If the the thermostat is gone is it a diy job to change it? The tank is normally fed by the same cold water pipe as the larger tank. A ball or quadrant valve has a lever handle which is lined up with the pipe when the valve is on. Try Boiler Guide today! So there should be no net increase in level. Also if the heating system malfunctions and water in the tank boils, steam can escape and water can flow safely back into the cold tank.

For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Gerd, How would you recommend getting access to the nipple without dismantling? Just wish I had knee pads in my work trousers, kneeling on those boards at an awkward angle not good! If so then a simple fix may be possible by gently bending the ballcock arm down so that the ball sits at a lower level and thus closes off the inflow when raised by the water level below the overflow outlet.
I have the same problem. Thirdly you can try using a tightly fitting spanner (wrench) on the handle of the valve. These coils are copper and fittings are brass, so a leak would be unusual. Your email address will not be published. Sad innit. Fully lagged pipe-work, again to stop it freezing in winter causing leaks. Question: Why is the overflow still dripping after replacing the ballcock? I have the same problem. I thought it could be because l had not used the water properly for several months so had the ingenious idea of running all taps at full blast which l quickly stopped doing when the seep under the skirting became much more than a seep. Strange though because if water spurts or expands up into the tank, water should flow down into the heating system to replace it. if you;ve got to get up to bend the arm you might as well . Being in a loft space that’s often unheated can mean that the water in the header tank is susceptible to freezing during the winter. Once you’ve found it, turn it off and then run the cold water taps around your home to completely drain the system. In some countries, the tank isn't common and pressure for the hot water supply is derived from a pump. If you rotate the pin backwards and forwards while pulling, it makes it easier.

The feed and expansion tank is beside the storage tank so would be lower than it.Will i have to change the cylinder or is there any other fix?

Now l have had to turn off the water cos l found a leak coming from a pipe that runs from attic to the floor by the back door ( this pipe is boarded in but l heard trickling like a tap was running although when l checked all taps were off).

} else { Some older houses may not have a tank in the loft. You won't get it all the way out with the screwdriver, so grip the end and pull it out with your fingers or nails. Today I am going to change the ballcock valve and the circulating pump and stat. There is some variation in the type of valves fitted to tanks. Question: Why does the overflow from my header tank drip during the night but not during the day? Why is tank number two overflowing to the roof? The smartphone is a brilliant idea, I will try it also. Initially water will gush into the tank and the level will rise quickly.

If the pipes and the tank are insulated regular movement of the water should prevent any freezing. The draining can be wasteful, but if the supply to the tank is closed a couple of hours before the holiday break, most of the water will probably be used up by flushing WC’s etc. A heating engineer can let you know the most suitable heating system for your home based on the size of your property and the demand for central heating and domestic hot water. It won’t however happen in commercial buildings such as schools, offices etc. When water drops down it echoes in this stilling chamber which has smaller dimensions and contains the sound. The water will eventually reach the overflow after 2 days of using the cooker for a few hours. This drained the excess water from the tank and away from the overflow pipe. There may be a valve outside the tank, near the ballcock valve but otherwise you will have to locate the stopcock, it is often under the sink in the kitchen, and use this to turn off the water supply to the entire house. If the valve is below floor level however, the chances are that you mightn't be able to extend the handle of the wrench sideways in the hole. However, as far as I understand it, for a vented heating system, there should always be two header tanks. Required fields are marked *.

If you didn't replace the ball float, this could be punctured, slowly letting in water and partially full. It took me less than 30 mins despite very limited access to the attic space, tank and valve. Can it effect the tanks integrity? Thank you for this very useful information.

Excellent article, clear and easy to understand. Water enters the building at ground level. If the the thermostat is gone is it a diy job to change it?

However as the tank fills, the valve will start to close and flow will dwindle, so it can take ages for water to stop dripping because of the slow rise of water level. So if you are reading this perhaps you should check your own attic before the really cold weather sets in.

Fully lagged pipe-work, again to stop it freezing in winter causing leaks. Thanks, brilliant hub, very detailed. I'll fiddle around with the thermostat on the immersion and see if that does anything. Thanks, thats good advice for our readers.

This may be located downstairs, near the cold tank or near the hot tank. Before you do this, however, you need to confirm that it is not a gas valve which has been turned off for some reason. They’re located at the highest point of the heating system, usually in the loft, alongside the larger cold water storage tank. Answer: I'm not a plumber, so I don't know whether this is the recommended solution, but I had a similar problem attaching an elbow to the ballcock in a toilet cistern. There are several different types of valves different to the one below, but all of them use some form of fiber/rubber washer/O-ring/diaphragm system to shut off flow. Sludge with a brown colour can form when objects end up in the header tank – this used to be a major problem but header tanks now come with byelaw 30 kits which include a lid.

