Cold water tap needs a few turns

[mcgookin]

Need some expert advises please.

We have our dishwasher installed recently by a plumber and while he is at the job, he changed the hot water tap washer in the kicthen. Dishwasher and hot water tap are working fine now. Unfortunately the cold water tap now needs a few turns before any cold water comes out. This never happened before and I called the plumber and he said he didn't do anything to the cold water tap.

For some strange reason, he can't find the main water supply tap into the house (the house is an old Victorian house). There is no shutoff valve/tap underneath the kitchen sink. The only one is in the utility room (another separated room) and that only shuts the coldwater supply to upstair toilet and bathroom. So he ended up shutting the water supply on the street into the house (using a water key) in order to install the dishwasher, changed the hot water tap washer and put in a valve for the cold water underneath the kitchen sink. Note, there is still water going into our combi boiler, so there will still be hot water supply (and cold water into the combi boiler).

Therefore, you can understand why we asked him to install a valve on the cold water. Just in case we ever need to change the dishwasher or fix the cold water tap.

I have tried putting in a new washer in the cold water tap but the problem remains. So it has nothing to do with the washer.

Sorry for being long winded but I thought may be the full story will give you a better picture. Any suggestion to our problems?

Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

The bit that you fix the washer to is called the jumper - this is designed to stay still and not rotate when you close the tap.
If the jumper or its mating surface is in poor condition its possible for it to stick within the tap - usually in low pressure systems. Undoing the tap a couple of turns takes the pressure off the jumper and allows the water to flow.
John

 

[mcgookin]

The bit that you fix the washer to is called the jumper - this is designed to stay still and not rotate when you close the tap.
If the jumper or its mating surface is in poor condition its possible for it to stick within the tap - usually in low pressure systems. Undoing the tap a couple of turns takes the pressure off the jumper and allows the water to flow.
John

Dear John,

Many thanks for the feedback. Advance apology for my lack of knowledge on plumbing, how do you 'undoing the tap a couple of turns' ?

I know how to change the washer and did a search on jumper, so I have an idea of what you are referring to. If you can provide me with a bit more information that would be much appreciated

 

[Burnerman]

Sorry, what I meant was when you turn the tap on a couple of turns, this releases pressure on the jumper, which breaks free and allows the water to flow.
So, if you can dismantle the tap, check to see that the jumper has no splits in it, fit a new washer of the correct size and peer down the hole in the tap to check the seating where the washer goes has no cracks.
John