Mixer Tap Air Lock

[Woward]

Hi there, I'm hoping somebody can give me some advice on a problem I have created for myself.

I fitted a new (cheap) mixer tap yesterday, and now I think I have an airlock on the hot water tap.

I've made a couple of videos to try and make it easier for anybody trying to help.

Apologies for the poor videos and my mumbling.

Hope you can help. Thanks.

[video=youtube_share;-aLzwzn-oyk]https://youtu.be/-aLzwzn-oyk[/video]

[video=youtube_share;fDT91TCZjdM]https://youtu.be/fDT91TCZjdM[/video]

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Can you open the hot tap & cold tap together? Put your hand over the spout & hold it for a while.

What kind of system is it?

Do you have a wet vac? If so turn hot on and suck it out.

 

[Woward]

I've tried the hand over the water spout trick loads of times. No Joy there.

No idea what type of system it is, I don't know much about plumbing at all.

No wet vac available.

Thank you for trying to help, much appreciated.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Ok. Good luck

 

[SimonG]

If its gravity hot water then you might not get anymore flow than you have at the minute. Them flexis look like the crappy small bore ones.

Have you disconnected the flexi off the connector under sink to check fliw there? Just need a container under it.

 

[SimonG]

Other thing is, that tap probably is not wras approved.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

If you undo the tap under the sink, I.e the flexi hose, how's the flow? Did you fit an isolation valve?

 

[Woward]

If its gravity hot water then you might not get anymore flow than you have at the minute. Them flexis look like the crappy small bore ones.

Have you disconnected the flexi off the connector under sink to check fliw there? Just need a container under it.

I think it is gravity. There is no pump as far as I know.

You are right, they are small bore, but due to the noise it's making, I still think there is an airlock, and things would improve (enough) if I got rid of it. Is that correct thinking there?

If you undo the tap under the sink, I.e the flexi hose, how's the flow? Did you fit an isolation valve?

I did not fit an isolation valve.

I have just disconnected the hot hose from the body of the tap, and run it into a container. The flow seems to be much better.

Edit: I'm thinking I should connect the cold hose to the hot inlet on the tap, and run that for a sec. Could that do it?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

So it's the tap that's the problem?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Won't make a difference as it'll come out the spout

If you think it's air & gravity fed you need to push it up or suck it out.

 

[Woward]

Seems to be. I was thinking airlock in the tap.

Is that unlikely?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Yep. Air lock in the pipe usually

Maybe as said before, that's all you'll get flow wise if there's good flow from the pipe under sink

 

[Alex Knight]

How did you isolate the hot water before you changed the tap?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Good question

My thoughts are still the tap

As op says flow is good from pipe under sink & air locks usually allow no water or it splutters.

 

[Woward]

How did you isolate the hot water before you changed the tap?

With the shiny red valve coming from the tank to the boiler, as seen at 2:52 in the second video.

Good question

My thoughts are still the tap

As op says flow is good from pipe under sink & air locks usually allow no water or it splutters.

I tried my idea of attaching the cold hose to the hot side of the tap. It did splutter and then there was full flow of cold out of the hot side of the tap.

But once I manage to get it all back the correct way around, I'm back to square one.

I also think I might have busted the seal on compression fitting for the cold, and the washers on the tap end of the hoses are getting chewed up.

The Mrs is going to kill me. I think I'll be wearing these fancy/****e new taps before the night is over.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Lol

At least you had a go

 

[Woward]

Got called away for a couple of Guinness' (by the Mrs., so I'm not dead just yet). Didn't even know it was paddy's day :lol:

I think I am resigned to the fact that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Mixer taps with a shower attachment thingy for 40 odd quid was probably asking for trouble.

So I need to get some decent ones with a bigger bore, right? (I really do want the shower bit as well).

Before I go hunting for something suitable, I wonder if adding a pump would solve the problem instead.

Thanks again for everybody's input.

Happy paddys day 🙂

 

[rocketmanbkk]

No, get decent taps

Buy cheap but twice

Lesson learned

Tell the Mrs she's broken it after a couple more drinks,

 

[Woward]

No, get decent taps

Buy cheap but twice

Lesson learned

Tell the Mrs she's broken it after a couple more drinks,

I might have done, but she's up to speed with the whole mess.

Told her I went to rural Ireland once, to support a friend with with some family issues.

A few weeks later she found the plane ticket stub at the bottom of my bag.

Without a hint of irony, she told me she never knew there was an Amsterdam in Ireland.

Might have got away with it for a while longer if I could have kept a straight face.

I'm still paying for that one to this day! :lol:

 

[Woward]

I'm having trouble finding a mixer tap with shower attachment which is suitable for a gravity fed system.

Does such a thing exist?

This is the one I've got already, so looking for something similar... ebay item no.. 252208620628

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[Riley]

Don't think you'll get one mate. Most of them mix in the tap body so the gravity hot will be overpowered by mains cold