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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Plumbing Questions >> Removing Air Lock https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1128287528 Message started by rgirling on Oct 2^nd, 2005, 10:12pm

Title: Removing Air Lock
Post by rgirling on Oct 2^nd, 2005, 10:12pm

Neighbours' wanted a restrictor valve fitting to the downstairs toilet (cistern had cracked and they wanted to remove it, re-decorate and think about repacement with a close-coupled suite). Drained down, fitted restrictor, re-filled. Everything worked apart from the upstairs bath cold tap, which just dribbled.

Sounded like air, so blew back, removed tap seat, still nowt. Re-drained, refilled, still nowt, then after a lot more blowing and sucking - result! However, leak developed which - on examination, was the mixer tap unit itself. Shut off via gate valve from cold tank.

Drained down again, removed mixer tap. Replaced with two brand new bath taps I had "in stock" (their bathroom re-furb is on the cards, involving a double-end bath with central taps, so new mixer would've been a waste). Re-filled, same old problem - everything apart from the bath cold tap. You can hear the air in it, but I can't seem to get it out.

Any tips, advice, method/order of re-filling, etc. would be appreciated. The bath is on the floor below the cold tank and the supply seems to come straight down through the airing cupboard, then it probably does a couple of right-angled turns under the floor, emerging under the bath head. Nothing is apparently teed off it.

Currently, he's got the gate valve shut (at my advice, as I haven't tested the bath tap connector against a full head of water and I didn't want it to leak if it self-corrects) and they're using the downstairs bath. The hot tap is fine. The cold tap just dribbles, then surges a pathetic little stream. Weird!

TIA

Ray.

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by Chaddy on Oct 2^nd, 2005, 10:47pm

Hi Ray.

If i've read this right the cold tap is fed from a storage tank in the loft.

It is quite common to get an air lock when you drain down.

The best way to remove the air lock is to get a length of hose pipe.

Place this hose on either the hot water tap , or if the water pressure is not great on that, then on a mains fed tap.

Connect the hot or mains fed tap to the one with the air lock. open the affected tap fully an then turn on the other tap.

this should shift the air lock. ;D

Make sure you've got plenty of towels around can be a bit messy!!! :P

Another way that has worked for me in the past is to drain down the tank again, then open the affected tap and fill the tank.

As the tank fills with water, so does the pipe taking the air out of the tap. Doesn't always work but might be wortha try, certainly not as messy ;D

Let us know how you get on

Ken

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by bstyle on Oct 2^nd, 2005, 11:47pm

I would open the cold Bath tap and go into the loft and put a hose pipe down the tank connector supplying the tap and hold the other end over the opened Ballvalve on the Cold water storage cistern, works for me although can be a bit tricky holding the hosepipe!

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by rgirling on Oct 3^rd, 2005, 12:12am

Chaddy said: "Another way that has worked for me in the past is to drain down the tank again, then open the affected tap and fill the tank."

I tried that, due to the previous problems, but no good. I'll try the "pressure blow" tip if I can find a suitable piece of hose.

Trouble is that the taps have those plastic inserts in the spout part of the body that prevent you getting a good seal.

Maybe one of those tap/shower push-on jobbies would be OK if I can jury-rig something out of that. Failing that, I'll run the garden hose up into the storage tank bath outlet and see if that'll shift it - thanks for that idea, bstyle.

This is one of those "favours" that you wish you'd never started, because it's now become my problem, not theirs!

Thanks for the swift replies - much appreciated!

Ray.

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by billythekid on Oct 3^rd, 2005, 12:39pm

wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2005, 12:12am:

yeah the hose on the ballcock is a favourite, course you need to provide the seal yourself, i.e get wet.

also be careful the gate valve hasnt seized up on you, i once had a seized gate valve and the resulting"airlock" cost me a cylinder on a tap washer job.... lovely.

btk

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by rgirling on Oct 15^th, 2005, 9:47am

I managed to rig up a back-flushing system, using one of those push-on-to-the-tap shower heads and a couple of jubilee clips.

Luckily, the hot tap provided just enough pressure to do the job and the cold connector stood up against a full head - problem solved!

Thanks very much for the accurate and swift advice and apologies for the delay in posting this conclusion. This forum is GREAT!

Ray.

Title: Re: Removing Air Lock
Post by Chaddy on Oct 15^th, 2005, 10:00am

wrote on Oct 15^th, 2005, 9:47am:

Glad to help Ray ;D. Glad you got it sorted.

Quote:

This forum is GREAT!

Careful it becomes addictive ;D ;D