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Hot water airlock

  • 09-12-2008 12:55pm
    #1
    Mickey G
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭


    Looks like i have an airlock in my hot water supply.
    Recently had a new bath installed. Water flow was fine but just went to a trickle and stopped completly last night.
    Blocked the mixer tap and turned on both hot and cold a number of times each time a limited amount of hot water emerged only to stop completly again. Looks like the water is unblocking somthing only for it to stop again...

    My plumber wont be around until next week and the missus is just back from having a baby so im in a bit of a dire need to get this thing running.

    Any ideas please?


Comments

  • #2
    ART6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    Someone else had this problem recently and the solution was to first do what you did -- block the mixer tap in the kitchen so that the mains cold water supply would then flow into the hot ring. Then go into the attic and put your thumb over the end of the vent pipe above the tank. That will forse the mains water to flow back up the down pipe and clear any blockages or airlocks. Keep an eye on the tank and see what comes out -- you may need to clean out the tank.


  • #3
    Mickey G
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11 ✭Mickey G


    ART6 wrote: »
    Someone else had this problem recently and the solution was to first do what you did -- block the mixer tap in the kitchen so that the mains cold water supply would then flow into the hot ring. Then go into the attic and put your thumb over the end of the vent pipe above the tank. That will forse the mains water to flow back up the down pipe and clear any blockages or airlocks. Keep an eye on the tank and see what comes out -- you may need to clean out the tank.

    Hi Arts - thanks for the advice. Im going to give it a shot tomorrow and report on any success or otherwise.
    I suppose that the vent is an open pipe emanating from the cylinder and running up to and hanging over the cold water tank?


  • #4
    ART6
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,632 ✭✭✭ART6


    Mickey G wrote: »
    Hi Arts - thanks for the advice. Im going to give it a shot tomorrow and report on any success or otherwise.
    I suppose that the vent is an open pipe emanating from the cylinder and running up to and hanging over the cold water tank?

    That's the one. Usually 22 mm diameter and open ended.


  • #5
    Carlow52
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,389 ✭✭✭Carlow52


    ART6 wrote: »
    Someone else had this problem recently and the solution was to first do what you did -- block the mixer tap in the kitchen so that the mains cold water supply would then flow into the hot ring. Then go into the attic and put your thumb over the end of the vent pipe above the tank. That will forse the mains water to flow back up the down pipe and clear any blockages or airlocks. Keep an eye on the tank and see what comes out -- you may need to clean out the tank.

    This suggestion will not clear any crap that is in the pipe from the HW cylinder to the bath mixer unit.
    My guess is that u have a piece of fibreglass insulation in the pipe just behind the hot tap.
    What I do is connect a length of garden hose from the cold in kitchen sink to the mixer tap in bath, - (u need the larger tap/hose connectors on each end)

    use the stopcock in hot press to shut off the cold feed to the HWC.

    Open the hot tap on the bath and then open the cold in kitchen: this should shove any crap back up the open vent pie and into the cold tank.

    As suggested by ART(and u dont use the stop cock aas suggested above) if u block the vent pipe it will clear through the HW cylinder but may not do so completley

    just make sure this vent pipe is over the Cold water tank


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