Baxi Solo 2 RS Clunking

[Gearoi]

Hi all,

Our boiler (a Baxi Solo 2 RS) seems to make repeated clunk-clunk-clunk-clunk... all the time it is on... The clunking seems to go off about 3 mins after we turn it off at the timer...

Could it be a) the pump? b) air in the system (the bathroom radiator always has air in it..) or c) another thing???

I don't know much about these things, but am willing to help if folk can push me in the right direction?

Thanks for your help!

GG

 

[gas4you]

These have a pump over run that keep the pump running for approx 5-6 mins after the heating goes off.

Put one end of a screwdriver to the pump and the other end to your ear and try to identify where it is coming from if not pump.

 

[Gearoi]

OK - I took the front off the boiler but I couldn't see the pump - I think I'd need to be a pro to take any more of the boiler to pieces and try to find the pump within...

So - here's some more info - we think the most of the noise is coming from the hot water tank in the airing cupboard - it's really really noisy - much noisier than the boiler.

AND - I found the feeder tank for the hot water system - it's got stuff growing in it - pretty icky really. Not enough to make me think it HAS to be the problem, but certainly more than you'd want to bath in...

There are a few discarded bottles of anti-bacterial or somesuch type things which look to me like they have been emptied into it - maybe years ago.

So - does that help anyone make me a diagnosis that doesn't involve me opening a dangerous gas system up perhaps?

Much obliged for the pickings of your brain!

Gear

 

[spacethegas]

the pump is not within the boiler casing.
more likely to be in the cupboard with your hot water cylinder.
you probably have two tanks in the attic(?) hopefully you are referring to the smaller one. this one does not feed your hot water you will be glad to know.
it probably has nothing to do with your problem but should be addressed, the slime may have blocked or may block the cold feed to your system.
if it is in the larger tank....oh dear..

 

[gas4you]

If it took you 7-8 months to get the case off I would leave the job to a professional

 

[namsag]

The solo 2 should be fitted on 3 port valves if they are fitted with two 2 ports then they need a 27foot bypass and can get noisey if bypass is not correct

 

[Gearoi]

If it took you 7-8 months to get the case off I would leave the job to a professional

Yeah - well actually it took me 2 mins to get the case off, 5 months to actually get an answer from our landlady about something even more urgent, during which time we've been putting the heating/water on only when we're asleep/out/downstairs as it's still loud.

We don't have any faith the landlady will do anything about it now - although she did fix a problem with the cold water tank about a month ago.

So I'm not as diligent at DIY as you may be. Good for you - now let me learn!

 

[Gearoi]

the pump is not within the boiler casing.
more likely to be in the cupboard with your hot water cylinder.
you probably have two tanks in the attic(?) hopefully you are referring to the smaller one. this one does not feed your hot water you will be glad to know.
it probably has nothing to do with your problem but should be addressed, the slime may have blocked or may block the cold feed to your system.
if it is in the larger tank....oh dear..

I can't find a separate pump in the cupboard with the hot water cylinder. I can't find a pump, period - where else might it be normally?

Yes - the smaller one is the one with the bogeys in it - so what does it feed? Am confused now! Should I get some anti-bogey solution from somewhere?

 

[Gearoi]

The solo 2 should be fitted on 3 port valves if they are fitted with two 2 ports then they need a 27foot bypass and can get noisey if bypass is not correct

Hmmm... sounds like something to tell a professional should I ever get the landlady to fork out for one. But thanks!

 

[Gearoi]

And also - the radiators end up empty - an awful lot. We spent a month emptying the radiators very carefully once they had called down on the advice of the workman - he thought this would stop the noise. We told the landlady we'd done this, it hadn't helped, and then she says she has no money so she's not going to pay for a heating engineer to come out.

Yesterday - although we haven't had the actual central heating on for weeks, the bathroom radiator was so empty I drained it of air for over 5 mins. We do normally have just the water heating on twice a day so I was surprised that the radiator was still filling with air when just the water was on...

Anything I can do myself? Is there a way to drain air from the hot water tank? Will treating the small cold tank in the loft help at all? Should I just get the landlady on speed dial and give up myself? Am I draining the air from the radiators badly?

Seriously - thanks for the help I'm really bad at understanding these things..

 

[D_Hailsham]

The landlord is legally responsible for the maintenance of the heating and hot water systems. The danger of a DIY approach is that the landlord could say that you were the cause of any future problems which might arise.

As a tenant you have two choices: wait for the landlord to get the problem sorted or get the problem sorted yourself and send your landlord the bill.

I suggest you write to the landlord, detailing the problems and giving her, say, 4 weeks to sort it out. Tell her that, if she does not do so, you will employ someone to sort the problem out and deduct the cost from your next rental payment. Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and send it by recorded delivery.

 

[Gearoi]

The landlord is legally responsible for the maintenance of the heating and hot water systems. The danger of a DIY approach is that the landlord could say that you were the cause of any future problems which might arise.

As a tenant you have two choices: wait for the landlord to get the problem sorted or get the problem sorted yourself and send your landlord the bill.

I suggest you write to the landlord, detailing the problems and giving her, say, 4 weeks to sort it out. Tell her that, if she does not do so, you will employ someone to sort the problem out and deduct the cost from your next rental payment. Make sure you keep a copy of the letter and send it by recorded delivery.

Now that is a very good idea. Thank you kindly! I'll give her one more chance to do it the polite way, (not holding my breath), then I'll tell her we have to have it done, and write a letter accordingly.

Incidentally I have no intention of doing anything that could be risky to the system, but since I have no clue what I *might actually* be able to try, I'm thinking I might just forget that...

She's really quite a slippery whippet, this landlady. Excuses have been "I've been to Las Vegas" and "I've been to Majorca, I don't have the money to fix your boiler" pretty much. Contacting her is like bashing my head against the wall. Next year I'll be earning again and I'm totally out of the rental market - these people drive you crazy.