Hot water advice please

[rocketmanbkk]

Hi Friends

Fitted new kitchen mixer earlier, all simple as ballofix on hot & cold (makes a change).


The hot ballofix is weeping.

Vented system, the hot has a gate valve under the sink but it's seized.

No other valves on hot.

So, shall I just turn cold feed to hwsc (in place & turns) & run hot taps until water ceases? I can then change both ballofix & gate valve at the same time.

Is this ok to do? Again it's the air lock anxiety issue!!!

Cheers

Rct

 

[Simon F]

you could empty the cwsc.
personally I would bung the cold tank.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Yeah, I've bunged it before.

 

[EPH]

Bung it, saves snapping the gate valve shutting it off.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

That's another thing, bungs got stolen, another thing to buy, forgot about that!

 

[PlumbersMate]

When you open the cold feed back up make sure the lowest hot tap is open, will prevent air lock

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Thanks for that. Great tip.

 

[Leo21]

Not sure it's quicker bunging, by the time you've got the ladders of or had a half hour lecture on how to use the loft ladder you could just open a tap.

 

[Mike Jackson]

When you open the cold feed back up make sure the lowest hot tap is open, will prevent air lock

Not every time, you can still get an airlock. Time to get the wet vac out if it does airlock.

 

[Leo21]

Not every time, you can still get an airlock. Time to get the wet vac out if it does airlock.

Or find a mixer.

 

[julesverne]

That's another thing, bungs got stolen, another thing to buy, forgot about that!

Use a couple of carrots for bungs if your stuck

 

[iiplumbing]

If the gate valve off of the down feed from the CWST is letting by it needs replacing anyway. If its not there then put one in to make life easier for the next time (and charge for the extra work because it good practice to have valves in working order (saves client future labour costs))

bung it or drain it - it doesn't matter that's just a matter of time and ease, I find it easier to drain but then I'm lazy!

Russ

 

[Paulplumb]

Bunging a central heating f+e tank is one thing but a cold water tank? You are obviously all braver than I am. Isn't there a risk of imploding the cylinder?

 

[iiplumbing]

Bunging a central heating f+e tank is one thing but a cold water tank? You are obviously all braver than I am. Isn't there a risk of imploding the cylinder?

Imploding how? Caused by a vacuum?

Russ

 

[PlumbBobBob]

there would only be danger if imploding if both feed and vent were bunged whereas you only need to bung the feed to swap a gate valve

 

[iiplumbing]

there would only be danger if imploding if both feed and vent were bunged whereas you only need to bung the feed to swap a gate valve

#

Surely if you bung both the system would not drain down very well as it would not drain against a vacuum?

 

[Paulplumb]

there would only be danger if imploding if both feed and vent were bunged whereas you only need to bung the feed to swap a gate valve

Ah thanks for clarifying that. I have always drained down and suffered the odd air lock as a consequence. Then again I do charge hourly 🙂

 

[R.Oak]

Personally I would drain down the system and replace both the Ballofix and the faulty gate valve. Is always helpful to have working valves in case of emergency

 

[kay-jay]

#

Surely if you bung both the system would not drain down very well as it would not drain against a vacuum?

Surely thats the point. That it doesnt drain. Which is why some people mistakenly bung the vent as well

In any case never ever bung the vent and you will be fine

 

[iiplumbing]

Personally I would drain down the system and replace both the Ballofix and the faulty gate valve. Is always helpful to have working valves in case of emergency

Having working valves to make our lives easier Mr. oak????

however will we make money then?

Surely our plumbers lot is to struggle against all odds, how dare you try and make suggestions to make our life simpler and charge the client less? Shame on you.

LOL

Russ

 

[iiplumbing]

Surely thats the point. That it doesnt drain. Which is why some people mistakenly bung the vent as well

In any case never ever bung the vent and you will be fine

Well if you bung the feed and vent the water in the pipe will not drain well but when you take off the valve it will glug and glug and glug letting the water in the pipe out in an uncontrolled manner.

If you bung just the feed then the water in the pipes will drain down via the taps leaving no water to glug out at you at an inopportune time!!!!

Russ

 

[kay-jay]

Well if you bung the feed and vent the water in the pipe will not drain well but when you take off the valve it will glug and glug and glug letting the water in the pipe out in an uncontrolled manner.

If you bung just the feed then the water in the pipes will drain down via the taps leaving no water to glug out at you at an inopportune time!!!!

Russ

Not really.
Even though we wouldnt do it, heres what would happen....

Bung feed and vent, open tap til vacuum holds then cut into pipe or remove valve downstream of tap and the vacuum would still hold.

Water would only come out uncontrollably if you broke the vacuum by removing either of the plugs or by someone opening another tap on the system ( in this situation the vacuum would only break between the two taps and the header would still hold)

 

[iiplumbing]

Not really.
Even though we wouldnt do it, heres what would happen....

Bung feed and vent, open tap til vacuum holds then cut into pipe or remove valve downstream of tap and the vacuum would still hold.

Water would only come out uncontrollably if you broke the vacuum by removing either of the plugs or by someone opening another tap on the system ( in this situation the vacuum would only break between the two taps and the header would still hold)

or if air displaces the water in the open pipe?

 

[kay-jay]

or if air displaces the water in the open pipe?

Thats what I said. You'd need someone to open another tap tho wouldnt you? Otherwise your still in line and the original vacuum would hold?

 

[iiplumbing]

Thats what I said. You'd need someone to open another tap tho wouldnt you? Otherwise your still in line and the original vacuum would hold?

No what I mean (if we are not talking at cross purposes) is that a vacuum can be defeated by air entering the open pipe you have exposed

however, if one does bung both then opening a tap to drain down is as effective as not having bung the open vent in the first place

russ