Water stop cock

[tstore]

Hi all

I have a bathroom tap that does not trigger the gas boiler. It's a mixer tap and the flow is good so presuming it's not a flow issue and perhaps a faulty tap? It has never worked since I bought the boat in Dec but have had more pressing issues to deal with. There is not an isolation valve for the tap itself so thinking I need to use the stopcock for the whole water system to inspect. Is there anything I need to be aware of before using the stopcock i.e will my water pump self-prime when I turn it back on and my re-pressurize my gas boiler?

 

Any advice appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Thomas

 

[cuthound]

Can't say definitely for your boat, but every boat I have had a share in or owned has had a self priming water pump, which in any case is usually located below the level of the tank, so gravity fed to the pump.

[bizzard]

Is it the only tap not working?  Slacken the pipes off at the entry to the tap, pump swiitched on, if water spurts out its the tap. Might be a lime scale clogged up filter in the spout, dig it out with a sharp point. If its a ceramic valve mixer tap the ceramic disc may be detached, in the closed position.

Edited October 3, 2017 by bizzard

[tstore]

Thanks for the advice, just managed to get tap unbolted and will try what you say. Water flows out the tap in both cold and hot positions with good flow. Have dug out filter, hasn't made a difference so will try slacken off and see what happens....

 

[tstore]

So slackened off both pipes and water spurts out both so presume its the tap at fault. Hot water is not a problem to shower and kitchen. Tried to isolate water by shutting stopcock located just after water tank at fore and tried to drain basin tap but little came out and the pump makes a continuous humming sound. Was afraid was doing it some damage so turned the water back on. 

Any suggestions as to how I stop water to basin tap to replace, should I be turning off stopcock as well as the water pump?

Thanks

 

[bizzard]

12 minutes ago, tstore said:

So slackened off both pipes and water spurts out both so presume its the tap at fault. Hot water is not a problem to shower and kitchen. Tried to isolate water by shutting stopcock located just after water tank at fore and tried to drain basin tap but little came out and the pump makes a continuous humming sound. Was afraid was doing it some damage so turned the water back on. 

Any suggestions as to how I stop water to basin tap to replace, should I be turning off stopcock as well as the water pump?

Thanks

 

Did you check if there's a filter at the taps spout? these can completely clog up with limescale.

[tstore]

Its not the spout as really good flow out of it and cleaned out with no hot water

 

[bizzard]

3 minutes ago, tstore said:

Its not the spout as really good flow out of it and cleaned out with no hot water

 

Ah, its just the hot side of the tap thats not working, cold side is? Is it a single lever ceramic valve tap with flexible hoses out of the bottom.

[tstore]

Single lever tap with flex hoses out the bottom yes. Get water regardless if opened on hot or cold side and good flow. When I slackened off hoses both spurt water so presume its the tap that is faulty. I have a new one to try but need advice on how to safely turn off water supply as no isolation on the basin tap pipes?

[bizzard]

1 minute ago, tstore said:

Single lever tap with flex hoses out the bottom yes. Get water regardless if opened on hot or cold side and good flow. When I slackened off hoses both spurt water so presume its the tap that is faulty. I have a new one to try but need advice on how to safely turn off water supply as no isolation on the basin tap pipes?

If there are no isolator valves on the pipes below where the hose tails connect, often little plastic units with a little screw in the centre which you turn with a screwdriver. If not all you can do is tun the pump off, relieve all pressure by turning on other hot and cold taps and then turn them off again. Organize a couple of little conical bungs to block off the fittings that the hoses screw into, pencils wrapped around with insulating tape would do it. Place a bowl or rags under the job and work quickly. Make sure the rubber sealing rings care present on the hose tails.

[bizzard]

You do mean that cold water flows out when the lever is in the cold position, swung to the right and lever lifted up. Swung to the left and lever lifted up and no flow at all or flows but cold?  It is a single lever monoblock  ceramic valve hot and cold mixer tap???

[Richard10002]

Are you sure both sides of the tap are not being fed with cold water?

i.e. When water spurts out after loosening the supply pipes, is the hot side hot?

When I changed my thermostatic shower mixer I turned of the supply at the stop tap between the tank and the pump, turned off the pump, opened all the taps, (kitchen sink, bathroom handbasin, and shower), then drained the system from a pipe with a cap at the low point in the system.

[tstore]

It flows cold swung over to left and lifted up, same for the right side. I don't know what kind of tap it is. It came with the boat and it has never produced hot water. Don' think its piped to cold as if comes off a junction that feeds hot water to shower. I can't allow so much water to spurt out to see if it flows hot. 

[bizzard]

4 minutes ago, tstore said:

It flows cold swung over to left and lifted up, same for the right side. I don't know what kind of tap it is. It came with the boat and it has never produced hot water. Don' think its piped to cold as if comes off a junction that feeds hot water to shower. I can't allow so much water to spurt out to see if it flows hot. 

That is a single lever monoblock ceramic valve mixer tap. Sometimes if the tap is a long way from the boiler hot water can take a fair few seconds to come through.   . Anyway, being as you've got a new tap  I'd fit it and see what happens. If still cold on both positions you will have to trace the pipework back to their sources.

[tstore]

No it doesn't fire the boiler as checked when on hot position. Will take the advice to stop water flow and replace tap and hope that works. Thanks for taking the time to give me some advice.

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, tstore said:

Tried to isolate water by shutting stopcock located just after water tank at fore and tried to drain basin tap but little came out and the pump makes a continuous humming sound.

Well yes. You have to turn the pump off too. 

[bizzard]

Is there another water heating boiler-calorifier apart from the one you speak of? Is there another hot water boiler like a Morco gas water heater which that tap might be connected to and is not fired up?.    If that tap is in the bathroom and there is a shower that showers hot water ok in there, then that taps hot water supply pipe is probably tee'd into that hot water supply pipe, somewhere.

[tstore]

Hi I found the problem, both lines are pumped to cold???? So someone took the trouble to install a mixer and plum both the cold, seems pretty daft. There is a copper pipe from boiler which feeds shower and I am assuming I cut this and tee into that?

[WotEver]

1 hour ago, tstore said:

Hi I found the problem, both lines are pumped to cold???? So someone took the trouble to install a mixer and plum both the cold, seems pretty daft. There is a copper pipe from boiler which feeds shower and I am assuming I cut this and tee into that?

Yup