Dripping Immersion Tank

[michaelsft]

Hi everyone!

There's an annoying drip in the top tank which is constant. It's not overflowed or anything but I am concerned it will. After reading this forum I came to the conclusion it might be a faulty ball valve (simply going off what other people have said about similar issues). I have no idea what a ball valve is or if it's easy to replace. Anyway, below are some questions from me, if would be awesome if someone could help me understand this unit as I've never even seen one before moving into my new flat.

So first things first, this is what I have. Please correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the cold water comes in from the middle valve with the red turning tap and the hot water comes out at the top right? Currently the red turning tap is closed as I'm having a hot tap in the bath fitted and is in pieces and it'll be like that for another day or two while some parts are sourced.

Anyway, the drip is definitely in the top part, I can hear it clearly however I cannot get a screwdriver in to the valve to try and close it due to the position of the wall. To get it to stop dripping I turned off all the water via the stop tap in the bathroom. Obviously I have no water now but the drip from the top is gone which doesn't make sense if my assumptions about that being where water goes out of is correct. Surely water dripping down would be from water going in the other direction?

Is the top valve (pictured in detail here) the 'ball valve'? Is it an easy job for a plumber to fit a new one?

Thank you for reading, any help, advice or general scolding for me not knowing what the hell I'm doing is greatly appreciated!

Also while I’m here, I may as well add that when my toilet fills up after flushing it too has a drip that lasts a long time, though does stop. I don’t think it normal to be honest as it goes on for a long time. Some sort of perished washer issue somewhere maybe?

Thanks again!
Michael

 

[Nige F]

Can't help because I can't see any pics. Only a thing saying (IMG) keeps happening on my gas powered computer

 

[michaelsft]

Ooh that's odd because they show up for me, could you perhaps copy and paste the following urls into your browser to see them?

http://www.sftrecords.co.uk/1Tank.jpg

http://www.sftrecords.co.uk/2Make.jpg

http://www.sftrecords.co.uk/3Valve.jpg

Thank you for replying!

 

[picasso]

If you have any sort of budget I would get rid of the cylinder and get a combi fitted (assuming you got gas ) or an unvented cylinder if all electric, what you have isn't worth fixing unless you have no choice.

 

[michaelsft]

I really don't have any budget at all. I've just moved in and all my money has evaporated! Fixing this is really my only option and that's providing it's something simple like a ball valve replacement.

 

[dilalio]

Your last photo shows the inlet pipe to the ball valve. Turn that off and replace the ball valve yourself, with either a new diaphragm or the whole thing. It's an easy enough job.

 

[Madrab]

The ball valve, arm and float is inside the top tank. The last picture shows an isolator elbow, turn that off, undo it from the threaded pipe, which is the inlet posrtion of the ball valve. Loosen up the white plastic nut and remove it and the whole valve will pull through from inside the tank, buy a valve and float of the same type. Replacement is a reverse of those steps.

You will need a new 1/2" fibre washer on the isolation valve

 

[copea]

I believe the cold water comes in from the middle valve with the red turning tap and the hot water comes out at the top right?

Other way around.
The red gate valve stops the hot water leaving the top of the cylinder.

You have a 2-in-1 hot water cylinder which has a cold water cistern stacked on top of it.
Called a fortic cylinder.

The 'waist' a third of the way down the cylinder is the point at which the cold cistern stops and the hot cylinder starts.
There will be a pipe which takes this cold water down to the bottom of the hot cylinder when hot water is drawn off the top.

When you say the ball valve drips constantly, has it ever overflowed?
Is there any water inside the white plastic tundish or piping?

If it hasn't overflowed, it may not need touching.
Fill valves aren't binary devices - the fill rate slows as the tank fills and sometimes they drip for a while until the float rises to the point where the supply is entirely shut off.

Would only be worth changing if the noise is annoying you (a new one would likely shut off definitively much quicker) or it's overflowed.