The hot water cylinder may also run dry and it is important to ensure that the immersion is switched off and that the heating system is not trying to heat the empty cylinder. There is a knack to doing this. I've found the stopcock just hope its the main one, it was under a wooden cover in the living room near the kitchen followed your tip on how to locate, the cover was painted over and screwed down! You can buy replacement floats in a hardware store. Privacy, The smarter way to find approved boiler engineers, Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer. Fresh water entering heating system as opposed to heating water entering plumbing water, this would happen if F&E tank were higher than storage tank, possibly. This will happen normally in a house by turning on the taps to wash hands, have showers & baths etc.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Push the washer back into the slot of the slider, using the screwdriver to stop the rubber catching in the edges of the slot. There's a certain amount of "give" in plastic, so a some freezing on the surface isn't a big deal. If it has an adjustment screw, turn this anti-clockwise or clockwise so that the valve shuts off when the water has reached a lower level. if ((!$("#local-search-services-req").val()) || (!$("#local-search-location-req").val())) {

If you're regularly running taps and using the shower, the main cold tank continually fills with new water, so this is less likely to happen, but pipes in the attic can freeze and burst if a home is vacant for a couple of days during extended snowy and cold periods.
As described in the explanation of plumbing systems above, this is valve 3. Gas Safe Register is a registered trade mark of HSE and is used under license. If the tank overfills, excess water flows safely via the overflow to the outdoors. It might save your health and some of your wealth. This tank is commonly found in UK plumbing systems. I had the same thing, and it was the ballcock. They don't need to be spread far apart. Do you know of any way to get it moving again? It is set to turn off too high, i.e. You hear water running outside your home. I presume this is just the small expansion tank for the heating system, not your main cold water tank if you have one? I have fully tightened the elbow is 90 degrees out of the previous position. If you discover that you've gone too far, and the fitting can't be tightened further around to the correctly aligned position, don't loosen it, to re-align as it may leak. With your other hand, grasp the arm just before the ball float. - Created by Slicejack. Over time, floats can become cracked or develop leaks where they screw onto the arm. Possibly when water is heated and maybe starts to boil in the boiler of the cooker, bubbles of steam push the contents of the expansion pipe into the tank, spurting upwards, rather than the water just slowly expanding into the tank. The result is that the cold water tank can start to freeze. i,m a plumber with 30 years experience ,don,t waste time buy a new ball valve. You’ll also be able to tell if the coil in the cylinder has perforated because the water from the taps will have a yellow or brown colour which is from the liquid for the central heating system. I'll keep that in mind. }); The valve on this tank is a slider type. This reduces the amount of water used every time you flush. Thread starter redriddick; Start date 11 Mar 2009; 1; 2; Next.

A fully insulated attic access hatch. Inside your home, several gate or ball valves allow water to be shut off to various sections of the plumbing system. The first thing to do is to identify which of the cisterns in your house is overflowing – if the overflow pipe is at ground floor or first floor level, then the … 'THE HELPFUL ENGINEER' FACEBOOK PAGE.

A copper compression ring or "olive" seals and makes the fitting water tight.

You can do this on threads of taps also when re-assembling. $('#local-search-submit').click(function() { Over time, this coil can become perforated, meaning there’s hole in the coil which allows water for the central heating into the domestic hot water being stored in the cylinder. If you lift the ballcock arm up above the water level does it stop the water inflow? Maybe the reason why the water is not stained.

(a ridge can develop in the wall of the nipple's tip. Water in atick tank .comming very slow to taps and not comming dish washer at all .what wuld be the bother, Cold water tank in the attic has frozen what do I do , can’t get cold water, How do I replace the ballcock in the attic tank, can I do it without turning off the water supply. event.preventDefault(); I can only agree. If it's obstinate and refuses to turn, try pouring some hot water from a kettle over the cap, this should expand it slightly and make it easier to turn. Your central heating system might also benefit from a powerflush to clear out any sludge, debris or rust that’s blocking the water from flowing properly. If your central heating system overheats, this pipe can also vent steam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTQy27l7qDQ. 1 of 2 Go to page. These valves are usually small isolating types which are operated by turning a screw or short lever. This rise in water levels can then lead to the feed and expansion tank overflowing. Within the cylinder is a coil that hot water for the central heating system passes through. What's wrong? A fully insulated attic … Question: We had this done three weeks ago (at great expense). Newer style ballcock valves have a screw for adjusting level. Shake the float to see whether there's any water in it.

Another scenario for having no water is that the ballcock in the cold water tank in the loft has stuck and the tank has emptied.