About 2 weeks ago, I discovered a hairline crack about 1/4 way up water tank in loft (causing a wet ceiling).
A plumber has been out to measure up to replace tank, but is busy until next week.
I have, so far, been "managing" the crack in the loft tank by maintaining the water level so that it doesn't seep out of the crack.
I haven't let the water level fall below the top of the outlet pipes.
Except for when I did some laundry (6 days ago) and had to leave the mains tap (under the kitchen sink) running, the water level in the loft tank has not risen much above the crack, just to ensure there is sufficient to replace the amount of water in the hot water cylinder after a bath has been run.
I have been scared of letting it get too low, being fearful of the consequences of an airlock in the pipes.
However, when the level in the loft tank is low, the incoming water does rather stir up the sludge in the bottom of the loft tank.
This morning, the bathroom basin tap stopped running.
There is no water from the cold tap on the bath and the toilet cistern doesn't fill.
So I have no water supply to or from either cold tap in the bathroom and the toilet cistern.
I guess the sludge in the bottom of the loft tank has got into the outlet pipe to the cold system and blocked it?
This has put me in a state of despair and fear.
Added to this are fears that sludge has entered the pipe from the loft tank to the hot water cylinder.
I'm thinking that, to switch on the gas boiler, to heat the water, if the hot water cylinder is not full, would be a major disaster.
Do you know if there is any way I can unblock the loft tank outlet pipe?
Do you think I dare run the risk of running a bath from the hot water cylinder to see if there is still a water supply from the loft to the hot water cylinder?
How dangerous is an empty hot water cylinder?
A plumber has been out to measure up to replace tank, but is busy until next week.
I have, so far, been "managing" the crack in the loft tank by maintaining the water level so that it doesn't seep out of the crack.
I haven't let the water level fall below the top of the outlet pipes.
Except for when I did some laundry (6 days ago) and had to leave the mains tap (under the kitchen sink) running, the water level in the loft tank has not risen much above the crack, just to ensure there is sufficient to replace the amount of water in the hot water cylinder after a bath has been run.
I have been scared of letting it get too low, being fearful of the consequences of an airlock in the pipes.
However, when the level in the loft tank is low, the incoming water does rather stir up the sludge in the bottom of the loft tank.
This morning, the bathroom basin tap stopped running.
There is no water from the cold tap on the bath and the toilet cistern doesn't fill.
So I have no water supply to or from either cold tap in the bathroom and the toilet cistern.
I guess the sludge in the bottom of the loft tank has got into the outlet pipe to the cold system and blocked it?
This has put me in a state of despair and fear.
Added to this are fears that sludge has entered the pipe from the loft tank to the hot water cylinder.
I'm thinking that, to switch on the gas boiler, to heat the water, if the hot water cylinder is not full, would be a major disaster.
Do you know if there is any way I can unblock the loft tank outlet pipe?
Do you think I dare run the risk of running a bath from the hot water cylinder to see if there is still a water supply from the loft to the hot water cylinder?
How dangerous is an empty hot water cylinder?