Help urgently needed please

[Manintrouble]

Hello

I hope someone can help and sending thanks in advance to anyone who responds

A few days ago in this appalling weather, my partners at had no water coming out of her bath taps and no hot water out of any of her other taps,, just cold water, then the next day there was no water at all

24 hours later the water company announced there was a burst pipe in the road which apparently caused her issues

They have now 18 hours later repaired the burst pipe and she has cold water coming into her kitchen, toilet and bathroom sink, she has no water at all coming into the bath, and no hot water anywhere in the flat

She is supplied by an immersion heater and is all electric, no gas boilers to be concerned with

He water has now been back on for about 5 hours and still nothing coming from the hot taps or the cold tap in the bath tub

The immersion tank feels warm as do the pipes coming out of it

She is pregnant and really struggling to have a bath, I’ve filled numerous saucepans and kettles to help her but it’s a mission

Can anyone shed some light please

Thank you all

 

[Riley]

Up in the loft there should be a water tank which will feed the hot water cylinder. See if it’s full. If not, ball valve may not be working. If it’s full it probably emptied while the water was off and you may have an air lock

 

[Manintrouble]

Hi thanks for replying, there is no loft in this flat, we have just one big tall white tank in a cupboard

Trying to attach an image of it

 

[Manintrouble]

And this on top of the tank

 

[Manintrouble]

This is how the whole thing looks together

I am sorry but I’m a novice

 

[Riley]

have any valves been turned off while the repair was carried out?? Tricky thing here is you have an unvented cylinder and you need certain qualifications to work on it. Is the pipe coming out the top of the cylinder warm

 

[Manintrouble]

have any valves been turned off while the repair was carried out?? Tricky thing here is you have an unvented cylinder and you need certain qualifications to work on it. Is the pipe coming out the top of the cylinder warm

Hi again and thank you

Nothing was turned on or off, the water company fixed the broken pipe in the street

The pipe at the top of the cylinder is cool, not cold and not warm if that makes sense

 

[Riley]

Ok if waters hot, that pipe should be piping.

I’d suggest that the cylinder may not even be full or the incoming pipe is blocked. There are filters running through that brass valve in the first pic and one of them could be blocked from the repair. Ie some sludge could have gone up the pipe

 

[Manintrouble]

Ok if waters hot, that pipe should be piping.

I’d suggest that the cylinder may not even be full or the incoming pipe is blocked. There are filters running through that brass valve in the first pic and one of them could be blocked from the repair. Ie some sludge could have gone up the pipe

Ok that sounds logical, is this something I can do to get it cleared?

 

[Manintrouble]

You mean this thing I assume lol

 

[Riley]

It’s difficult. You need to ascertain really if there’s water in the cylinder. It’s a tricky situation as you aren’t qualified to work on the cylinder and safety devices involved. How confident are you with plumbing

 

[Scott_D]

Cold water comes out if the hot taps or no water comes out?
Are both immersion heater switched on and set to be on with the timer?

 

[Riley]

@ShaunCorbs what are we happy to suggest if we’re trying to ascertain if cylinder is getting a water feed

 

[ShaunCorbs]

@ShaunCorbs

yes mate?

 

[Riley]

As above mate. Not G3 but pregnant lady in need any thoughts??

 

[ShaunCorbs]

As above mate. Not G3 but pregnant lady in need any thoughts??

carry on as all the safety valves are already in place just cleaning a strainer

need to confirm you have water coming out the inlet to the valve set

 

[Riley]

Could we suggest cranking the first prv

 

[Manintrouble]

It’s difficult. You need to ascertain really if there’s water in the cylinder. It’s a tricky situation as you aren’t qualified to work on the cylinder and safety devices involved. How confident are you with plumbing

I’m pretty confident, but here’s something strange, I left the tap in the bath on, and gave that valve a jolt and suddenly I can hear water running in the bath, I’ve dashed through and there’s scalding water coming through, have checked all hot taps and everything is working normal, did I knock the offending dirt off it’s post? I’ve got the plug in just in case it stops so she can get a bath but it seems to be still going after 5 mins

