Any good problem solvers out there?

[grahamdvd]

Hi

When mine played up a few years ago it was due to a stuck auto air vent.

Hi could you explain about the stuck auto air vent? I have one on the pumped hot water just after the pump in the attic

 

[HERTS P&D]

I had one like this a few weeks ago, it turned out that the bottom of the cylinder was blocked.

How old is the cylinder? what color is it?

Andy

 

[aptsys]

Is it suitable for your application? Not every pump is designed for use where the output from one side is blocked. You may need an auto bypass or a different pump, or two individual pumps.

 

[Madrab]

I've just read about the Salamander RHP pumps it seems they have a bypass loop, since they have one motor and two propellers. It's for when you use only one side and stops the non open one running dry?

Yes, as they are whole house pumps they have a hot>cold balancing valve, this is where the pipe running from side top side comes in. It allows the pressure on the non open side of the pump to be released over to the open side and run a small amount of water through it and stops the impeller running against a closed end, overheating and destroying itself.

You need to go back to basics by the sounds of it and have a professional that is willing to work through the issue, that will comes at a cost though as it will take time. I'd start at the pump and have the outlets fed into pieces of pipe with full flow valves on and run them into a bucket and see if it still does it, that'll confirm the feeds are fine and the problem is downstream.

 

[HERTS P&D]

That's what I done, The pump would work for about 15 seconds then stop. But if I left it off for 30 seconds then it would work for 15 seconds again. The pump was sucking out the water in the top of the cylinder as it had a Surrey flange fitted, the water supply was blocked and not filling the cylinder. Once I cleared the blockage it worked fine.

Hence me saying to the OP, how old is the cylinder/what colour is it. It could be full of scale.

Andy

 

[grahamdvd]

Hi the cylinder is around 5 years old, normal copper one with insulation stuck to outside.

I have had 3 plumbers round and all scratched their heads?

I have just ran the pump with a cylinder full of cold water and it was fine running the bath, but turn on another tap and it makes the noise.

I don't think it's anything to do with sludge in cylinder as I did rinse out tank and cylinder a few weeks ago.

Also when the noise happens i.e running hot water for a bath if you turn on the pumped cold water on the same mixer it stops? So seems to be more pump related?

 

[grahamdvd]

But sometimes it can work fine all day, so trying the pipe bucket idea it might be on one of its good days and work fine? I have turned the electricity off at the pump and it flows fine, but at a lower rate?

 

[grahamdvd]

Just thinking could it be to do with the crossovers on the pump?

 

[grahamdvd]

I will video it at the weekend so you can hear the sound and see it going mad!

 

[HERTS P&D]

I did rinse out tank and cylinder a few weeks ago.

Exactly how did you rinse out the cylinder?

Andy

 

[Hot&Cold]

the pump is just above the cylinder,

Have come across new whole house pumps fitted on shelves above cylinders which produced intermittent faults including noise and poor operation,have refitted them to floor level (same as the cylinder) and never heard back from the customer .
Iirc the RHP install instructions mention it has to be fitted at the same level as the cylinder base .

I have had 3 plumbers round and all scratched their heads?

Did they offer any resolution ? For example exchanging the RHP for an alternative pump manufacture.

pumps my hot and cold water to my basins, showers and baths.

How many outlets does the pump serve and why ?

 

[grahamdvd]

The cylinder was rinsed out by a hose pipe in cold water header tank and a hose connection from top of cylinder to toilet.

It serves 2 showers upstairs and one bath and three basins.

The flow rate was very slow.

No none of the plumbers did anything except say good luck!

I phoned Salamander and played the sound to them over the phone and he said he had never heard anything like it!

 

[grahamdvd]

I was told it is suitable for fitting above the cylinder, there was no room next to the cylinder.

The previous pump worked for 10 years in the same place above the cylinder .

Thanks

 

[HERTS P&D]

Your rinsing out of the cylinder with a hose on the top of the cylinder did nothing.

Andy

 

[grahamdvd]

It has a anti gravity loop fitted due to be t been above the cylinder