Have cold water but no warm

GusherING

Hi,

Living in Ballsbridge and this is probably related to the City Water shortages.

We ran out of water last night while washing the dishes. I assumed that was the end of the water for the night and that all would be ok at 7am this morning.

By 10am today, the cold water in the kitchen was back on again, but I cannot get any cold or hot water from any other taps or showers.

Any advice or do I just have to wait for the tanks to reload?

Thanks for any advice.

Wicklowrider

Can you hear your tank filling?
If your tank is full you could possibly have an airlock ( shouldn't happen but does sometimes.)If you are sure that your tanks are full and you still have no flow from either hot or cold ( btw is your cistern filling?) then you may need to connect a hose to your functioning tap and then to the cold in your non functioning tap. Turn on functioning tap and it will force airlock back through pipes. When you turn off your downstairs tap you should have flow upstairs.

GusherING

Hi wicklowrider,

THanks for your help.

I live in a basement apartment so can't hear if the tanks are filling.

I have had airlcoks before, but only with hot water.

My kitchen sink is one of those ones with two knobs but only one spout.

How do I unblock an airlock with them becuase the internet assumes you have two taps and need a hose of some sort to link the two?

Wicklowrider

Assuming tank is full (anyway you could find out?)

I would try putting my hand as tight as possible over the one tap in the kitchen sink. Turn on the hot ( non functioning) tap and then turn on the cold and hopefully this should force back the airlock. I say hopefully because I've never tried this. If it does not work try this.You will need a garden hose long enough to go to your bathroom sink or other nearest non functioning tap. connect both ends, kitchen functioning to non functioning and switch both on.
If your tap is too wide for nozzle then remove nozzle and force hose into tap opening. Good luck.

Sparkpea

you can try removing the airlock (if it is an airlock) through the kitchen tap as described above - few things to do before hand - check if the toilet cistern is full of water, if not, tie up the ballcock or fill the cistern with a bucket of water from the cold in the kitchen sink, this way when you're blowing the mains up the hot pipe at the kitchen then it wont be filling the cistern and wasting your time. also make sure all other taps are off.

since u cant hear the tanks you wont be able to hear it bubbling but i'd suggest you hold your hand under it for at least 2mins depending on the pressure. this wont work with every tap by the way, some spouts have separate channels for the hot and cold to flow out of so if they are separate then it likely wont work for you but you will know straight away as the pressure would be far superior and you wouldnt be able to hold your hand on it. I use the palm of my hand and grip it as tight as I possibly can so that no water escapes and turn on the hot, then the cold. after 2mins or so turn off the cold and leave the hot on, if its airlocked the water should come through and splutter a bit. if you've had the heating on then you should have a tank full of hot water so the water from the hot tap will run cold until all the mains water is back out of the pipe and then it will run hot if cleared properly.

maybe you should check with the other apartments and see if they have problems or call the management company

GusherING

Thanks guys. I have tried doing this several times to no avail.

Think I will have to admit defeat and call a plumber.

GusherING

Bit of progress - by turning on all the cold water taps simulatenously, i cleared the airlock in the cold water.

I now have cold water everywhere but no hot water!

think i will hold off on the plumber. i know i can fix this!!

Sparkpea

have you a mixer tap on the bath?

GusherING

Yes. I have mixer taps everywhere!

Sparkpea

do the same thing with the bath mixer as described for the sink mixer

open the hot, hold your hand under it and then open the cold, because its cold flow from storage tank pressure wont be as high so may have to do this for a few mins longer

d15ude

Wicklowrider wrote: »

Assuming tank is full (anyway you could find out?)

I would try putting my hand as tight as possible over the one tap in the kitchen sink. Turn on the hot ( non functioning) tap and then turn on the cold and hopefully this should force back the airlock.

had similar issue, the old hand job did the trick.
thank you wicklowrider!!!