Need help. Water supply has blocked pipework.

[Baffled]

Hey all.

Okay, here's my problem. Was cleaning the water tank in the attic, and i ended up breaking off a lot of quite large chunks of limescale. Isolated the water supply to the hot water heater, but forgot to do the same for the cold water.

So basically, my mate's gone and turned on the cold water tap, left it running, and the pressure has sucked the limescale sediment down into the copper pipes...thereby blocking up the cold water supply.

Any ideas on how i can remove the limescale without damaging the pipes? There are too many bends/right angle turns in them to use a snake-etc

I'm thinking about draining the header tank, picking up some "mr muscle sink and drain foamer", emptying it into the opening for the cold water supply in the bottom of the header tank, leaving it to do it's job then refilling the tank and flushing the pipes clean with water for a while. Would this work, or is there a better solution?

Can't call a plumber out to come fix it professionally as i'm a broke student at the moment.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

[Phil]

STOP!!

Don't introduce drain cleaning foam into your cistern.

You need to try if mains water pressure will nock the blockage back into the tank, go into the bathroom brandishing a length of hose and connect one end to the cold tap (tank fed) and the other end to the kitchen tap or whatever cold mains is nearest.

Turn the tank fed tap on first and then the mains, the mains being at a much higher presure will force its way back through the pipe and into the tank hopefuly taking the limescale with it.

Have you're mate watching the tank as you do it !!

Or get a plumber to do it, won't cost as much as you think.

[Bernie2]

Hmm!

Try Fernox site for a possible chemical answer. Just make sure you get one for domestic potable water systems.

If not try your colleges/uni Science department for the name of a harmless chemical that will dissolve it.

[puddle]

Originally Posted by Baffled

Hey all.



as i'm a broke student at the moment.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

Personally I think it is disgusting that students can afford to rent a place with hot and cold running water,you should be ashamed of yourself,no doubt you have been down the college braging about all the mod cons you have,well this siduation is karma getting its own back,you should be down the local swimming baths filling empty larger cans with water like the rest of your social outcast comraids

PS ....and before you go up in the loft cleaning tanks out,you want to make a start cleaning up your room and scap that indian you ordered last week from the back of the radiator !!

[migoplumber]

fernox do the ds or dx 3 cant remeber which it is, we use it to descale t boilers, its for potable water and domestic use. about 5% sulphuric acid i think. just have to flush well afterwards.
because its so weak, and you describe large nuggets of scale, you would probably need a lot of it!!

good luck
shaun