CWS tank the header tank?

yes the larger one.

If it is then no it didn't.

it should start back filling through the feed pipe in the bottom of the cws if this is blocked it should then come out the vent pipe over the top of the cws

Can I just point out that this is a very old house with very old pipework and the header tank / CWS is directly above the cylinder in a cupboard in the spare room.

Thanks

standard set up.

 

[36ian]

it should start back filling through the feed pipe in the bottom of the cws if this is blocked it should then come out the vent pipe over the top of the cws

To be honest I don't think it's getting that far which leaves me thinking the actual pipe is blocked?

Is this possible?

Thanks

 

[seco services]

it is possible

 

[lifesagasman]

try a length of flexible wire longer than 1m (bowden cable)

 

[StephenW]

Not a deliberately stupid question, but when you connected the cold and the hot taps was the cold tap a mains pressure one (as in the kitchen) or is it fed from the cold water tank (often the case in bathrooms)? If the latter then there wouldn't be sufficient pressure to backfill. As stated before it would be worthwhile turning any gate valves and/or stop cocks supplying the hot water cylinder off and back on again. Also check whether any valves/isolators/etc have been fitted into the hot supply from the cylinder and whether these have got turned off. Is the pipe coming out the top of the cylinder hot? If so can you see how far along the pipe starts to get cold?

 

[jackecole]

cold water tank look like there is any dirt, bits of loose insulation, etc in it?

 

[36ian]

When I connected the hot to the cold tap I used a short peice of hose, when I didn't get any results I then ran the garden hose through the bathroom window and connected to the hot tap, the garden hose is connected to the mains water supply - still no result?

There are no gate valves etc on the hot water side that I can see only a valve to the supply for the header tank, which is full.

I cannot see into the header tank as it's fitted into the tightest of spots, in a small cupboard above the cylinder. There's barely enough space to get your hand between the tank and the ceiling but as I've already explained I've poked down the connecting pipe to the cylinder with a 1M length of stiff wire.

Thanks

 

[lifesagasman]

try a length of flexible wire longer than 1m (bowden cable)

 

[jackecole]

Is there absoltuelt NO FLOW AT ALL from the hot taps? Has the flow been getting slower/less gradually over time?

 

[36ian]

The flow from the hot water tap has not been good for the last 10 years. Last week it became very poor and now nothing at all.

Thanks

 

[lifesagasman]

a build-up of feathers...

 

[jackecole]

Do you have a shower? Is this fed from a separate connection to the hot water cylinder than the other hot taps? If so does the hot water on the shower work?

Feel the pipe as it leaves the cylinder - is it hot?

Are your cold taps in the bathroom fed from the same cold water tank too? Are these running ok?