glow worm 24cx malfunction, turn off water or not?

jbuild · 10 Jan 2010

Hi, I am looking after someones house. Their boiler system is a glow worm ultracom 24cxi. The cold and hot water pipes in the house are frozen as is the loo! They did set the thermostat to keep the place at 10degrees but something has gone wrong. The boiler is still on and the pressure reading is ok.

I am afraid of a thaw (chance would be,,) causing a flood in the house due to a burst etc. Equally I am afraid of destroying the boiler.

Can I turn the mains water off without it affecting the boiler? I think the central heating is on a closed system is it not?

Chances are the mains are already frozen anyway (outside stopcock) and effectively turned off???

Any help appreciated as the installer is uncontactable.

jbuild · 10 Jan 2010

forgot to say the condensate pipe was not insulated at all exterior to their place. It is a static caravan by the way. Shoved some lagging on it but it may already be frozen as well.

petit_pablo · 10 Jan 2010

Yes you can turn mains off without harming boiler. A frozen condensate will stop the boiler running. Ths might be the root of the problems

Agile · 10 Jan 2010

Turn off mains water and open hot and cold taps in all baths and basins.

Pour boiling water over outside condensate pipe.

Put timeclock on 24 hrs and room stat up to about 14°

Hope this is not one of those gipsys at Chesterton Fenn ?

jbuild · 10 Jan 2010

Ha, I will tell them that comment. No they arent.

I assume timeclock 24hrs means always on?

There is also a reset button on the boiler. I assume this has to be pressed also??

jbuild · 11 Jan 2010

I went back, and boiler is now off. Says zero bar pressure on the display. Turned alternative heating on inside place and also poured boiling water over the condensate pipe and put insulating foam around said pipe.

Turned mains water off.

No leaks or water seen a few hours later when place was about 15 degrees.

No response from the boiler

Reckon I will leave alternative heating (oil radiator) on low till they come back and get their pumber in.

Agile · 12 Jan 2010

You need to repressurise boiler to about 1.5 Bar if you want it to work.

One of the heating pipes may have frozen and burst emptying the system!

It really is essential to leave heating on 24/7 on a low setting if you want to avoid frost damage.

Tony

jbuild · 12 Jan 2010

Thanks Agile. Yes could be that it has leaked somewhere and lost pressure. No water at all inside the place but maybe a pipe run underneath.

I am just trying to make sure no further damage can be caused before they come back

If it is reading 0 Bar then has it effectively drained? Can I therefore turn it off and leave a heater in there to keep the room temperatuyre above freezing

I am still trying to get hold of their preferred plumber who actually installed the system so apologies for further queries

Agile · 12 Jan 2010

CH piping is often run underneath static caravans where it has no protection against freezing.

You could try repressurising the boiler but without heating everything may well be frozen up.

However in London we have 2.3° today so the pipes may be thawing.

Tony

jbuild · 12 Jan 2010

Yes, about 2 degrees here also. I will try to get there before night but I am struggling for time and especialy daylight.

I am assuming I repressurise as if I am adding pressure to the system by opening the taps on the flexible hose that is connected to the mains supply until I get 1.5 bar?

Anything else I need to do? Im concerned about airlocks etc and bleeding radiators and so on

Agile · 12 Jan 2010

ust repressurise and leave iut working on low setting 24/7.

Forget about anything else.

Tony

jbuild · 13 Jan 2010

Was 2 degrees C yesterday and pipes had thawed. Turned on water again and repressurised.

Boiler now on and hot water and heating are fine. Pressure and temp constant over 4hrs and got some one else to check temp today.

I left the thermostat at 13 degrees and on 24hrs a day (im keeping an eye on the thermostat too)

Took precaution of turning mains off again as a leak has formed in a plastic pushfit T junction above the stopcock. Will replace this when things warm up a bit.

So far so good, will keep an eye on pressure in case of a slow leak somewhere in the heating system (cant see any leaks inside and no obvious ones outside)

Many , many thanks to you all for wise words and support

diynot

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glow worm 24cx malfunction, turn off water or not?

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