Any plumbers on here, or someone in the know?

[Gazz]

I'll try and be as brief as I can with this post and summarise accordingly to reduce reading. I have no experience of plumber or anything like that.

Basically last year we had water dripping from our gutter. Before we could get a ladder it stopped and my neighbour informed us that it was the overflow pipe and that he been up at it and had bent the pipe on the roof upwards slightly to stop it dripping but we'd need to get a plumber.

So we got a plumber who told us that the ballcock was needing replaced in the cold water tank so he replaced that, so all was good.

However since the cold weather has been here, the gutter has started to drip again at the same bit which I'm assuming is ice blocking the gutter and the cold water coming out of the overflow and not having anywhere to go; except over the side of the gutter

*I should also mention that I got a ladder and cleaned the gutter out during the summer (it wasn't bad).

In addition to this, the other night i heard a dripping noise coming from the loft. To satisfy my paranoia, I went up the loft to investigate. Everything seems fine to the untrained eye (nothing was wet), but when I looked inside the water tank, it looks like water is coming in to the tank in a constant drip, drip, drip and is leaking straight back out the overflow pipe? (Example: one drip coming in, one drip going straight out due to the water level being at its highest due to the overflow pipe level).

Is this the way that these things work?

Seems like a waste of water to me if it is? Or do I need to get the plumber back out again?

Cheers in advance, just basically looking for some clarity on this matter. All the water in the house works fine, etc.

[arry]

The point of the ballcock is that once it reaches the desired level, it closes off the valve so that no more water is flowing into the tank. If the ballcock fails to close the valve and more water flows into the tank, that water will go straight into the overflow.

In short, the ballcock isn't doing what it should be - and needs looking at.

[-]

Sounds like the plumber adjusted the ballcock or replaced the float ball without actually replacing the valve. Does the arm and valve look new or just the float ball on the end?

If the ballcock is working properly, adjusted correctly and new, it should stop dripping when the water level is at least an inch below the overflow outlet.

They're very easy to do with a replacement arm and valve form B&Q or the like. Turn off water supply, undo nut holding valve to pipe, undo nuts holding valve assembly to tank, remove replace, tighten up nuts, turn water supply back on then check it turns off supply before the level reaches the overflow. If not adjust the arm with the screw/locknuts at the valve end, until it pushes the float ball hard enough into the water to shut off the supply at the correct level.

Your neighbour bending your overflow, effectively stopping it from working was a stupid thing to do and could have flooded your property.
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[Gazz]

The ballcock and valve are all new. He also put a new pipe onto the front of the tank (which has a braided surface on it) I have a video that I can upload.

Or I could take a screenshot of the video to give a better idea.

Would it be as simple as bending the arm of the ballcock upwards or downwards?

[Gazz]

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26229353_10155933620252768_3680082840964475522_n.jpg?oh=9af36af92dc5a1a105eadf014d87d023&oe=5AEDDDFE

Overflow exit is at the back left.
New inlet with braided pipe on the left.
Old pipe (now redundant) on the right.
And it is dripping from the white valve bit.
The old ballcock was copper or brass.

[Gazz]

Also, shouldn't this thing have a lid on it?

[Wonko The Sane]

can't see in the pic shown, does the valve end of the ball cock have the ability to adjust it so that the ball cock is trying to shut off the water slightly sooner to keep the water level away from the overflow?

The overflow is there so that if the ball cock fails or expansion in the system below causes the water level to rise it overflows out of the house instead of over the edge of the tank into your loft
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Looks like the adjustment is at the float ball end. Looks like a screw through a brass connector. Loosen it a turn and push the ball down the arm, further into the water, then tighten the screw.

There is usually a way of adjusting without having to bend the arm, but yes, the ball needs to be a bit lower, so needs adjusting down.

You might need to get a bit of water out to adjust and test, you could wave a bit out of the overflow if your neighbour hasn't left it in an inoperative way by bending the outlet towards the sky.
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[MCN]

[Freddyfruitba...]

