One of my mains taps has stopped flowing - what?

Oct 02, 2007 7 Replies

This is an odd one (to me at least!) We have 3 taps downstairs which are suppplied from the mains. Suddenly the one in the kitchen has gone to a dribble. The others flow normally. What has happened? I can see no sign of anything wrong, no one has turned off the valve on the supply pipe to this tap. Sometimes no water emerges at all; other times, just a little. There are no signs of any leaks/bursts at all. I am unsure as to what the explanation might be. Can any kind expert help please?



not an expert but I have seen taps where although the top appears to be turning the tap on the inside is not moving

isolate and dismantle

Tony

Yes thanks Tony that had vaguely occurred to me. I can try that!

More likely IME to happen to low pressure hot taps. You can get 'tap rejuvenator' kits from plumbing places. Turn off water, unscrew top of tap and remove old gubbins. Insert new gubbins from kit, screw on top of tap, replace knob, turn on water.

Owain

Washer broken up inside and jammed on the seat?

If this tap is the conventional rubber washer/jumper variety the problem you describe can be caused by the small brass circlip coming off the spindle so that the tap handle turns but it doesn't raise the jumper/washer off its seat properly. If you remove the handle and then the bell shaped cover you can see if the clip has come out of its groove on the spindle. The next thing to check is whether the jumper has come unscrewed, and the condition of the washer.

That would be my guess. It almost certainly has to be the tap.

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