Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
the loft.

The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
supply any water when first turned on.

When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
basin tap then supplies water.

Any ideas what is going on here ?

In article <t3k68u$g9c$1@dont-email.me>,
john west <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> the loft.

> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> supply any water when first turned on.

> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
> basin tap then supplies water.

> Any ideas what is going on here ?

air lock?

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> the loft.
>
> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> supply any water when first turned on.
>
> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> Tap the bath tap works fine.  A short while after that the cold water
> basin tap then supplies water.
>
> Any ideas what is going on here ?

Is it coming on when you close the bath tap again or perhaps just after
a period of time, regardless of the bath tap? Could it be the low
pressure from the tank and a sticking tap washer, with the washer
gradually unsticking anyway, or more suddenly when there bath tap is
closed and the pressure momentarily rises, due to water's existing momentum?

On 18/04/2022 19:02, Steve Walker wrote:
> On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
>> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
>> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
>> the loft.
>>
>> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
>> supply any water when first turned on.
>>
>> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water
>> Bath Tap the bath tap works fine.  A short while after that the cold
>> water basin tap then supplies water.
>>
>> Any ideas what is going on here ?
>
> Is it coming on when you close the bath tap again or perhaps just after
> a period of time, regardless of the bath tap? Could it be the low
> pressure from the tank and a sticking tap washer, with the washer
> gradually unsticking anyway, or more suddenly when there bath tap is
> closed and the pressure momentarily rises, due to water's existing
> momentum?

Thanks. One thing i forgot to mention is that the cold water comes out
of a mixer tap which it shares with the hot water tap in the basin.

On 18/04/2022 19:49, john west wrote:
> On 18/04/2022 19:02, Steve Walker wrote:
>> On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
>>> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
>>> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank
>>> in the loft.
>>>
>>> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
>>> supply any water when first turned on.
>>>
>>> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water
>>> Bath Tap the bath tap works fine.  A short while after that the cold
>>> water basin tap then supplies water.
>>>
>>> Any ideas what is going on here ?
>>
>> Is it coming on when you close the bath tap again or perhaps just
>> after a period of time, regardless of the bath tap? Could it be the
>> low pressure from the tank and a sticking tap washer, with the washer
>> gradually unsticking anyway, or more suddenly when there bath tap is
>> closed and the pressure momentarily rises, due to water's existing
>> momentum?
>
> Thanks.  One thing i forgot to mention is that the cold water comes out
> of a mixer tap which it shares with the hot water tap in the basin.

I'd start by changing the washer.

Then, if that's unsuccessful, fit something like this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/swirl-bathroom-basin-contract-tap-reviver-kit/12204?

On Tue, 19 Apr 2022 03:14:08 +1000, john west
<mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:

> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> the loft.
>
> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> supply any water when first turned on.
>
> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
> basin tap then supplies water.
>
> Any ideas what is going on here ?

Sounds like something has got into the offtake for the line to the
misbehaving tap
and it takes water out of the other taps to shift it a bit and see it flow
again.

Have a look to see where the pipe that feeds the misbehaving tap come trom,
it may even have its own feed from the water tank or a header etc.

On Tue, 19 Apr 2022 04:02:01 +1000, Steve Walker
<steve@walker-family.me.uk> wrote:

> On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
>> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
>> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
>> the loft.
>> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
>> supply any water when first turned on.
>> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water
>> Bath Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold
>> water basin tap then supplies water.
>> Any ideas what is going on here ?
>
> Is it coming on when you close the bath tap again or perhaps just after
> a period of time, regardless of the bath tap? Could it be the low
> pressure from the tank and a sticking tap washer, with the washer
> gradually unsticking anyway,

Yes.

> or more suddenly when there bath tap is closed and the pressure
> momentarily rises, due to water's existing momentum?

Can't see that unsticking a sticking tap washer.

john west <mail.invalid456@mail.invalid> wrote:
> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> the loft.
>
> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> supply any water when first turned on.
>
> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
> basin tap then supplies water.
>
> Any ideas what is going on here ?
>

Possibly taps with ‘floating’ washers - they are fixed to a plunger which
fits into a hole in the tap head. When you open the tap, they are lifted
open, rather than pulled open.

They are fine on mains pressure systems. But can stick on low pressure
ones. You you can probably just fit new heads. Just find some the right
size. A decent plumber’s merchant should have them.

On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
> Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> the loft.

I'd be inclined to go and count the number of dead starlings there are
lurking in the bottom of the cold water tank.
>
> The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> supply any water when first turned on.

Chances are the tap washer has perished.

> When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> Tap the bath tap works fine.  A short while after that the cold water
> basin tap then supplies water.
>
> Any ideas what is going on here ?

Might be an airlock although usually they are caused by running the bath
taps at full bore. My house is vulnerable to that mode of failure.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Wednesday, 20 April 2022 at 04:30:57 UTC-4, Martin Brown wrote:
> On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
> > Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
> > water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
> > the loft.
> I'd be inclined to go and count the number of dead starlings there are
> lurking in the bottom of the cold water tank.
> >
> > The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
> > supply any water when first turned on.
> Chances are the tap washer has perished.
> > When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water Bath
> > Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
> > basin tap then supplies water.
> >
> > Any ideas what is going on here ?
> Might be an airlock although usually they are caused by running the bath
> taps at full bore. My house is vulnerable to that mode of failure.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Martin Brown
see yall soon

Blast from the past:
If its of any use, most water tanks are covered, so I'd doubt many
starlings are in it. In my case a clip that held the cold water running
along the loft had broken and the pipe drooped causing a kind of sloshing
aire lock effect. Fixing that and blowing mains water from a hosepipe from
the mains back up into the tank fixed it and no further issues.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Kris O" <kris.oneill55@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4114c961-2f20-481c-951c-8411834fffe8n@googlegroups.com...
> On Wednesday, 20 April 2022 at 04:30:57 UTC-4, Martin Brown wrote:
>> On 18/04/2022 18:14, john west wrote:
>> > Its a small terraced house with the old system of supplying the cold
>> > water to the upstairs bath, toilet and hand basin from a water tank in
>> > the loft.
>> I'd be inclined to go and count the number of dead starlings there are
>> lurking in the bottom of the cold water tank.
>> >
>> > The cold water tap in the basin in the bathroom sometimes does not
>> > supply any water when first turned on.
>> Chances are the tap washer has perished.
>> > When no cold water comes out, then going and opening the cold water
>> > Bath
>> > Tap the bath tap works fine. A short while after that the cold water
>> > basin tap then supplies water.
>> >
>> > Any ideas what is going on here ?
>> Might be an airlock although usually they are caused by running the bath
>> taps at full bore. My house is vulnerable to that mode of failure.
>>
>> --
>> Regards,
>> Martin Brown
> see yall soon