Opposite of midas touch... now I've messed water up

pendulum

Ahh!!

Mum has a powershower but it's never used as she has baths. She said I could use it. I did and had a perfectly normal, uneventful shower.

When I went to leave there's hot water pouring out of the overflow.

We went to check the tank upstairs, and the water was hot and above the overflow pipe. It was also leaking from the hole in the tank where the ballcock valve is on to the ceiling as well. That connection should be watertight but it isn't. I can fix that, but that problem only showed itself because the water level went higher than normal because of using the shower.

Anyways, we turned the water off using the valves and drained the tank. I turned the cold water on and everything was fine (the water level remains normal). But now as soon as we turn the hot water valve on, the tank overfills and water gushes out of the overflow again. Even with the shower off.

Does anyone have any ideas?

tlh858

Turn the temperature control on the shower as far towards the cold as possible. Water could be passing through the shower valve from cold to hot.

pendulum

Already done I remember I went to check I'd turned the shower off properly, and it was Off. At that point I also turned the dial fully in to the cold as well. The problem still occured

Stooby2

It sounds like the shower valve has broken internally and is allowing cold water through it into the hot water pipe from the hot tank - forcing hot water from it back up the supply pipe and/or the breather from the loft tank and causing your problem.

Can you isolate the shower valve?

pendulum

I'll have a very good look tomorrow and see if I can. I did encounter one valve on a pipe which is meant to be turned by hand but was jammed solid. That was on a pipe at the back of the airing cupboard and the bathroom is practically behind the airing cupboard so that could possibly be the one, I'm not sure though!

If we can disable just the shower and get the heating back that'll be great, I'll be over there tomorrow for another go! Thanks for the advice.

pendulum

I've just thought of something that may be relevant, but I'm not sure. Although the shower has many different temperature settings, turning the dial just millimeters meant the difference between "too cold" and "scalding hot". So the whole temperature selection panel was a bit pointless. I've been in so many showers that are like that though, that I didn't give it much thought at the time. Maybe that's just an unrelated problem!

T_T_2

pendulum wrote: »

I did encounter one valve on a pipe which is meant to be turned by hand but was jammed solid. That was on a pipe at the back of the airing cupboard and the bathroom is practically behind the airing cupboard so that could possibly be the one, I'm not sure though!

Be careful with that valve if it is proving to be difficult to turn. If it looks like the first valve below it is a gate valve, an obsolete type of valve where the shaft can be snapped very easily. When that happens you then need to replace it. If it is the second type it is a lever valve, and most likely a quarter turn lever valve. As described this only turns through 90 degrees.

Either way I'd have expected there to be an isolation valve (ballofix type) which is the third image below. This is isolated with a flat head screwdriver. Again, depending on the quality of the valve these too can break so go easily.

pendulum

Thanks T.T, there were two of the third type and I've isolated it now and the problem's fixed! The other connection that's stuck would seem to have nothing to do with the shower so I'll leave that alone!

Thanks all!