Burst Pipe 3 bar pump spraying water all over the place.

[Simonbeasley1]

Have just finished replacing a shower enclosure, Tray, Valve and stuart turner monsoon 3 bar twin pump.

Got a call from client telling me water pis**ng water all over the place.

When i had got there the hot water pipe out of the pump to the shower valve had a 1 cm split in it (15mm hep2o barrier) .

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The pump their originally was a 2.2 bar that had 22mm supplies i removed existing pump and put in a larger one.

The 22mm outlet off the pump was reduced down to 15mm and approx 1m of 15mm to the shower valve on both hots and colds.

the pump was last on the line so i had to put in single check valves to prevent the pump hunting when ever a hot tap was turned on.

can anyone shred some light on what caused the pipe to burst???

Trevi Shower Valve and riser
Stuart Turner 3 bar monsoon pump twin positive
22mm supplied into the pump with 2 lever valves and 2 single check valves
Out of the pump immedietly reduced down to 15mm and aprox 1m of 15mm before going into the shower valve contained around 4 elbows.

Oh the shower valve had not been used it had burst with the water being static.

 

[daneski88]

Suspect it was simply a dodgy length of pipe. No reason for enough pressure to have built up

 

[picasso]

its a big no no to put non return valves in the supply pipework, the pump has to able to vent, not saying that was the cause of the pipe failure but it would certainly go against you if they try to claim on your insurance.

 

[gasbanni]

plastic pipe ? would this have happened with copper .....just wondering.

 

[fencehouses]

ya cant beat a bit of copper pipe and some time and effort sadly today we have far too many plastic pipe =profit plumbers

 

[Simonbeasley1]

Never had this problem before and fitted quite a few pumps. If i had to used copper would a fault of occured at the shower valve. In this economic climate i've already been squeezed to do the job as cheaply as possible so i want to do the job as quickly as possible ready to move on to the next and so thats the reason for plastic. I have no problem usually with it.

 

[seco services]

Never had this problem before and fitted quite a few pumps.

then why are you still fitting non return valves to the supplies ?

In this economic climate i've already been squeezed to do the job as cheaply as possible so i want to do the job as quickly as possible

on the next one take time to read the MI's then.

 

[BournemouthPlumber]

its a big no no to put non return valves in the supply pipework, the pump has to able to vent, not saying that was the cause of the pipe failure but it would certainly go against you if they try to claim on your insurance.

Absolutely agree with the above, its completely against almost every manufacturers instructions!... Below is an extract from the Salamander Installation instructions - it really couldn't be much clearer. I would imagine that you insurance will be void on the basis you have ignored the MI's! Most insurances only cover work done by MI's and using approved parts - i.e. the plumber has taken every reasonable step to ensure that his work is correct.

Untitled

• BournemouthPlumber
• 17 Jul 2010
• 2

Look at point 5. above - under the "It is essential to make sure that" section.

I also wouldn't mention to the insurance co. that

In this economic climate i've already been squeezed to do the job as cheaply as possible so i want to do the job as quickly as possible ready to move on to the next

I take it that you have not undertaken your water regs - but even so it is still good practice to make good prior bad installations - not just quickly replace a pump. If this pump is fitted "last on the line" as you say then this should be rectified as it should have its own supplies form the CWSC and DHWC.

 

[Simonbeasley1]

1 large cylinder with 3 ensuites each running a 3 bar pump was told by technical would be ok to fit single check valve providing it was close to the pump and not the other end.

 

[BournemouthPlumber]

I really hope you have that in writing as I would imagine that is going to be your only hope with the insurance company.

Do you mean that the house has 3 x 3bar pumps - one in each ensuite? All feeding off 1 cylinder?

 

[transam]

Why would anyone tell the insurance company about the NRV ?

 

[BournemouthPlumber]

Who would need to tell them... they will send out an insurance assessor to look at what was done - assuming it was 3bar of water pumping out for any amount of time thats going to cause some damage!

I would imagine if we hadn't had this little discussion on here then the NRV would still have been on the pipework when assessor got there. - I am guessing now it wont be!

On the basis on how forward the OP was with us - and all other members of the general public on here about how he just wanted to get through and onto the next job - god knows what he would have said to the insurance co.

Insurance companies tend to find the smallest excuse not to pay out on a job - i have worked for a fair few customers who are having work done and paid for by the insurance company and you would be surprised at the things the insurance companies come out with - then again maybe not...

 

[transam]

Bournmouth plumber point taken , incidentally I was at an LPG acs last year & one of the chaps there was telling me about an identical incident with a NRV fitted to the hot supply pipe , caused overheating of the plastic steam was produced which fractured the plastic housing of the pump ??? I think he said ???

 

[compheat]

ya cant beat a bit of copper pipe and some time and effort sadly today we have far too many plastic pipe =profit plumbers

What a load of B****cks.

So if we use plastic that makes us ???

 

[picasso]

ignore him and hopefully he will f*** off