Halp! No cold water..

[wafter]

I can no longer get water from the cold taps in the bathroom, while water pressure downstairs appears diminished so I suspect it's only a matter of time until they're the same.

I've just been up in the loft and what appears to be the cold water tank is pretty much full. There are two outlets at the bottom - one plastic which I'm pretty confident feeds the power shower (which still works), the other copper (with what looks like a breather coming out of the top that feeds back into the top of the tank) which I assume feeds the rest of the house and where the problem lies.

The pipes are lagged and the water in the tank isn't frozen so I assume this isn't the problem. As far as I know there are no stop-cocks up there that could have been disturbed (although access is horrible so it's hard to tell); and even if there are nobody has been in the loft. I've tried "pumping" the open end of the pipe in the tank with my palm with both bathroom taps fully open, which achieves nothing.

Presumably there's only so much that can happen in the several metres of pipe between the tank and taps, but it's enough to fox me.

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[irw]

I can no longer get water from the cold taps in the bathroom, while water pressure downstairs appears diminished so I suspect it's only a matter of time until they're the same.

I've just been up in the loft and what appears to be the cold water tank is pretty much full. There are two outlets at the bottom - one plastic which I'm pretty confident feeds the power shower (which still works), the other copper (with what looks like a breather coming out of the top that feeds back into the top of the tank) which I assume feeds the rest of the house and where the problem lies.

The pipes are lagged and the water in the tank isn't frozen so I assume this isn't the problem. As far as I know there are no stop-cocks up there that could have been disturbed (although access is horrible so it's hard to tell); and even if there are nobody has been in the loft. I've tried "pumping" the open end of the pipe in the tank with my palm with both bathroom taps fully open, which achieves nothing.

Presumably there's only so much that can happen in the several metres of pipe between the tank and taps, but it's enough to fox me.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Sorry if this is a silly question, but first off, are you sure you're looking at the potable water tank, not a central heating feed and expansion tank? Is it quite a big tank, or a small one?

 

[irw]

And do you have a hot water cylinder, or a combi boiler?

 

[wafter]

Thanks your reply - there are no silly questions given my total lack of knowledge on such things!

There are two tanks; one larger as described in the OP, one smaller that's next to it. From the routing of the pipes I think the smaller feeds into the hot water cylinder (traditional boiler) so I assume this is the expansion tank for the hot water..

 

[Gunk]

If the cold water tank feeds the shower does the bath cold tap work?

 

[irw]

Thanks your reply - there are no silly questions given my total lack of knowledge on such things!

There are two tanks; one larger as described in the OP, one smaller that's next to it. From the routing of the pipes I think the smaller feeds into the hot water cylinder (traditional boiler) so I assume this is the expansion tank for the hot water..

Not quite- the larger tank will be your cold/hot water for the taps. The smaller one will be the feed and expansion tank for your central heating.

I know you said the pressure seemed less downstairs- is it still working now? It would be unusual nowadays for a kitchen cold tap to be tank fed- usually they're straight off the mains (Branching off the pipe that goes up to fill up the big tank)

 

[annedonnelly]

Another possibly silly question, are your neighbours having any bother with their water?

 

[Gunk]

Not quite- the larger tank will be your cold/hot water for the taps. The smaller one will be the feed and expansion tank for your central heating.

I know you said the pressure seemed less downstairs- is it still working now? It would be unusual nowadays for a kitchen cold tap to be tank fed- usually they're straight off the mains (Branching off the pipe that goes up to fill up the big tank)

Most older houses have this set up especially with a pumped S plan central heating system. Ours is like this so if the pressure is low downstairs then I would guess it’s the main water supply that’s either frozen or there possibly is a leak in the road, as @annedonnelly suggests see if your neighbours are having the same problem.

 

[wafter]

If the cold water tank feeds the shower does the bath cold tap work?

That's a very good point; no... it doesn't - which begs the question as to why..?

Not quite- the larger tank will be your cold/hot water for the taps. The smaller one will be the feed and expansion tank for your central heating.

I know you said the pressure seemed less downstairs- is it still working now? It would be unusual nowadays for a kitchen cold tap to be tank fed- usually they're straight off the mains (Branching off the pipe that goes up to fill up the big tank)

Thanks - so the large tank is basically the "consumable" supply; correct? So the water from that either feeds directly into cold water outlets / appliances or into the hot water tank for the hot taps..? Presumably the "expansion" tank is for the closed heating circuit in that case..?

Another possibly silly question, are your neighbours having any bother with their water?

Turns out I imagine they are on account of the findings below..


Sooooo... had a shower to relieve myself from the bits of glass fibre and mouse sh*t stuck in / on me. After some thought I revisited the loft afterwards to find the feed tank almost completely depleted; suggesting a supply issue.

Quelle surprise, Thames Water's site says they've shut off supply due to a leak

So... since the taps died long before the shower it seems that they're run directly off the mains water; while the shower and (from @irw's observations) hot water are fed from the tank in the loft; which itself of course takes its feed from the mains.

I did spot that the ballcock valve that controls the input to the tank didn't seem to work, but that was evidently where my ability to think critically died..

Tomorrow its potentially going to be wretched if I can't have the usual morning shower before embarking on the day

Thanks for everyones' input - at least it's not one more thing I have to sort out personally..

 

[irw]

Glad to hear you've got to the bottom of it, although...

Presumably the "expansion" tank is for the closed heating circuit in that case..?

Correct, although if I'm being pedantic, the fact it's got a feed and expansion tank means it's a vented, not closed heating system

 

[fossyant]

Cold water is fed direct from mains as you have found out. Hot uses a header tank

 

[annedonnelly]

Thanks for everyones' input - at least it's not one more thing I have to sort out personally..

In general with these things - water, electric, phone lines - I tend to assume it's a more widespread problem before fretting too much.

 

[wafter]

Glad to hear you've got to the bottom of it, although...

Correct, although if I'm being pedantic, the fact it's got a feed and expansion tank means it's a vented, not closed heating system

Cheers - appreciate your point; to try and elucidate my comment the central heating isn't "closed" per se; but does contain a constant, non-consumable working fluid that doesn't go anywhere and is only kept topped up by the external supply... rather than a system that has a constant throughput of fresh water like the water supply itself..?

In general with these things - water, electric, phone lines - I tend to assume it's a more widespread problem before fretting too much.

Indeed; usually with things like the electric it's easy to have a look out of the window (or just listen for the burglar alarms going off).. harder with the water; especially when incorrectly diagnosing it as still coming into the building!