Plumbing problems - would you use the water?

[TheBookofRuth]

We've had really poor water pressure since yesterday, barely more than a dribble coming from any tap. Had a plumber in this morning who says there's a blockage somewhere but he can't tell where or get to it without taking off the back of the kitchen cupboard to get to the pipes, which he's coming back tomorrow to do.

In the meantime, the water pressure seems ok in the kitchen but not the bathroom, and all of them, when run, have blacks specks of dirt in the water.

Plumber says it'll be fine to use if boiled first but I'm really nut sure I want to risk it. Any thoughts? I've got two young kids

I bet it is the washer in the stopcock breaking up with age, if it is black, or else rust and sediment from the water pipes. It is quite safe to drink, but I would filter it out as it may not be appetising. Squeeze the bits between your fingernails and see if it seems to be perished rubber or gritty rust.

Ask your neighbours if they have the same problem, as it may have been caused with repairs or damage to the watermain.

Whatever it is will have been in contact with the water in the pipes since the house was built, so it is thoroughly washed, and you will have been drinking water that has been in contact with it.

After fixing it, flush out the cold tap thoroughly. You may need to clean the filters in your WC cistern and the hoses to dishwasher and washing machine. Watch the machines afterwards in case the valves let water dribble into the machine when turned off. The valves can clog with particles.

Try not to use a shower mixer before the water is clean, they can be quite tiresome to unclog.

Thank you, that's helpful. Neighbours haven't had any problems.

The bits feel hard like metal rather than rubber

hmmm

I have known that happen when a water softener is fitted, and the old limescale in the pipes breaks up and washes away, as black grit. Not common though.

How old is the house? Are there any iron pipes? I gather there is grit in both hot and cold water, so I presume you have a combi, and no cold tank in the loft.

Have you recently had any plumbing or building work done?

The house was built around 1900. No work of any kind done recently. The boiler was serviced last year, and we don't think there's a tank in a loft, but the guy who serviced the boiler said if there was it was in such an inaccessible part of the loft that he couldn't get to it to look it anyway.

I don't know about iron pipes.

a 1900 house will have had lead and/or iron pipes.

They may have been replaced later with copper, or more recently with plastic. If original, it's (way past) time to think about replacing them.

The boiler engineer would have been able to tell if you had a loft tank, even without seeing it. Turn on the cold tap in the bathroom basin. Press your thumb over the spout. Can you stop the flow? Now try with the hot. Do the same at the kitchen sink. This will identify if they are at mains pressure or from a tank.

Oh god, is this going to turn into a mammoth expensive job?!

Thanks for this, I do appreciate the advice. I'll check the taps once I've got the kids to bed.

I can't stop the flow by putting my thumb over the spout on any of the taps.

No tank in use, then.

There might be an old disused one in the roof, just gathering dust, but it has no relevance.

Righto, good to know!