Downstairs hot water tap not working...

[ShampooEfficient]

Right. Just been washing my car, and filling buckets to do so. Filled the bucket with hot water, no strange sounds, no drop in pressure, nothing - turned tap off, used bucket, came back to refill.
Opened the hot tap, absolutely nothing came out, not even a drip.

Quick Google suggeted an airlock, so I've done as it suggested, connecting the washer cold pipe onto the hot to flush it through - tried it three times, and no success.

Is there anything more I can do before getting a man in, and suffering the emasculation thereof?

[Laurel Green]

Have you checked the tank in the loft to see if there is water in it? Chances are, the ball-valve has stuck in the closed position and not allowing the tank to fill up.

[ShampooEfficient]

Laurel Green said:

Have you checked the tank in the loft to see if there is water in it? Chances are, the ball-valve has stuck in the closed position and not allowing the tank to fill up.

Hot water taps upstairs are working - are they all fed from the same tank?

[Road2Ruin]

It's not going to be an airlock. My guess would be that if all other hot water taps are working then it could be a faulty tap! If others downstairs (if you have any) are not working then the culprit could be a faulty non-return valve juat after the hot water tank. Not sure why you would have one there but I have seem them in that place before.

[Laurel Green]

ShampooEfficient said:

Hot water taps upstairs are working - are they all fed from the same tank?

It won't be the tank then. As R2R said, possibly a faulty sink tap.

[ShampooEfficient]

Road2Ruin said:

It's not going to be an airlock. My guess would be that if all other hot water taps are working then it could be a faulty tap! If others downstairs (if you have any) are not working then the culprit could be a faulty non-return valve juat after the hot water tank. Not sure why you would have one there but I have seem them in that place before.

Bugger - they're a random type of tap I've never seen in any other house - see pics.





Any idea how one would take it to pieces?

[Road2Ruin]

Wow, now that is a pretty random tap! I have seen one before on a really old bath. Couldn't tell you how it cam apart though (if it even did) as we removed them and fitted new ones. Yours look like there is some sort of hexagonal fitting just above the twisty on/off bit? Other than that I can't help. To be honest if I were in your position I would make sure it was the tap by undoing it from underneath a smidge, to see if it leaks, and then replacing them. New taps are only about £25 and a darn sight nicer!

[illmonkey]

Are they attached by flex hose under the sink? Is there a valve for it?

I'd disconnect the pipe after the valve, put a towel down and open the valve a very small amount. This will prove its the tap.

Buy new tap.

[yorkypud]

If my memory works.. They were called Super taps
To dismantle hold hex section at top and the lower
part of tap un screws anti clockwise.
Inside is sliding washer called a jumper that tend
to stick.

[Ferg]

Yeah, that's a Supatap.
They have a valve in that allows you to remove the washer without turning the water off. Sometimes they don't work.....
The jumper and washer are VERY specific AND the jumper fits into a brass splash diverter which often crumbles to pieces when you take it out of the nozzle....

[ShampooEfficient]

Cheers all - I'll have a nosey at the DIY store to see if they even stock the internals, before I start dismantling the tap.

Small problem is it's not technically my house, so it would be rather remiss of me to be replacing the fittings willy nilly.