Attic tank overflow and other problems

gravedigger

Hello all,

We have a relatively new plastic attic tank (less than ten years), and the ballcock that used to keep the water level at a manageable height has raised up and sometimes you can hear water coming down from the overflow pipe. I hope I'm making sense here... should I call a plumber about it?

Also, I I have to clean out brown slimy silt from the tank itself quite a lot, every six months, because it builds up quite fast. It seems to be iron/iron bacteria. The flooring up there is not too secure, so I'm hesitant to continue doing this. I used to live on the Northside of Dublin (on southside these days), and we never had this problem, the bottom of the tank was always clear. Should this be of concern, or is it relatively normal? I have noticed we have the silty stuff from the mains tap sometimes and there is sometimes a yellow tint to the water, could be an issue with the piping in the area, as we have no undersoil leak etc.

qc3

hi, there should be a threaded piece on the end that you can lenghten to stop the water sooner.if you can not, a trick is to slightly bent the ballcock bar downwards so the water will stop sooner.
not sure what your build up is,sorry

Stone Deaf 4evr

I assume you are now getting your water from a private well on your own land? you shouldn't be getting silt in your tank. Silt and sand can clog the slider in the ballcock which would end up with the tank overfilling and overspill coming out the overflow.

gravedigger

No, we're on a mains water supply in a large neighbourhood. I don't even know if it is silt per se, I think its more likely iron related, like iron bacteria of some sort, we get it in the toilet cistern too. Our water source is Roundwood in Co. Wicklow, and I was told by one of the engineers who works for the county council that the supply is not filtered, just naturally purified with sand I think and chlorinated, so small debris can get through I guess. I've also seen daphnia (water fleas) in there during the spring/summer months at times. Now that IS odd, seeing those fellas swimming around!

Joey the lips

qc3 wrote: »

hi, there should be a threaded piece on the end that you can lenghten to stop the water sooner.if you can not, a trick is to slightly bent the ballcock bar downwards so the water will stop sooner.
not sure what your build up is,sorry

There is no threaded pce on an attic ball cock. Its only on plastic ones and if there is a plastic ball cock in your attic its against regulations and dangerous. - Sorry!

Hi op. The water should not be going down the overflow and needs to be corrected. I would get a plumber! I would also call into the council ask for an appointment to discuss the water in your house!

You know its unusual thats why your asking. Ask the council if they can certify the water fit for human consumption or should you have a councillor look into it!

It generally wakes them up. Get names of people your dealing with! Knock into your neighbours and ask if they are having simular problems.

gravedigger

Joey the lips wrote: »

There is no threaded pce on an attic ball cock. Its only on plastic ones and if there is a plastic ball cock in your attic its against regulations and dangerous. - Sorry!

Hi op. The water should not be going down the overflow and needs to be corrected. I would get a plumber! I would also call into the council ask for an appointment to discuss the water in your house!

You know its unusual thats why your asking. Ask the council if they can certify the water fit for human consumption or should you have a councillor look into it!

It generally wakes them up. Get names of people your dealing with! Knock into your neighbours and ask if they are having simular problems.

Only problem with the plumber thing is that the flooring up in the attic is very dodgy, I wouldn't want to put anyone's bones at risk, lol... I wonder how I can get around that without reflooring the damn place.

Regarding the actual state of the water itself, I have knocked into two neighbours, but they have said they have no problems with it. They are quite elderly though and are not the sort who would complain about anything, you know?

From my and my family's point of view, its not good enough, you're right. A couple of years ago, I had the council flush the mains on the road, and the water was pristine for about a week or two, I remember that. It even felt so much better to shower in. When it went back to being a bit grimy, I was told by a council engineer friend that since the mains was pressurised from both sides on our road, any gunk and biofilm buildup in the mains pipe would be carried along between the flows and end up where the demand for water was greatest at the time. As we are on a very sloped road near the bottom, the buildup tends to affect us a lot more, as the pressure from the top of the road pushes downward.

Lol.... all very awkwardly complicated. Basically, after he told me that, I went back to the council with it and they fobbed me off, so I got fed up and just gave up, and we've been putting up with the problem since. Some of us react badly to the supply, skin problems etc, which go away as soon as we shower somewhere else. Its a crazy situation really, but as long as its fit to drink, which I believe it is, my hands are tied.

kobs15

The only possible cause for this dirt in the ball cock, if you turn off the mains, usually at the kitchen sink, get some vice grips and take out the ball cock and inspect.
place your mouth on the incoming side and blow through it a couple of times while lifting the arm of the ball cock up and down opening and closing it, and im almost sure you will sort your problems, i have been doing plumbing for 10 years and this is generally 99.9% the problem in your case!!

Also if there is alot of building work on in the area or close by this can happen when they tap into the mains, alot of debris or sand silt etc can enter the main and be pumped into you attic tank.

Hope this helps