Water not coming through

[brian1042]

Hi Brian,

I started a thread a couple of years ago where I had the same problem. Very weak flow at the taps. All sorts of advice on here, like a leaf blocking the outlet of the tank. Lots of good advice, even to the point of getting a camera down the filler pipe and viewing the footage on a laptop.

 

I emptied the tank and dissconnected the pipework at the pump, connected a hosepipe and filled the tank from the pump side. So I thought nothing blocked but when I connected everything back together, still poor flow.

 

I then connected a compressor to the pipework at the pump and blew compressed air back into the tank. Bubbles everywhere when I listened at the filler cap. Connected everything again and still crap flow. Then emptied the tank and connected the compressor again. Air shooting out the filler cap. Filled the tank with water and again, poor flow.

I shoved a flexible pipe cleaner that you can get at any hardware shop, about 5mm dia, but it seemed to be getting stopped at the outlet of the tank.

 

I eventually fixed it by cutting a new outlet in the stainless steel tank and fitting an essex flange, again from advice on here. As I was about to cut into the tank after first cutting a hole in the bulkhead, there was 2 anglers who just happened to be fitters, fishing in front of the boat. Both said not to cut the flange in the tank as it will surely leak. When I filled the tank again the water flew out the taps. Having a shower, you could have heard me singing a mile away.

Then, a couple of days later, a chance remark from a lad on the towpath. He said could it have been a piece of limescale caught in the joint at the outlet of the tank. It budges just a bit so the tank can be filled from the pump side but when water tries to flow out of the outlet it might jam against the insert in the Hep20 joint. I was near Devizes at the time which is a hard water area and the kettle always had limescale in it.

 

I dont know what kind of pipework you,ve got but that is my story.

 

Good luck.

 

Great call! Spot on plus bits of the galvanising due to the tank having been empty for a while. All cleared out. Hot and cold running water now! Hooray!

 

Thanks to all.

[Geoff Taylor]

Hi,good to hear your system is working again,but I would certainly look at fitting a stopcock close to the water tank as this could save having a flooded bilge should any fault/freeze up happen when you are away from the boat.

[brian1042]

Hi,good to hear your system is working again,but I would certainly look at fitting a stopcock close to the water tank as this could save having a flooded bilge should any fault/freeze up happen when you are away from the boat.

 

Another great call. In another post I have sung the praises of my repair person. I now have an in-line tap that can isolate the tank from everything else =)

Edited January 7, 2013 by brian1042