[Misc] Plumbing advice?

[Balders]

Quick question - was in the loft this morning and noticed a slow steady drip coming from the Header Tank. Ran the hot water in the bathroom for 30 secs and back in the loft the Header Tank was filling (as it should?) and then when it stopped, the slow steady drip appeared again. Nothing coming out of the overflow - is the ball valve on the way out or is this normal?

 

[beorhthelm]

ahead of random relies, you'll need to be more specific where the drip is from. a joint, a pipe, up high or bottom?

 

[Balders]

ahead of random relies, you'll need to be more specific where the drip is from. a joint, a pipe, up high or bottom?

assuming from the ball valve as it's dripping into the Header Tank - not got as far as inspecting as yet.........

 

[BN9 BHA]

Ask tomorrow as advice is double time on a Sunday

The ball valve will drip for a while after running water from the hot tap (or cold bathroom taps if connected to the tank)
The brass type ball valve doesn’t shut off immediately when the tank has refilled.
If the water wasn’t used overnight or for a whole day I would say water would drip from the overflow pipe if the ball valve was not shutting off properly.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Ask tomorrow as advice is double time on a Sunday

The ball valve will drip for a while after running water from the hot tap (or cold bathroom taps if connected to the tank)
The brass type ball valve doesn’t shut off immediately when the tank has refilled.
If the water wasn’t used overnight or for a whole day I would say water would drip from the overflow pipe if the ball valve was not shutting off properly.

Get that invoice off and it should be enough to cover tonight's shenanigans

 

[Baldseagull]

Quick question - was in the loft this morning and noticed a slow steady drip coming from the Header Tank. Ran the hot water in the bathroom for 30 secs and back in the loft the Header Tank was filling (as it should?) and then when it stopped, the slow steady drip appeared again. Nothing coming out of the overflow - is the ball valve on the way out or is this normal?

Push the float down so that another litre or so of water comes into the tank and let it go, if it still drips, then its leaking, if not, it is just not fully shut off at the point when it starts dripping instead of flowing.
If the water into the tank is easy to isolate, you could take the valve apart and clean it, it's probably a bit of scale, or might need a new washer. Plumber would probably just replace the whole thing, they are pretty cheap.

 

[Mr Bridger]

Ask tomorrow as advice is double time on a Sunday

The ball valve will drip for a while after running water from the hot tap (or cold bathroom taps if connected to the tank)
The brass type ball valve doesn’t shut off immediately when the tank has refilled.
If the water wasn’t used overnight or for a whole day I would say water would drip from the overflow pipe if the ball valve was not shutting off properly.

Very much this so get the ball valve changed first.

Depending on age of house, sometimes you will have hot/ cold/ heating pipes under the screed downstairs and as a water leak detective I’ve seen this many times where the pipes can pinhole, so if this has happened on hot supply it will let out water and tank will constantly keep filling without overflowing.

 

[Balders]

Very much this so get the ball valve changed first.

Depending on age of house, sometimes you will have hot/ cold/ heating pipes under the screed downstairs and as a water leak detective I’ve seen this many times where the pipes can pinhole, so if this has happened on hot supply it will let out water and tank will constantly keep filling without overflowing.

We had a new kitchen a couple of years ago and moved the sink and all the plumbing was above ground as all was visible. The only other thing to move was the mains that came up under the floor which was piped to the new location of the sink/plumbing.

 

[zefarelly]

Push the float down so that another litre or so of water comes into the tank and let it go, if it still drips, then its leaking, if not, it is just not fully shut off at the point when it starts dripping instead of flowing.
If the water into the tank is easy to isolate, you could take the valve apart and clean it, it's probably a bit of scale, or might need a new washer. Plumber would probably just replace the whole thing, they are pretty cheap.

I stripped and rebuilt one in an old Art deco toilet some years ago, it was like new inside aside the washer . . . The new plastic stuff typically lasts about 5-7 years before it fails . . .

 

[Mr Bridger]

We had a new kitchen a couple of years ago and moved the sink and all the plumbing was above ground as all was visible. The only other thing to move was the mains that came up under the floor which was piped to the new location of the sink/plumbing.

You’ll be fine then if all above ground, just a faulty ball valve.

 

[Balders]

The saga continues........ mate is a plumber and he replaced the ball valve yesterday in the large cold water tank (we have two connected together, aren't we lucky!) Checked it this afternoon after not touching a hot water tap for a couple of hours, seemed ok so went for a wizz and flushed the toilet. Went back and it had started filling - wasn't aware that it may feed the toilet? Anyway it carried on merrily filling for half an hour, steadied to a drip (worse than with the old ball valve!) then stopped...........but 2 mins later started filling again. Popped into the loft with my torch and it was sporadically filling/dripping/stopping every couple of minutes - no taps/toilet touched. While I was up there at a point when it stopped, got Mrs B to flush the toilet to replicate and nothing! 2 mins later it started flowing again.....

It looks as though the ball valve is less than a ml from shutting off most of the time - it did stop straight away when I lent on the cold water feed which meant the float moved upwards! Water level looks just below where it should be from the watermark on the side of the tank - no overflow issues.

