Plumbing – What could cause taps for both hot and cold water to suddenly stop working

plumbing

There are two taps in one of the bathrooms of our house. A few days ago, one of them "went out": after giving a noise as if very suddenly closed, the water stopped flowing, only a little trickling remaining for both hot and cold when opened.

Today, the other tap (that was working unaffected so far) reproduced the phenomenon, with an even smaller amount of remaining trickling. Neither of them work now.

Does anyone have any ideas for the cause of this?

Best Answer

The pipes are not likely to be blocked. The problem will most probalby be in the tap. Most taps usually have a aerator before the exit and that could be blocked up from dirt.

To clean the tap there is a tool to remove the aerator but it is not necessary. You can use pliers or a the correct size key. enter image description here

There is also a helpful video here

And this is what the part looks like when its a bit clogged.

enter image description here

With the clog that you mentioned it must be pretty bad- So when you remove the aerator you will most likely see allot of dirt follow it. Open the taps for a minute to get it out of the system.

This dirt usaully comes from the main water supply so installing a filter for your main supply for the house if a good option to stop this nuisance. There also options to improve the drinking qualities. Ask you local plumber depot for advice.

DIY TIPS

  • To avoid damaging the aerator body it is a good idea to wrap it with some cloth and gently try to unscrew it. It could be a bit stuck but wiggle it back and forth and should let go easily. enter image description here
  • Many aerators go into several pieces. The can help in cleaning them. Try to remember the order.enter image description here
  • The aerator is not mandatory. It helps make the water come out silky and uniform which helps to prevent splashing. You can use the tap without it if it clogs up frequently.
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