Cold water tap has water exploding from it when turned on

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SandiB

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This has been going on intermittently for some time, but now is almost every time a cold water tap in the house is turned on. Water bursts out of the tap in stop start gushes, accompanied by quite loud gugg, gugg, noises that are not the banging pipes noises described by some members. It takes about 45 secs before the water runs freely. It is not only annoying because water sprays everywhere, it also give people a fright in the middle of the night.

I am able to know when it is going to happen in the bathroom by the noise of the toilet cistern refilling. If it also does the gugg gugging, the basin tap is going to explode!

I have had the local water supplier in. They have fitted a valve on to the underground pipe that leads into my house from the main supply to stop air getting in. They also fitted something to read the water pressure on to the main supply leading to our estate. I was shown the two week graph of the water pressure. It was completely normal.

Plumbers have been flummoxed.

Can anybody on here help please?
 
Thank you PrenticeBoy and dilalio for replying.

I have a combI boiler.

Can you tell me what to do about a 'carbonated mains supply'?
 
The smiley at the end of dilalio's post is a hint that he's joking.

Does this happen only on cold taps?
Is any tap affected more than others?
Does his happen with the kitchen cold tap?
What type of property - flat, semi etc.
What is the property location - rural, urban etc?
Do you have any pumps in the property - shower?
 
Exactly OP - we need more info about your setup! A video would also be quite helpful!

And yes, by carbonated water, I meant fizzy water, and it was a joke... sorry, couldn't help it :whistle:
 
Not funny, you lot!

To answer serious help questions:
Only on cold taps
Upstairs bathroom tap and toilet inlet
Yes, kitchen cold tap too (not as forceful)
Mid-terrace house
Urban location
Electric shower

Anything else you need to know?

A possible link, which is why I called Wessex Water in (see original message), I noticed the neighbour's kitchen tap did it and they say it happens on their upstairs taps too. ???

Thanks.

Sandi
 
I would usually associate this with faulty valves!
At any point has the property been changed from a low pressure storage system on to mains pressure. It could be as simply as changing taps and water inlet at WC.
Or even having a pressure reducing valve fitted at the incoming supply. Not sure if that is a device you mentioned early, regarding pressure monitoring!
 
PrenticeBoy, hi.

Wessex Water added a valve to my incoming water supply from the mains to prevent air coming in. I am assuming this is not the same thing you are talking about - a pressure valve? They checked the water pressure in the main supply and there was no fluctuation over two weeks.

I have not changed from a low pressure storage system to mains pressure. The only change that has been made is the installation of a combI boiler 3 years ago. This is a fairly recent problem that has been getting steadily worse.
 
Do you have a shared water mains with your neighbours?

Are any of your neighbours doing building work where they are turning off and on the main water supply?

Andy
 
SandiB said:
the installation of a combI boiler 3 years ago.
Click to expand...

if the storage tanks ( cisterns ) in the loft were taken out then Prentice boy's comment is valid

PrenticeBoyofDerry said:
changed from a low pressure storage system on to mains pressure. It could be as simply as changing taps and water inlet at WC.
Click to expand...

The washers ( or ceramic inserts ) in taps designed to operate on the low pressure from a tank in the loft will over time degrade when subjected to a high pressure supply coming directly from the mains.
 
Andy, no. We all have our own supply off the mains. No building work around.
 
Hi Bernard

The cistern, in the cupboard in second bedroom, was taken out 3 years ago on installation of combI boiler.

There is still a large water tank in the loft. Is that relevant?

I am just a woman who knows nothing about plumbing, but am fairly intelligent, so can work out things if you fire them at me. Thanks all!

Btw, I am trying to upload a video I took but it is 96Mb and this system will only take 10Mb, so am going off phone to computer to try and reduce the size.
 
No, no shared supply. We all have our own supply off the mains.

Neighbours not doing any building work.
 
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