Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

We had a new kitchen mixer tap fitted a few months ago.

 

Every evening it appears to suffer from incontinence as it randomly dribbles, just for 2-3 seconds, sometimes hours after having been last used.

 

What gives ?

[patsylabrador]

We get that too and the shower.

The best thing is to ask a man. They will then kick a tyre or randomly tap a wall. That seems to tell them all they need to know. They may add for effect that they can't gain a purchase or that the nipples need greasing. That should tell you all you need to know before they fall asleep.

I hope I was able to help.

[JellyBean2605]

Ours does that too, it used to really freak me out but I'm used to it now (it was really loud), something to do with pressure changes in the pipes

[Angie]

I use to get this too, till I had some under sink plumbing done and the lovely plumber was horrified at the ferocity of my water pressure and fitted a pressure flow valve . It stopped all those inconti moments , and I must admit the pressure in the cold tap is much more controllable .( my shower hose used to lift up out of the holding fixture with a life of its own....it stays put these days )

[Olly]

No idea about the incontinence issue, but Patsylabrador's description made me howl with laughter ... been there!

[Guest]

at Patsy, although you forgot to add that said man will look at the tap in a minute, a man minute can last anything up to a decade.

[Beantree]

The mixer tap will have a ceramic insert in it. These fit into a housing cut to a depth sufficient to compress the seals when the whole assembly is fitted together. An increase in water pressure, caused by a fall in local demand, can allow water past the seal if the housing is cut too deep. Bristan taps are particularly bad as their quality control in this respect is poor. The housing cannot be adjusted, so if the problem persists you can, in the first instance, try a new insert. If your local water pressure is too high though you will need a pressure limiter installed after the main stop tap.

[Princess Leia]

OH's opinion is that its nothing to do with washers or leakage. Most mixer taps have a fairly long "spout" after the taps and the point where the hot and cold flows meet (usually two separate pipes up through the spout). This means that, when the taps are shut off, water remains in the spout in the "uphill" part and also over the top of the hump as well. That water will sometimes stay there. It's like lifting a length of narrow pipe full of water with the top end closed and the bottom end open - surface tension in the open water end prevents air entering, going past the water and letting the water out. Something as simple as knocking the spout or a change in air pressure will have the same effect and anything after the hump in the spout will dribble out.

 

You did ask...

[Beantree]

That makes sense to me Princess Leia. Of course it would only happen once, sometime after the tap was used. If it happens more than that the seals are leaking. If it is a constant drip the ceramic insert is damaged or has dirt in it.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Always amazes me the breadth of knowledge on here .

 

If I asked a man in my house, PL, I'd get blank looks . They wouldn't even know it was appropriate man behaviour to kick a tyre or tap a wall. Thankfully, they are also unlikely to start talking about nipples .

 

I may ask the joiner who put it in to have a look next time he's here doing something you'd think my 3 men would be capable of. But aren't.

[gavclojak]

That makes sense to me Princess Leia. Of course it would only happen once, sometime after the tap was used. If it happens more than that the seals are leaking. If it is a constant drip the ceramic insert is damaged or has dirt in it.

 

Gosh, is there anything you don't know beantree? Next weeks lotto numbers?

[soapdragon]

Patsy - you hit the nail on the head apart, possibly, from some tuneless whistling or a sharp intake of breath and a sad shake of the head