System airlock

Zadkiel

Hi all
Hoping someone can advise me. Since the pressure restrictions I only have cold water in the kit hen sink no water in the attic tank. I read that you can get ris of the airlock by attaching a pipe from cold to hot tap but I have a mixer tap in the kitchen with one of those swivels instead of individual hot and cold handles.

Any ideas how I can unlock the system with this set up?

The washing is piling up and the baba needs a bath!

Thanks a million for any advice
Z

Wearb

If you have no water in the attic tank then the sort of air lock you mentioned isnt your problem. You need to get water into that tank. It mght be a lack of pressure, stuck ball valve, some valve turned off or another sort of supply problem. I presume you done have any water in the bathroom?

Just noticed your profile location...that might explain your problem

jca

Have you got an outside tap that you can connect to the mixer tap?

Zadkiel

Wearb wrote: »

If you have no water in the attic tank then the sort of air lock you mentioned isnt your problem. You need to get water into that tank. It mght be a lack of pressure, stuck ball valve, some valve turned off or another sort of supply problem. I presume you done have any water in the bathroom?

Thanks a million for the reply.

No water anywhere else. The attic tank ball valve is in the down position and fee moving. There's just no water getting up there for whatever reason.

Wearb

Zadkiel wrote: »

Thanks a million for the reply.

No water anywhere else. The attic tank ball valve is in the down position and fee moving. There's just no water getting up there for whatever reason.

If you are on a hill during those restrictions, then pressure is probably your problem. Contact Irish water and explain your problem to them.

wexie

You can try blocking the tap with a wet cloth and then slowly opening both the hot and cold to try force water back in the hot side.

But, as already mentioned, if you don't have water in the tanks then you probably have something else to worry about.
They should fill with cold water from the mains, which you have.

Could try jiggle the ballcock in the tank a bit, they don't seem to always take kindly to going all the way down.

Zadkiel

Wearb wrote: »

If you are on a hill during those restrictions, then pressure is probably your problem. Contact Irish water and explain your problem to them.

Thanks again. Yeah I did they said my system is airlocked and I need a plumber to fix it.

Zadkiel

wexie wrote: »

You can try blocking the tap with a wet cloth and then slowly opening both the hot and cold to try force water back in the hot side.

But, as already mentioned, if you don't have water in the tanks then you probably have something else to worry about.
They should fill with cold water from the mains, which you have.


Could try jiggle the ballcock in the tank a bit, they don't seem to always take kindly to going all the way down.

Thanks Wexie

I've had a good fiddle with it and its all the way down at the moment.

Wearb

Zadkiel wrote: »

Thanks again. Yeah I did they said my system is airlocked and I need a plumber to fix it.

I don’t agree with what seems an off the cuff diognosis.

Zadkiel

Wearb wrote: »

I don’t agree with what seems an off the cuff diognosis.

Yeah I thought I'd check here too to see if I could get some help. Which I did. Thanks again guys for taking the time to reply. I'll get back on to IW.

K.Flyer

Zadkiel wrote: »

Hi all
Hoping someone can advise me. Since the pressure restrictions I only have cold water in the kit hen sink no water in the attic tank. I read that you can get ris of the airlock by attaching a pipe from cold to hot tap but I have a mixer tap in the kitchen with one of those swivels instead of individual hot and cold handles.

Any ideas how I can unlock the system with this set up?

The washing is piling up and the baba needs a bath!

Thanks a million for any advice
Z

First off, is the water Pressure in the cold kitchen tap as strong as usual, or much weaker than usual?

Water pressure restrictions are so severe in some places that there is only sufficient pressure from the mains to get as far as the kitchen tap. Where this is the case, there is nothing you can do until normal service is restored.

Zadkiel

K.Flyer wrote: »

First off, is the water Pressure in the cold kitchen tap as strong as usual, or much weaker than usual?

Water pressure restrictions are so severe in some places that there is only sufficient pressure from the mains to get as far as the kitchen tap. Where this is the case, there is nothing you can do until normal service is restored.

Yep pretty weak. I called them again and they said it'll be a few more days before it's back to normal.

tracey turnblad

This happens me whenever the pressure is reduced. I have a mixer tap as well but there are two different taps. What I do is get a bit of hose and I have thick black tape. I put the hose over the mouth of the mixer tap and wrap the tape around it to hold it on. This makes a little cup/pool
With the hose. I wrap the tape around good enough to try not to let the water escape I then wrap a tea towel around that to stop water shooting all over the place. I open the hot
Tap (which has no water) and then open the cold tap. The cold water can’t escape so it shoots up the hot tap. I leave it like this for a few mins... the water has to go all the way back up to the tank... then I remove the hose and tape and turn on the hot tap. I let it run (sometimes I have to do the above step again if I don’t leave it long enough) this always works for me and I leave the hot tap running until I check upstairs and run the hot and cold taps.
Here are instructions from Irish water about unlocking airlocks

tracey turnblad

Also if your machine runs off the mains once the mains are working it should be fine.
Another thing to prevent air locking you should not use any water once the pressure reduces. We use baby wipes for washing hand after the toilet (we thrown them in the bin) I also fill the bath before the water goes and use a bucket to throw the water down the toilet to flush it. We shower before the water goes as well

K.Flyer

tracey turnblad wrote: »

This happens me whenever the pressure is reduced. I have a mixer tap as well but there are two different taps. What I do is get a bit of hose and I have thick black tape. I put the hose over the mouth of the mixer tap and wrap the tape around it to hold it on. This makes a little cup/pool
With the hose. I wrap the tape around good enough to try not to let the water escape I then wrap a tea towel around that to stop water shooting all over the place. I open the hot
Tap (which has no water) and then open the cold tap. The cold water can’t escape so it shoots up the hot tap. I leave it like this for a few mins... the water has to go all the way back up to the tank... then I remove the hose and tape and turn on the hot tap. I let it run (sometimes I have to do the above step again if I don’t leave it long enough) this always works for me and I leave the hot tap running until I check upstairs and run the hot and cold taps.
Here are instructions from Irish water about unlocking airlocks

But he does not have an airlock, he just doesn't have enough pressure to reach the water tank.
What you describe is when the tank is full and you have an airlock between the tank and the taps.

tracey turnblad

He asked how to unlock an airlock