Waldo Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hi, I'm looking for a bit of plumbing advice... The cold water tank in our loft has been leaking (water was coming out of the overflow pipe and dripping down the back of the house). When I went in to the loft, there was a sheet of insulation material wrapped in black plastic, that was laying over the top of the cold water tank. Turns out, it was pressing down on the orange ball thinky, so water was always coming in to the tank, and out through the overflow pipe. The orange ball thingy, what are they called? Is it a float valve? Or is that just the arm part? (it's similar to what you find inside a loo). Anyhow, having moved the insulation material, seemed to solve the problem; until I came to take a shower... There was now no cold water coming through the shower head. I believe we have a gravity fed system, and a Mira Excel mixer shower. I'm wondering if I disturbed something? Also, there is some sediment in the bottom of the cold water tank, I'm wondering if I could have disturbed that, and something is clogging up the shower mixer unit? So it's 2 issuse I need advice on. 1. How to fix the cold water not coming through the shower. 2. In addition to this, the over flow has started dripping again. I think the float valve looks a bit old, and I suspect is leaking. How easy are these to replace? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ68 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 I can't help you with number one but number two is easy to solve, bejesus so it is! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dPpcaiayE58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks Steve. Yep, looks easy enough to sort out. Just need of of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-Part-2-High-Pressure-Brass-Ball-Valve-Ball-****-Water-Tank-Plastic-Float-/181342451853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2a38da388d Or these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-part-1-High-Pressure-brass-ball-****-valve-float-0-5-inch-pt1-hp-tank-/301211104029?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item462194b31d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthenekred Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Hi, I'm looking for a bit of plumbing advice... The cold water tank in our loft has been leaking (water was coming out of the overflow pipe and dripping down the back of the house). When I went in to the loft, there was a sheet of insulation material wrapped in black plastic, that was laying over the top of the cold water tank. Turns out, it was pressing down on the orange ball thinky, so water was always coming in to the tank, and out through the overflow pipe. The orange ball thingy, what are they called? Is it a float valve? Or is that just the arm part? (it's similar to what you find inside a loo). Anyhow, having moved the insulation material, seemed to solve the problem; until I came to take a shower... There was now no cold water coming through the shower head. I believe we have a gravity fed system, and a Mira Excel mixer shower. I'm wondering if I disturbed something? Also, there is some sediment in the bottom of the cold water tank, I'm wondering if I could have disturbed that, and something is clogging up the shower mixer unit? So it's 2 issuse I need advice on. 1. How to fix the cold water not coming through the shower. 2. In addition to this, the over flow has started dripping again. I think the float valve looks a bit old, and I suspect is leaking. How easy are these to replace? Thanks. If the tank ball valve has been constantly bypassing water the valve seal will definitely have worn or the ball itself is compromised (full of water), so very likely a knew seal or new valve. Could be that you've disturbed the sediment which may have clogged up the mira cartridge. but replacing the valve or ball is straight forward. When removing a cartridge remember to have silicone grease at hand or a little fairy liquid to help ease the cartridge back in. Also note that if you stopped water from entering the header tank and subsequently run off all the water then filled back up, you may have created an air lock in the system. Edited March 14, 2015 by ronthenekred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveJ68 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Thanks Steve. Yep, looks easy enough to sort out. Just need of of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-Part-2-High-Pressure-Brass-Ball-Valve-Ball-****-Water-Tank-Plastic-Float-/181342451853?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item2a38da388d Or these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-part-1-High-Pressure-brass-ball-****-valve-float-0-5-inch-pt1-hp-tank-/301211104029?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item462194b31d Get yourself down to B&Q, it'll be a lot cheaper than getting a plumber to do it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 If the tank ball valve has been constantly bypassing water the valve seal will definitely have worn or the ball itself is compromised (full of water), so very likely a knew seal or new valve. Could be that you've disturbed the sediment which may have clogged up the mira cartridge. but replacing the valve or ball is straight forward. When removing a cartridge remember to have silicone grease at hand or a little fairy liquid to help ease the cartridge back in. Also note that if you stopped water from entering the header tank and subsequently run off all the water then filled back up, you may have created an air lock in the system. Thanks Ron, The Mira Mixer unit we have looks a little different to the one in the video you linked to. Ours is silver and says 'Mira Excel' on it. It is connected to the wall by two pipes. I'm thinking it makes sense to: 1. Turn off supply. 