PLEASE Help Me !!!!!!

[ScottJH]

During the summer for no apparent reason , I got water pouring out of my overflow pipe (from the cold storage tank in the loft).

Several plumbers and heating engineers later , I still have the problem.

I have had the ball crane and washer changed and adjusted and also had a new hot water cylinder fitted but none of these has solved the problem.

The almost constant pouring of water happens whether the heating and water are turned on the timer setting on or off.

The problem seems to be hot water coming from somewhere and through a period of time (couple of hours) somehow finding its way back into the cold water storage tank , causing it to go down the overflow pipe.

Any kind soul out there have any suggestions ?

 

[mrgas]

My guess is a shower non return valve letting by. Have you got a shower with gravity hot water and mains cold water. I have seen many problems caused by this. Even with the shower not in use mains water enters hot water system causing overflow in open vented systems.

 

[tomy]

Is it the large plastic tank or the little plastic tank???

 

[Agile]

Several plumbers and heating engineers later , I still have the problem.

Any kind soul out there have any suggestions ?

From a technical point of view this is a very simple fault although I accept that they are not always that easy to trace.

I suggest that you call back the best of the several people who came and get them to find the real fault.

I really get annoyed when I hear of people getting paiud when they are unable to find the fault. I would never think of charging if I could not find the fault.

Tony

 

[ScottJH]

Any ideas Tony as to what it could be , based on what i have told you has already been done ?

 

[Agile]

Not without carying out simple tests on your system !

Its clearly not immediately obvious.

You can eliminate mains water feeds by turning off your mains water overnight and not using any taps and seeing what happens and what the level of water in tanks is.

Tony

 

[ScottJH]

I turned off the hot water feed from the bottom of the main storage tank and the water went up through the pipe on the roof , as expected.

I have been advised that 1 of the 3 mixer taps that I have in the house could cause the hot water to get into the tank but I dont know how to test for this.

Any ideas ?

 

[mrgas]

I turned off the hot water feed from the bottom of the main storage tank and the water went up through the pipe on the roof , as expected.

I have been advised that 1 of the 3 mixer taps that I have in the house could cause the hot water to get into the tank but I dont know how to test for this.

Any ideas ?

If you can feel the pipes near each of the mixer then,
1 run hot water until pipe is hot.
2 Turn of tap.
3 Feel hot pipe does it stay hot which it should, or does it go cold fairly quickly.
If it goes cold then non return valves letting bye.

Have you got a shower??

 

[ScottJH]

I will give that a try , cheers.

I have an electric shower , is there a test for that ?

 

[mrgas]

Your electric shower wont be the cause of your problem.

 

[gas4you]

Is your heating header tank higher than your cold storage tank?

 

[ScottJH]

I turned off the hot water feed from the bottom of the main storage tank and the water went up through the pipe on the roof , as expected.

I have been advised that 1 of the 3 mixer taps that I have in the house could cause the hot water to get into the tank but I dont know how to test for this.

Any ideas ?

If you can feel the pipes near each of the mixer then,
1 run hot water until pipe is hot.
2 Turn of tap.
3 Feel hot pipe does it stay hot which it should, or does it go cold fairly quickly.
If it goes cold then non return valves letting bye.

When you say "fairly quickly" , how long are we talking ?

Have you got a shower??

 

[ScottJH]

Is your heating header tank higher than your cold storage tank?

No , both are on the same level next to each other.

 

[mrgas]

[

When you say "fairly quickly" , how long are we talking ?

If there is no cold water pushing the hot water away the hot pipe will stay hot for several mins and just loose heat gradually, where as if the tap is faulty and passing cold mains water into the hot side then the pipe will cool much more rapidly. Try all three suspect taps and it will proberbly be obvious which one (if any) it is.
Do you have any blender valves on your hot water to restrict hot water temp at tap?

 

[ScottJH]

[

When you say "fairly quickly" , how long are we talking ?

If there is no cold water pushing the hot water away the hot pipe will stay hot for several mins and just loose heat gradually, where as if the tap is faulty and passing cold mains water into the hot side then the pipe will cool much more rapidly. Try all three suspect taps and it will proberbly be obvious which one (if any) it is.
Do you have any blender valves on your hot water to restrict hot water temp at tap?

Please excuse my igorance but what do you mean a blender valve ?

How do I know this and where are they located ?