No Water After turning Supply back On

[Desmond]

Hi There,

I work after from home 2 weeks at a time and recently started to turn off the water supply to my flat. But on the two that I have done it on my return from my trip when I turn the water back on I get nothing. Eventually I have to call a emergency plumber who is also mystified as why the water is no coming on.

In the end he takes of the stopcock tap to see if this is jammed closed and finds that it is fine and refits it. then turn the water back on still nothing then after a while the water magically returns. this has happened no and becoming costly have to call a plumber each time. It is getting to the point that I am frighten to turn of the supply for any long period of time.

Background information

Property
Flat within a building of 7 flats (Only 1 floor) Built 20 years ago.

There is a water shut tap on the ground floor for all flats then a shut off when it enters my flat on the first floor (this is the one which I switch of)

My hot water is by way of a combi boiler.

Reading up on the internet there is a suggestion that turning off the water for any long period causes a airlock to develop when switched back on.

How do I avoid this happening? I was thinking that the next time I go on a trip I could turn off the water supply using the stop tap on the ground floor instead of the one in my flat.

Any advise would be welcomed

Regard

Des

 

[Maryplumb]

You can't turn off other people's water! How would that help?

Airlocks form when pipes are drained but you don't mention doing that.
Mains pressure usually pushes airlocks through. If the delay has been caused by air then when the water does arrive at the tap it will splutter with air for a bit till it is all driven through.
In traditional stopcocks the part which the washer is mounted on (called a jumper) is loose. They were made like that intentionally so that if the water is turned off further upstream the jumper would fall back and prevent any contaminated water from your flat draining back down (called backflow or backsiphonage) into the mutual pipework and potentially causing a public health problem. Check valves perform the same function.
If your mains pressure is low it may not be enough straight away to hold the jumper up. Sounds like the plumber was checking to see if the washer/jumper was sticking in the seating? The more you use the stopcock the more the washer will flatten/expand, which can cause this though it usually happens in ordinary taps which are turned on and off several times a day. Not sure if this is the answer but a first step would be to ask your plumber if it is that kind of stopcock.

 

[king of pipes]

Get your plumber to install a lever type isolation valve they are only quater turn on to off leave the stopcock alone or have it removed and or replaced . Kop

 

[gpbeck]

Seen this with an old water meter. Hammer..