Plumbing advice needed

P

Penniless

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If anyone on here is a plumber, or has access to one! then can you get me an answer to a query please. Having just stood and dug out a trench, laid a pipe, connected it to the other outside water tap (putting a new outside tap over to the barn), it worked for a few days and now nothing. So, short of digging the whole lot up which I don't particularly want to do, what do I do? I know there are no leaks, at least I'm pretty sure because we are on a water meter and that's not spinning around), so could it be an air block or something like that? So if anyone can please tell me how to get rid of it or resolve the problem, I would be very grateful as I'm now having to walk buckets galore across the yard over to the barn and it isn't very enjoyable. Many thanks in advance.
 
Can you access the connection to the existing outside tap and just remove the new pipe to see if water comes gushing out? I'm wondering if the work to connect to the old tap has dislodged THAT connection somewhere? (Are you sure the old tap is turned on?) Not joking but if you can remove the end joining the new pipe to the old tap, can you blow hard down the pipe? Just to see if there is an obstruction or kink. Does the new pipe stay permanently connected to the old tap? Could something have crawled into it and died? Or some bright spark have tinkered with it? Is it mains water? Could be a pressure problem? Is it spring fed in which case there might be an autumn leaf blockage somewhere. Good luck sorting it!
 
Thanks Box_Of_Frogs for ALL your suggestions but unfortunately there is no way I can lift the pipe up and blow through it as it's been buried quite deep (which would take me about another five days to dig it all out and its too long for one of my blows into it!) although I wouldn't mind un-digging the bit where I connected it to the other outside tap - that one is still working absolutely fine. There's no way anything could have got inside it as it's a proper water pipe and once I dug the trench, I put the pipe in and covered it immediately so nothing could have run down the pipe and got stuck. The pressure coming from the other two outside taps to this particular tap is absolutely fine and it is on the mains.

As I said, it worked for a few days but now nothing coming out of it at all so assuming it could be an air blockage type of thing (says she who knows nothing about plumbing!) but how do I get rid of it without having to dig it all up again?

Any other suggestions would be gratefully received as my arms are killing me carrying buckets back and forth. Thanks.
 
Sorry P - thought it was one of those blue plastic pipes. Don't want you bursting a blood vessel trying to blow a dead rat out lol! I'm stumped. Weird that it worked for a few days and now doesn't. Was it one whole length of pipe or did you have to put a join in? It's always the weakest links that cause problems. Re an air lock...dunno...sounds a bit dodgy to me. I bet it's something really, really simple but my plumbing knowledge is a bit like my car engine knowledge. If it won't start, open the bonnet and spray everything in sight with WD40. Then ring the AA!

COME ON FORUM PEEPS!!!!! MEMBER IN DISTRESS HERE!!!! HER ARMS WILL HAVE STRETCHED TOO LONG TO REACH THE KEYBOARD SOON!!!!!!
 
if its an air block i would have thought if you run it for a minute or two it should clear through, so can only think it must have come apart at a join underground somewhere. anyway hope you sort it soon, water problems are very frustrating
 
Well it is one whole length of pipe - no joins at all and laid completely straight. Left the tap turned on for quite a while this morning whilst I was clearing up but still nothing.

Box-Of_Frogs - I'll let you know when my arms are dragging along the floor ....... (had to laugh at your last bit). Not funny really though - especially when its pouring down and having to lug water back and forth. Think I may have to ring a plumber up BUT hate to have to pay them when it will probably be a 2 second job.
 
itll be worth it tho, getting it sorted.

we just had water laid on to the stables, thankfully as we are on well water and we put in the main pipes, we knew where everything was and it worked!
 
Is the new pipe permanently connected at both ends? If not, no matter how flat or straight, it is very possible for slugs etc to crawl in and block it, unless the ends are completely closed off.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Is the new pipe permanently connected at both ends? If not, no matter how flat or straight, it is very possible for slugs etc to crawl in and block it, unless the ends are completely closed off.

[/ QUOTE ]

Try again - the new pipe is permanently connected at both ends! Just got back in from walking buckets across the yard to the barn yet again - my arms are killing me! I think I'll have to phone a plumber tomorrow.
 
I can't see it being an air block as if the water is at mains pressure it will just gurgle a bit then come gushing out. I think there are 2 options: (a) a blockage, or (b) a BIG leak or disconnection.

How did you connect the pipes - i.e to the taps etc . Was it pushfit or did you solder it? Pushfit can easily come off - which would be my guess.
 
had another thought , if the pipe is alkathene could the pipe have got kinked or just squashed. good luck
 
Thanks everyone who has responded with ideas. They are connected with the push-fit fittings which I've managed to unearth and check - and they are fine both ends. I can't imagine that the pipe is squashed because I buried it so deep, and even with the horses walking occasionally on that part, there's no way they could go that deep down to do damage, but it is the only thing left I can think of too.

Will hang on till the weekend as something unexpectedly has come up and means me having to deal with that emergency first, but might start trying to dig up bit by bit of the trench and check the pipe. Thank you all though.
 
Do you have one of those compressors to blow your tyres up with and, if so, doe's it have reverse thrust? We use this on our spring water alkathene pipe when it gets blocked once a year. It will either suck or blow it clear
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How did you get on?

Did you try removing the pushfit at the beginning end to see if water was flowing out and what sort of pressure it was flowing out at? At least if its coming out under good pressure you know that the problem is somewhere with the pipe under the ground. That's a good idea Llwyncwn has. A plumber isn't going to do anything you can't do yourself really, and given it did work for a few days, the pipe must be blocked or crushed or something. If you turn on the water the pipe will be cold up to the blockage so I guess you need to keep diggin up until that point. If it was leaking you would have seen a big wet patch forming in the ground I expect.

Good luck!
 
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