Refilling Water Tanks in House

We've just had our water supply stopped (for 4-5 days) due to an issue with the well that supplies it. It was turned back on this morning and water is now coming into the house as the cold water kitchen tap works fine.

However it seems that none of the other taps are working correctly yet, and the hot water is still not coming out with any great force. Water does trickle out of the hot water taps (and it is hot) but not a lot, and there is only maybe a dribble from the cold water tap in the downstairs bathroom.

My question would be how long should we expect to wait for the storage tanks in the house (Im assuming its an indirect feed system) to fill up and at what point should be checking for air locks and such things ?

Any advice or help much appreciated.

Thanks.

Reply to
suibhne
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Instead of expecting us to be clairvoyant, why don't you *look* in the storage tanks and see whether they're full?

If the tanks *are* full, but the taps aren't flowing, you've pretty certainly got some airlocks.

Assuming that the incoming supply is at a reasonable pressure, the best way of getting rid of the airlocks is to backflush the pipes - by connecting the incoming supply to each tap in turn (using a hose) and forcing water back up into the tanks.

Reply to
Roger Mills

As MrMills suggested see if the tank is full? then try blowing up the taps in bathroom with the bath one open and blow up the sink tap with an hose.

/me hopes they don't go looking for dynamite.

Reply to
The3rd Earl Of Derby

Thanks for the pointers. The tanks are in quite the awkard position so I haven't been up to check on them yet. I'll leave it for a while yet and if the taps still arent working I'll go have a nosy.

Cheers.

Reply to
suibhne

What sort of set-up is it (all pumped/pressurised, remote cistern, or what)? What was the work on the well (is it in fact a borehole)

- should the people doing the work have made sure your system worked after?

Reply to
Chris Bacon

They should already be full, several times over.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

On 16 May 2006 07:43:29 -0700 someone who may be snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote this:-

There are limits to what posters here can do unless you are prepared to help.

If the water was turned on "this morning" then the tanks should have been full hours ago if the kitchen tap "works fine".

Reply to
David Hansen

A neat trick that may work is to disconnect the hoses to the washing machine (lots of presumptions here) and connect the mains cold at the machine across to the tank hot (basically short-circuit the cold to the hot at the wall behind the washing machine). Then open the hot tap then the cold tap and watch the cold mains fill the hot tank the "reverse" way, hopefully removing air locks in the process.

Mungo

Reply to
Mungo

Okay, thanks again for the helpful posts. Ive checked the water tanks in the attic and they are actually full. Im not entirely sure of the exact nature of the system because a) Im not a plumber and b) we only bought the house.

None of the hot taps or the cold tap in the bathroom are working. The main kitchen tap and outside tap are working however.

Im thinking of hooking up a hose from the main (cold) kitchen tap to the cold and/or hot tap in the bathroom and giving that a go ? Is that likely to work or is there an easier way ?

Thanks a lot.

Reply to
suibhne

|Okay, thanks again for the helpful posts. Ive checked the water tanks |in the attic and they are actually full. Im not entirely sure of the |exact nature of the system because a) Im not a plumber and b) we only |bought the house. | |None of the hot taps or the cold tap in the bathroom are working. The |main kitchen tap and outside tap are working however. | |Im thinking of hooking up a hose from the main (cold) kitchen tap to |the cold and/or hot tap in the bathroom and giving that a go ? Is that |likely to work

IMO ?probably?, but be ready to turn the kitchen tap off in case of problems.

|or is there an easier way ?

When you have done it someone will think of a way. Sods Law is Universal

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

If you have a wet & dry vacuum cleaner you can suck water through the non-flowing taps to get the air-locks out.

Or even with an ordinary vac if you arrange it to suck the water into some intermediate vessel so it doesn't go into the vac.

=====>>===== =========>>===== to vac || || |--||---||--| | | | | -----------

Reply to
John Stumbles

That should be ok. Start with the lowest non-working tap. Note that this will force extra water into the tank(s) - so make sure that the overflows work ok - and don't go too fast!

Reply to
Roger Mills

On 16 May 2006 12:18:46 -0700 someone who may be snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote this:-

If you ever do/get done any work make sure that the new pipework is designed properly, so that air locks cannot form (or can be bled, though this is very much second best).

Reply to
David Hansen

That's a bit like a reverse brake bleeding kit.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

Okay, so I tried hooking up the hose from the outside tap to the cold tap of the bathroom and ran it full for a short time, this removed the block from all the cold taps.

The hot was still blocked so I put my finger over the end of the mixer tap in the kitchen and ran them both full for a while and that then removed the block from all the hop taps!

All sorted now, thanks again for all the helpful advice.

Reply to
suibhne

|Okay, so I tried hooking up the hose from the outside tap to the cold |tap of the bathroom and ran it full for a short time, this removed the |block from all the cold taps. | |The hot was still blocked so I put my finger over the end of the mixer |tap in the kitchen and ran them both full for a while and that then |removed the block from all the hop taps! | |All sorted now, thanks again for all the helpful advice.

You probably moved quite a bit of muck. Run both hot and cold taps for a few mins each to clear things.

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

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