 

[Riley]

Sounds like there was a blockage probably scooted up the pipe from their repair in the street. I’d suggest you get a g3 qualified plumber out to give the valve a proper clean out. Hope it earns you a few brownie points in the meantime

 

[ShaunCorbs]

op turn the water main off open a cold tap in the bathroom and kitchen sink

wait till the water stops

undo the top nut (above the arrow pointing down)

pull the pipe out of the fitting

this is where you need an extra hand

close both taps that youve opened

get someone to hold a container under the pipe (or you hold one under it)

the get someone to open the stop tap slowly

do you have water

if no theres your problem if yes your problems further down eg stuck check valve / frozen etc

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Sounds like there was a blockage probably scooted up the pipe from their repair in the street. I’d suggest you get a g3 qualified plumber out to give the valve a proper clean out

good old stuck check valve

 

[Nico]

Do these cylinder not need to be filled a certain way as they have an internal air pocket for expansion?

 

[Manintrouble]

Sounds like there was a blockage probably scooted up the pipe from their repair in the street. I’d suggest you get a g3 qualified plumber out to give the valve a proper clean out. Hope it earns you a few brownie points in the meantime

Riley, you are a true gentleman, hank you for sticking with me on this, so late at night, it’s very kind of you
Will get a plumber out tomorrow or Monday but won’t get them on an emergency call now as I was planning, have saved a bit thank you, if you’re local to Hampshire or Dorset I’d gladly buy you a pint

Thank you once more

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Do these cylinder not need to be filled a certain way as they have an internal air pocket for expansion?

no external ex vessel

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Riley, you are a true gentleman, hank you for sticking with me on this, so late at night, it’s very kind of you
Will get a plumber out tomorrow or Monday but won’t get them on an emergency call now as I was planning, have saved a bit thank you, if you’re local to Hampshire or Dorset I’d gladly buy you a pint

Thank you once more

hes one of the goodens

 

[Manintrouble]

hes one of the goodens

That’s an absolute fact, he deserves kudos I’m so grateful

 

[Nico]

no external ex vessel

I had seen instructions stuck to the sides of these that if the PRV is passing you have to shut off cold mains. Open closets tap and hold open the PRV which causes a suction which I had been told was and internal air pocket which acted as expansion within the tank aswell as having your external?

Not G3 trained just what I had been told off someone I use to work along with

 

[Riley]

Do these cylinder not need to be filled a certain way as they have an internal air pocket for expansion?

Not this brand

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I had seen instructions stuck to the sides of these that if the PRV is passing you have to shut off cold mains. Open closets tap and hold open the PRV which causes a suction which I had been told was and internal air pocket which acted as expansion within the tank aswell as having your external?

Not G3 trained just what I had been told off someone I use to work along with

megaflows

 

[Nico]

megaflows

Ah right! Cheers

 

[Best]

I had seen instructions stuck to the sides of these that if the PRV is passing you have to shut off cold mains. Open closets tap and hold open the PRV which causes a suction which I had been told was and internal air pocket which acted as expansion within the tank aswell as having your external?

Not G3 trained just what I had been told off someone I use to work along with

No, nothing really to do to refill that unit other than just turning water on.
It is different if you are turning water off to the unit and opening a tap at a much lower level that needs consideration due to the suction it creates. Danger of cylinder imploding if no relief valve or nut opened on cylinder

 

[Riley]

Are you in Dorset?

 

[Manintrouble]

Are you in Dorset?

Most of the time yes

 

[Riley]

Was gonna offer to look at the brass fitting on your cylinder if I’m anywhere near you

 

[Manintrouble]

Was gonna offer to look at the brass fitting on your cylinder if I’m anywhere near you

Wow that’s a massive thing, the flat is in Poole