[colink98]

stuff in the water such as insulation will cause havoc with valves etc and reduce the water pressure to your hot water cylinder etc.

if you dont have a lid then just get a sheet of plastic or tarp from screwfix and fashion a cover.
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[Stalk]

The float should be in line with the arm and not at 90deg aso this places a twist on the arm which then goes off centre on the valve causing a leak. Seen it before.

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[weasley]

Ball has come loose, or plumber has fitted one with too long an arm and turned it through 90° to get the job done?
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[Gazz]

Firstly; Cheers everyone who offered their opinion on this problem. All your advice has been invaluable.

Just a wee update for anyone who may be interested.

After reading the latest post, prior to this one; I had another look at the tank tonight with the intentions of rotating the ballcock but it wouldn't budge..... However I noticed that when I bumped the new pipe (braided one) with my arm when I was trying to get to the ballcock that the water started to piss out.

And also discovered that the plastic that the tank is made from is just marginally thicker than a polythene bag, and the slightest movement of the pipe flexes the plastic causing the water level to rise.

Here is a video which shows better what I'm trying to describe in words.

https://www.facebook.com/gary.kane.963/videos/10155936692777768/

So, I have put a small piece of wood underneath the pipe which is pushing it upwards, which appears to have stopped the dripping. I have also used the plumber's wrench (he accidentally left it here when he done the job and didn't want it back) underneath the tank which has raised the overflow slightly hopefully preventing the water flowing outside.

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/26196315_10155936690462768_4945996786605576388_n.jpg?oh=336ddc384acac4a17786d7a0e4237a4c&oe=5AFD91FA

I have looked outside and the water is still trickling down, but I'm assuming that it is just whats left in the pipes and additionally ice impeding the normal path down the gutter. I'll check it again in a couple of days to make sure.

[recman]

I'd be looking to maybe reinforce the area where the inlet pipe enters the tank, otherwise any adjustment on the ballcock may be negated by the flex of the wall of the tank.
3 to 4mm thick piece of plastic cut to 5 or 6 inch square, drill a sufficient hole in the middle for the inlet pipe, should suffice.

How are you trying to rotate the float? It will have a screw to loosen first before you do.
Hope you're not trying to twist the float arm.

[Raffles]

Gazz, I do hope that you have buildings and contents insurance.
Unless you get someone competent to sort this (not you, your neighbour or the arse that passes himself off as a plumber that you've previously used) then you're probably going to have to bang a claim in sometime soon.
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[-]

Man card revoked and comedy is on the horizon.

Tipping the tank to raise the level of the overflow, instead of adjusting the float height?

Priceless!
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[Freddyfruitba...]

In addition to what others have said (including the insurance comment ); having seen a photo of your tank for God's sake get a lid on it and wrap the whole thing in insulation. Your roof space is obviously 'cold' as opposed to 'warm' (as in, you don't have insulation below the tiles but hopefully you do immediately above the ceiling) so your tank is in grave danger of freezing and then bursting. You see how the old pipework up there is wrapped in lagging? There is a reason for that.

I don't know what cowboy fitted this tank in the first place but in addition to screwing up the gubbins and causing your current leak; he's failed to provide a lid, failed to insulate anything; and why on earth has he seen fit to use that bodge of a braided pipe rather than running new soldered-joint copper pipe to bridge that easy 12" gap? (Those braided pipes do have their place, but certainly not there - and in any case it there's evidently something amiss with it if its flow can be regulated by lifting it up and down with a stick )

Oh and one more point of interest... you mention ice outside in the gutter? If you've got a slow and steady trickle of water running out of an overflow pipe when the weather's below zero, that's a perfect recipe for the drips to freeze and eventually block the overflow completely, and the first you will know of this is when your tank overflows into the roof space...
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[grr666]

That flexi looks twisted to me
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[colink98]

maximum bodges all round.
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[Pjay]

Quick gehtto fix is to just bend the arm down a bit that holds the ballcock. This will lower the ball and stop the drip.

Thank me later.
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[recman]

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