why does the water not come straight out

[blondieb]

when i turn on the taps on my basin in bathroom, no water comes out, ( ive paid the bill, honest) if i turn the taps of and on a few times the flow starts, all other taps in house work perfectly, no probs with boiler or heating system, taps draw hot and cold from main downstairs, as have combi boiler, had a plumber look at taps approx 6 months ago and he said the taps were the problem not the plumbing, the taps have been in 6 years and are standard victorian type basin taps, it takes approx 6 turns or more on and of before the water flows,thru, has anyone any idea why this happens, ive checked the stoptap in kitchen, and this open to max so i know its not the pressure etc, even the bath taps are fine, just the basin, im stumped

[heathfield]

Worn tap washers can become jammed onto the internal seat in the tap, giving the symptoms you describe. Turning the taps on and off may move the washers just enough to eventually unstick them. Check the washers and replace them if they look at all worn.

[The Builder]

Yes, it does sound like that, Blondie. The tap body has to be unscrewed and looked at. (The main, spouty bit of the tap stays in place on the basin while this is being done. There's a simple, cheap tool called a tap re-seater. It's a must in these cases, to remove any burrs on the seat which may rip up a new washer.

[AlBags]

I would look for replacement tap valves ... like these ...
http://www.ebay.co.uk..._trksid=p3286.c0.m282

[blondieb]

many thanks. problem solved new tap valves, job done many thanks

[scotman]

Glad you got things fixed.
You mention the stopcock in kitchen being fully open: is it made of brass? If it is it will be better if you do not have it fully open as this tends to make them stick. From the fully open position turn it back about half a turn. If you have reasonable pressure this should have no effect on flow and will reduce the chance of it sticking.

[AlBags]

That was quick!