I'm a simple bloke with half a grasp of most things (a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous) but I've no idea where the water from the tank is going for it to refill without touching anything (no evidence of leaks) Not looking like the ball valve, in fact the dripping now appears to be worse....

Plumber mate went on hols this morning - any ideas?

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

Being a basic DIY guy with as much knowledge as yourself, are the flush valves in your cisterns seated properly and not letting a small amount of water leak into the toilet?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The saga continues........ mate is a plumber and he replaced the ball valve yesterday in the large cold water tank (we have two connected together, aren't we lucky!) Checked it this afternoon after not touching a hot water tap for a couple of hours, seemed ok so went for a wizz and flushed the toilet. Went back and it had started filling - wasn't aware that it may feed the toilet? Anyway it carried on merrily filling for half an hour, steadied to a drip (worse than with the old ball valve!) then stopped...........but 2 mins later started filling again. Popped into the loft with my torch and it was sporadically filling/dripping/stopping every couple of minutes - no taps/toilet touched. While I was up there at a point when it stopped, got Mrs B to flush the toilet to replicate and nothing! 2 mins later it started flowing again.....

It looks as though the ball valve is less than a ml from shutting off most of the time - it did stop straight away when I lent on the cold water feed which meant the float moved upwards! Water level looks just below where it should be from the watermark on the side of the tank - no overflow issues.

I'm a simple bloke with half a grasp of most things (a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous) but I've no idea where the water from the tank is going for it to refill without touching anything (no evidence of leaks) Not looking like the ball valve, in fact the dripping now appears to be worse....

Plumber mate went on hols this morning - any ideas?

Benidorm?

 

[AZ Gull]

....

Plumber mate went on hols this morning - any ideas?

Dunno - Majorca? Croatia? Disneyland?

 

[cjd]

The saga continues........ mate is a plumber and he replaced the ball valve yesterday in the large cold water tank (we have two connected together, aren't we lucky!) Checked it this afternoon after not touching a hot water tap for a couple of hours, seemed ok so went for a wizz and flushed the toilet. Went back and it had started filling - wasn't aware that it may feed the toilet? Anyway it carried on merrily filling for half an hour, steadied to a drip (worse than with the old ball valve!) then stopped...........but 2 mins later started filling again. Popped into the loft with my torch and it was sporadically filling/dripping/stopping every couple of minutes - no taps/toilet touched. While I was up there at a point when it stopped, got Mrs B to flush the toilet to replicate and nothing! 2 mins later it started flowing again.....

It looks as though the ball valve is less than a ml from shutting off most of the time - it did stop straight away when I lent on the cold water feed which meant the float moved upwards! Water level looks just below where it should be from the watermark on the side of the tank - no overflow issues.

I'm a simple bloke with half a grasp of most things (a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous) but I've no idea where the water from the tank is going for it to refill without touching anything (no evidence of leaks) Not looking like the ball valve, in fact the dripping now appears to be worse....

Plumber mate went on hols this morning - any ideas?

Give him a call.....honestly, he wont mind at all.

 

[BN9 BHA]

The saga continues........ mate is a plumber and he replaced the ball valve yesterday in the large cold water tank (we have two connected together, aren't we lucky!) Checked it this afternoon after not touching a hot water tap for a couple of hours, seemed ok so went for a wizz and flushed the toilet. Went back and it had started filling - wasn't aware that it may feed the toilet? Anyway it carried on merrily filling for half an hour, steadied to a drip (worse than with the old ball valve!) then stopped...........but 2 mins later started filling again. Popped into the loft with my torch and it was sporadically filling/dripping/stopping every couple of minutes - no taps/toilet touched. While I was up there at a point when it stopped, got Mrs B to flush the toilet to replicate and nothing! 2 mins later it started flowing again.....

It looks as though the ball valve is less than a ml from shutting off most of the time - it did stop straight away when I lent on the cold water feed which meant the float moved upwards! Water level looks just below where it should be from the watermark on the side of the tank - no overflow issues.

I'm a simple bloke with half a grasp of most things (a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous) but I've no idea where the water from the tank is going for it to refill without touching anything (no evidence of leaks) Not looking like the ball valve, in fact the dripping now appears to be worse....

Plumber mate went on hols this morning - any ideas?

Try this.
If there is a separate isolation valve on the supply to your tank turn it off but take a measurement / make note of the water level.
Don’t use any water or flush the toilet for approximately an hour then check tank water level.

Check your toilet, does the toilet have an external overflow pipe? If so obviously check it’s not running.
If no external overflow check the water isn’t running into the toilet pan from the cistern.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Has your toilet got an isolation valve on the supply to the cistern?

 

[Balders]

Try this.
If there is a separate isolation valve on the supply to your tank turn it off but take a measurement / make note of the water level.
Don’t use any water or flush the toilet for approximately an hour then check tank water level.

Check your toilet, does the toilet have an external overflow pipe? If so obviously check it’s not running.
If no external overflow check the water isn’t running into the toilet pan from the cistern.

That sounds like a plan - toilet is working A1 - nothing from the overflow and nothing flowing into the pan - outlets are dry as a bone!

 

[Balders]

Benidorm?

One of the joys of NSC - love the humour, please don't change!

 

[Weststander]

At home, pretending he’s away?