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  • pbolding
    pbolding Posts: 38 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    Here is the problem: a few years ago the cold water tank in the loft overflowed and flooded the house. We had the overflow fixed (!) and changed the ballcock but never really understood why it happened. I have a suspicion water was somehow entering the tank from one of the outlets. Now it is overflowing again - to the outside. Is there anything that can cause that to happen intermittently?

    There are in fact two linked cold tanks; it looks as if in the past the seating of the original ballcock corroded and a new tank was added, the two being joined at the bottom.

    Most taps are gravity-fed but we have two mixers on the ground floor where the cold is mains pressure; is there any way that can get into the hot system and back to the loft tank?

    Grasping at straws here. Thanks for reading this.
  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    pbolding wrote:
    Here is the problem: a few years ago the cold water tank in the loft overflowed and flooded the house. We had the overflow fixed (!) and changed the ballcock but never really understood why it happened. I have a suspicion water was somehow entering the tank from one of the outlets. Now it is overflowing again - to the outside. Is there anything that can cause that to happen intermittently?

    There are in fact two linked cold tanks; it looks as if in the past the seating of the original ballcock corroded and a new tank was added, the two being joined at the bottom.
    Are the two tanks the same size ?? Sometimes an extra tank could be put there is give the property more volume of water, but I don't see why they would fit a new tank when a replacement ballcock is only about £5 :confused:
    pbolding wrote:
    Most taps are gravity-fed but we have two mixers on the ground floor where the cold is mains pressure; is there any way that can get into the hot system and back to the loft tank?

    Grasping at straws here. Thanks for reading this.
    Depending on what make and model of mixer tap you have (millions of choices), it's possible that the mains water could go through the tap, back up the hot and push the water back through the cylinder to the tank. A single check valve on the hot supply to the tap would rectify this problem.

    rob :D
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • Hi Ian
    Whenever i flush my toilet the shower seems to 'burp'? you can hear a gargle then a burp come from the plughole... is this a simple fix?
    many thanks in advance
    glen
  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    glenbat wrote:
    Hi Ian
    Whenever i flush my toilet the shower seems to 'burp'? you can hear a gargle then a burp come from the plughole... is this a simple fix?
    many thanks in advance
    glen
    Sounds like indigestion to me ! :rotfl:
    Have a think about what you are feeding your toilet !! :rotfl:

    Does the shower waste go into the same waste pipe as the toilet..near to it ?
    If it goes in the pipe on the horizontal section(if part of it is horizontal), and the toilet is first into the pipe then the shower. The water from the toilet going past the shower waste pipe can cause this noise.
    It's air being drawn out of the shower trap.

    rob
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • Hi , I have air in the bathroom radiator (lots) and have to drain it all the time . One of the bedroom ones has lots of air in too . Is there anything I can do with this ??
  • gizzmo_2
    gizzmo_2 Posts: 140 Forumite
    Hi Rob or Plumb1 (or anyone else who may know)
    Are there any dos and donts about what can/cannot be connected to the water mains?
    My plumber has suggested connecting the toilet cistern and the bathtub and washbasin to the mains. They are currently connected to the water tank which services several flats - we are in a block of flats - and all I get is a trickle....also during peak hours in the morning when everyone is using the bathrooms - the water pressure I get is dire - even with a pump for a power shower.

    I was wondering if there were any reasons why this would not be allowed - ie to connect everything up directly to the mains?
    Thanks in advance
  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi , I have air in the bathroom radiator (lots) and have to drain it all the time . One of the bedroom ones has lots of air in too . Is there anything I can do with this ??
    You need to :
    Check there are no leaks in the system.
    Introduce an inhibitor to stop the system coroding.

    You will find that the air is Hydrogen.
    Hold as glass upside down above the air vent and release the gas into the glass - light it ..and it will pop. This is hydrogen and is caused by the Hydrogen being forced out of the water.

    rob :D
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • robowen
    robowen Posts: 3,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    gizzmo wrote:
    Hi Rob or Plumb1 (or anyone else who may know)
    Are there any dos and donts about what can/cannot be connected to the water mains?
    My plumber has suggested connecting the toilet cistern and the bathtub and washbasin to the mains. They are currently connected to the water tank which services several flats - we are in a block of flats - and all I get is a trickle....also during peak hours in the morning when everyone is using the bathrooms - the water pressure I get is dire - even with a pump for a power shower.

    I was wondering if there were any reasons why this would not be allowed - ie to connect everything up directly to the mains?
    Thanks in advance
    Connecting up to the mains isn't a problem as far as a toilet and wasbasin is concerned.
    A lot of houses that have combi boilers are all mains water fed to all appliances. Theres no water tank in the loft

    Not sure how your plumber is going to get you mains water in a block of flats ?
    Unless your kitchen is already supplied with mains water ??

    Make sure you ask the plumber to add a check valve to the inlet of your 'new' supply to prevent backflow.

    rob :D
    If only everything in life was as reliable...AS ME !!
    robowen 5/6/2005©

    ''Never take an idiot anywhere with you. You'll always find one when you get there.''
  • plumb1_2
    plumb1_2 Posts: 4,395 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    There should be mains/drinking water to the kitchen sink,so he should be able to tap into that for your w/c and basin.
    As Rob says install a doulbe check valve in the system
  • gizzmo_2
    gizzmo_2 Posts: 140 Forumite
    Thanks Guys - My Plumber has tapped into the mains which comes into the kitchen and yes - he has shown me the new stop valves that he has installed as well. I have learnt a lot.

    Cheers
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