2. Remove unit from wall. 3. Turn on supply, and if there is good cold water flow, I can assume the issue is with the mixing unit? Does that make sense? Only problem is, there doesn't seem to be a valve on the pipe that goes from the tank to the shower (or none that I can see, it's like spaghetti junction up there!). ---------- Post added 14-03-2015 at 15:11 ---------- Get yourself down to B&Q, it'll be a lot cheaper than getting a plumber to do it for you. Yep, would like to do it myself. If not, get a plumber in, and watch them like a hawk, and hopefully learn something useful! ---------- Post added 14-03-2015 at 15:24 ---------- Also, this will probably sound like a dumb question; but the water in the cold water tank, never comes out of a cold water tap? I'm thinking it's probably not good to drink with all the sediment floating around in it!? *worried* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthenekred Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Thanks Ron, The Mira Mixer unit we have looks a little different to the one in the video you linked to. Ours is silver and says 'Mira Excel' on it. It is connected to the wall by two pipes. I'm thinking it makes sense to: 1. Turn off supply. 2. Remove unit from wall. 3. Turn on supply, and if there is good cold water flow, I can assume the issue is with the mixing unit? Does that make sense? Only problem is, there doesn't seem to be a valve on the pipe that goes from the tank to the shower (or none that I can see, it's like spaghetti junction up there!). The outlet from the header tank (not to be confused with CH tank, smaller) will go to your hot water tank (immersion) The hot water outlet from your immersion which feeds all your ancillary hot taps inc shower is on the top center (usually 22mm) which will likely branch off in 15mm, apart from the bath hot tap. Your cold feed to all your taps inc shower is almost certainly fed off the mains. Do you get any flow from the shower when in cold mode? Edited March 14, 2015 by ronthenekred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Your cold feed to all your taps inc shower is almost certainly fed off the mains. We have a power shower which is fed from a tank in the loft... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) The outlet from the header tank (not to be confused with CH tank, smaller) will go to your hot water tank (immersion) The hot water outlet from your immersion which feeds all your ancillary hot taps inc shower is on the top center (usually 22mm) which will likely branch off in 15mm, apart from the bath hot tap. Your cold feed to all your taps inc shower is almost certainly fed off the mains. Do you get any flow from the shower when in cold mode? Yep, there's a much smaller tank to the side of the main tank. That's connected to the central heating system? Does it allow the amount of water in the CH system to change, presumably as the temperate changes, so does the amount of water in the CH system? I think there are 2 out-flow pipes from the main tank (one to the immersion tank, possibly the other goes to the shower?). Makes sense about the immersion tank. As I understand it, we have some kind of hot water boiler downstairs, and hot water is pumped through copper pipes through some kind of coil in the immersion tank. Cold water goes in to that tank, and it's heated up by the temperature of the coil. Is that correct? So, hot water comes out of the center of the immersion hot water tank (which is a cylinder), cold water goes in at the bottom (as heat rises)? I'm thinking the cold water feed to the shower, must be in the loft, because the problem with the shower, started at the exact same time as I first went in to the loft to inspect the ball **** valve thingy... Edited March 14, 2015 by Waldo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronthenekred Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) Yep, there's a much smaller tank to the side of the main tank. That's connected to the central heating system? Does it allow the amount of water in the CH system to change, presumably as the temperate changes, so does the amount of water in the CH system? I think there are 2 out-flow pipes from the main tank (one to the immersion tank, possibly the other goes to the shower?). Makes sense about the immersion tank. As I understand it, we have some kind of hot water boiler downstairs, and hot water is pumped through copper pipes through some kind of coil in the immersion tank. Cold water goes in to that tank, and it's heated up by the temperature of the coil. Is that correct? The CH tank is a feed and expansion vessel. Water increases in volume when heated. So, hot water comes out of the center of the immersion hot water tank (which is a cylinder), cold water goes in at the bottom (as heat rises)? I'm thinking the cold water feed to the shower, must be in the loft, because the problem with the shower, started at the exact same time as I first went in to the loft to inspect the ball **** valve thingy... http://heatweb.com/products/cylinders/schemat.jpg http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/domestic_hot_water_systems.htm The 2nd pipe going to your shower if that's the case, is likely because the shower control unit is a low pressure type rather than a high pressure off the mains. As you mentioned, by disturbing the holding tank you may have dislodged sediment which most certainly wont have helped the workings of the cartridge. Do you get hot and cold flow from any of the other taps? Edited March 14, 2015 by ronthenekred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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