Plumbers -- what did I do wrong?

David Nadle

now the bathroom sink has no hot or cold water.

I shut off the hot water supply to my 2nd floor bathroom. Shut off is in the basement. Removed the shower valve stem and replaced the washer, reassembled, turned the water back on, no leaks, everything looks good. Then I go to wash my hands at the sink and there's no hot OR cold water.

Toilet flushes & refills, shower works fine. Downstairs everything works. What the heck did I do? Trap air? Form a clog? Two clogs?

I feel like I'm in an early Woody Allen movie or a Mr. Bean sketch where you flush the toilet and the shower comes on. Thanks for indulging my off-topic thread.

Unknown

Woody Allen

Are you sure you didn`t shut the basin off?
Another question, how could you just shut-off the hot(unless 2 handle), and replace the washer?

Dave

David_48

Absotively

Not only did I not touch the basin shutoffs, I never touched a cold shutoff anywhere in the house. I've been Googling around and came across the topic of "air lock." Don't know if that's it but it certainly fits.

Mark Hunt_3

Make sure


that you COMPLETELY returned the valves in the basement to fully open.

If you have old galvanized piping, you may have loosened some rust and it found it's way back to your lav. That is a bit more tricky to fix. (If you have copper, disregard that)

Are you positive that you did not turn off anything else? (Not trying to insult here...it happens to everyone)

Mark H

Unknown

David,

been a plumber 30+ years, never heard of that.

Dave

David Nadle

Believe me...

I'm starting to question my sanity too ;-) But as it stands now I remain certain I turned off nothing else and I never touched the cold side. Weird.

David Nadle

The shower has seperate hot and cold valves and a diverter in the center to switch tub and shower.

Mark Hunt_3

OK


Do you have copper piping or galvanized?

Mark H

Unknown

Woody,

Your DEAD,,,the wife will kill you,,,LOL!!

Dave

Mars_3

had that happen to me kind of

I have a 1959 vintage house here in Denver, It had old galvanized pipe for the main cold water piping. Had copper cold water supply from street thank god, re piped the whole house this summer and had one sink that was 70 install get clogged by rust dislodged by the re pipe. Had to replace the fixture.works like a champ now.

Mark Hunt_3

You


are supposed to be asleep!

I'm gonna' hang a bit and see if I can help this gentleman get his water back.

Mark H

shawn laverty

If you have a aerator on your faucet remove it you may have sediment in there,

David Nadle

Yeah...

I'm avoiding eye contact. So can you offer any suggestions?

Jim Bennett

I think....

Shawns got it. washer in the basement valve may have crumbled and blocked the aerator

Jim

Mark Hunt_3

One word


SCOTCH...

Mark H

David Nadle

Latest...

It's an old house but this bathroom is a remodel. I think everything from the basement shutoff up is copper.

I tried something I read elsewhere. Held my palm up against the spout and turned on a faucet. water sprayed all over the place. There's a good amound of air pressure in there. When I took my hand away the water was just a trickle. Tried both hot and cold and they act the same.

[Deleted User]

aerator

Had the same problem recently in an apartment building. Shawn is right pull the aerator out flush the lines and you should be golden.

David Nadle

There are a few fingers of whisky in my immediate future...AFTER I fix the water.

Unknown

Sorry Mark,

yes I am going to sleep, I didn`t mean to hi-jack the thread,,I`m going
Good night!!

Dave

David Nadle

We have a winner...

That aerator had a bunch of slag behind it. Cleaned it out and all is well.

Once again this site fills my heart with gratitude. Not only can I look my wife in the eye again, I can now enjoy a bit of Ireland's finest. I toast you all and wish you happy holidays.

ScottMP

Dave

I'm sure it was sludge or debris but if it was Just the airator .. then both hot and cold would have lost pressure. You only mentioned hot.

MAny time when shutting an old stop in the basement, sediment, dirt, rust, or the old washer can be lodged downstream. Some times its just in the supply of the faucet and only one side. Tapping on the line can dislodge it and someitmes the whole facuet has to be taken apart and flushed.

Glad you got it. No go out and buy a single lever, anti-scauld shower valve so the wife dosn't get burned when you flush the toilet.

Scott

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David Nadle

It was both hot and cold.

And somehow it's always me that gets scalded. The 3 year old always knows just when to flush. I'd love an anti-scald valve but ripping out the shower is not high on my list of priorities right now. Hell, I just put in a brand new seat washer and I gotta get my money's worth!

Jim Cogger

what a relief?!!!

Glad you fellas got this one sorted out. I know you all are great at fixing the heat,I did'nt think a clogged up aerator needed a dozen or so post's,got a good ol belly laugh from this one Jim

bob young

Hey Jimbo ! how goes it

Unknown

Simplest thing,

plugged aerator, and it never even "dawned" on me, isn`t the internet great!

Dave

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

prevent colgged aerators

and other sediment related problems by turning the main water on real slow with all the faucets open, don't shut off faucets until water runs out free of air, and you won't have any more problems with sediment. When you turn on the shutoff full blast with all the air in the lines, the water goes racing through and loosens sediment from the inside of the pipes. Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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[Deleted User]

The FIRST thing you did wrong...

was to work on your own stuff...

Why is it, that when you go to work on your own plumbing/heating system, EVERYTHING goes wrong?

I went to fix a minor leak on my system the other day, thinking to myself, 'No more than an hour".

FOUR (4) HOURS LATER, and I finally finished. Glad I didn't do a flat rate estimate on myself...

ME

Jamie Hall

Dang

never would have thought of that -- thanks Bob!

shawn laverty

I love going into a house when the Home owner says " my faucet has no water coming out of it" 2 minutes later we look like gods until the see the bill.

merry christmas

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

also

Don't forget to turn the main shutoff all the way on after the system fills up, this takes a couple of minutes and you are usually cleaning up, it is easy to forget and you will get a call for low water pressure. Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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