EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 We drained our water bladder type tank in Autumn and have just come to fill it up again and we can't get water coming through our taps. You can hear the pump but no water is coming through. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philjw Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Stop cock turned on? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Just now, philjw said: Stop cock turned on? Yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Open a tap and suck. Clean pump strainer. Make sure tank to pump stop cock is open. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 I can feel air from the tap - just no water! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Make sure breather, if there is one is clear. Try turning on a different tap. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Nothing from shower or kitchen tap (that's the only two options). Could it be an air lock? Sorry idiot question but what's a breather? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Just now, EnglishRose said: Nothing from shower or kitchen tap (that's the only two options). Could it be an air lock? Sorry idiot question but what's a breather? If its a bladder type tank, it should have either an overflow, and or a breather tube to allow water out when its full, and air in/out. Have you got a photo of it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Are you sure the tank is full? Did you leave the hose running until water came out of the overflow pipe (aka the breather)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Maybe the bladder collapsed on the outlet and has a fold in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 (edited) Could crack the pump outlet connection slightly with copious amount of towels around and see if water comes out. 6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: Maybe the bladder collapsed on the outlet and has a fold in it Maybe the tank has gone brittle, cracked and is leaking water into the bilge.😦 Maybe I should shut up. I'm not helping much.☹️ Edited May 20, 2023 by rusty69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 56 minutes ago, rusty69 said: Could crack the pump outlet connection slightly with copious amount of towels around and see if water comes out. Maybe the tank has gone brittle, cracked and is leaking water into the bilge.😦 Maybe I should shut up. I'm not helping much.☹️ I think LACK of water coming out is the problem not copious amounts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty69 Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Just now, ditchcrawler said: I think LACK of water coming out is the problem not copious amounts Yes, but the water is not coming out of the tap. I was suggesting an alternative path for it to flow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacka Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 1 hour ago, EnglishRose said: I can feel air from the tap - just no water! If the pump is pumping air then the tank outlet pipe is above the water level in the tank. Possible reasons - 1. Tank nearly empty 2. As it’s a bladder tank it might have twisted so the outlet is too high 3. The tank is below the pump and the pipe between tank and pump has a leak such that the pump is sucking air which is easier than sucking water (which is heavy) out of the tank. without more information we can only guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Marshall Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Some pumps have a problem self priming. If you take the tank supply off the pump, does any water trickle out? If not, try to suck some up to the end and whack it back on the pump. If you can't do that, pour water down it to try and get it full. If there's water at the pump but not the tap, it's going somewhere it didn't oughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 (edited) Pics attached. We are going to try and look into the issue tomorrow. The bladder is full. Edited May 20, 2023 by EnglishRose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 Is that outlet on the top of the bladder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 I wonder what the pencilled arrow on the tank signifies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 (edited) 13 minutes ago, David Mack said: Is that outlet on the top of the bladder? 13 minutes ago, David Mack said: Is that outlet on the top of the bladder? That leads to the pump. 6 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said: I wonder what the pencilled arrow on the tank signifies. No idea but it had a recently fitted new water bladder when we bought it and we had all the receipts from the marina. It's worked fine previously until today! https://www.kapwing.com/videos/646934ff8cc3d6001f0b4f37 This is the sound the pump makes (edit just realized no sound 😕 on video, I'll redo it tomorrow). No evidence of any leak that we can see. Pipes run under seats and are easy accessible as all our storage is under the seats (no fixed bed) and we have had them all up and can't see any water. Just been out with torches and looked and felt all round bladder and no water we can see. Edited May 20, 2023 by EnglishRose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 15 minutes ago, David Mack said: Is that outlet on the top of the bladder? If so it could be a big air bubble 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 (edited) 13 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: If so it could be a big air bubble That might make sense. How to get rid of a big air bubble? 11 minutes ago, EnglishRose said: That might make sense. How to get rid of a big air bubble? I can recall we had an air bubble previously, though I can't remember how we got rid of it! Ah I remember . . So we had a different tap last time we had an air lock and I ran the hot water one (engine heats hot water), put my palm of hand against tap and turned the cold on slowly. I'll try that tomorrow before going down the route of taking things apart! Edited May 20, 2023 by EnglishRose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 10 minutes ago, EnglishRose said: That might make sense. How to get rid of a big air bubble? I can recall we had an air bubble previously, though I can't remember how we got rid of it! I would turn off that tap on top of the bladder and get someone to remove the hose from the pump, then slowly open the tap again until water came out near the pump.. Of course I have no idea what your access is like and if that is possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishRose Posted May 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 (edited) 5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: I would turn off that tap on top of the bladder and get someone to remove the hose from the pump, then slowly open the tap again until water came out near the pump.. Of course I have no idea what your access is like and if that is possible Ah I remember . . So we had a different tap last time we had an air lock and I ran the hot water one (engine heats hot water), put my palm of hand against tap and turned the cold on slowly. I'll try that tomorrow before going down the route of taking things apart (although last time we didn't have a mixer tap)! Access is no issue but let me try the other option first! Edited May 20, 2023 by EnglishRose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 41 minutes ago, David Mack said: Is that outlet on the top of the bladder? And... 4 hours ago, EnglishRose said: I can feel air from the tap - just no water! Not everyone realises but most water pumps will happily pump fresh air along the pipes if that is what the pump is being supplied with. So give the OP can actually feel air coming from an open tap, I suggest it is pumping fresh air out of the top of the tank, and if the tap is left open and the pump left to run for mayber ten or fifteen minutes, the air in the top of the tank will all get pumped out and water will reach the outlet elbow as the tank slowly collapses, and then water will come from the taps too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted May 20, 2023 Report Share Posted May 20, 2023 9 minutes ago, MtB said: Not everyone realises but most water pumps will happily pump fresh air along the pipes if that is what the pump is being supplied with. Mine will, that is how I help clear the water for winter draindown, build up a bit of air pressure and blast the tap/pipe out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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