Glow worm 24cxi leaking water

[PaulTaylor]

A couple of years ago the internal filling valve on my Glow worm 24cxi had stuck and I fixed it myself (with help from here ).

Now I've got a new problem - a leak, mainly dripping off the bottom of DCW isolation valve. It appears to be coming from around the back of the securing clip that is at the bottom of the housing for the DCW inlet filter - there is a very small pool of water that has collected on the flat metal that is behind there (which is sort of above and to the right of the heating circuit drain point). Turning off the cold water supply to the boiler seems to stop the leaking but it is tricky to soak up the pool so there is still the odd drip.

Could cleaning/replacing the DCW inlet filter and o-rings be a possible solution? I'd like to have a go at fixing it as I got on so well with the filling valve.

Thanks
Paul

 

[Agile]

I am not very familiar with the little bits of your model and I dont like plastic boilers anyway.

Usually, if you can dismantle the valve and clean the socket and then put silicone grease on the "O" ring, ideally replacing it if you could find a new one, then it will often fix small leaks.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

could be leaking from the plastic moulding in which case my money would be on the flow switch. You could try re-greasing 'o' rings as tony suggested. need to get yourself a small mirror, torch and some paper towel and do some investigating

 

[PaulTaylor]

UPDATE

I have taken the filter out and undone the clips for the filter housing and the filler-tap and had a look inside - doesn't look like anything obvious. There was a ring at the top of the filter but it definitely isn't leaking from there and the filter was in mint condition. So I couldn't see anything to grease, clean or replace The filter housing wouldn't come out without some serious messing about so I didn't bother.

When I put it all back together and turned the cold water feed back on and turned on the hot taps (but with the boiler off) there were no leaks. Turned on the boiler and then used some hot water and it started leaking again

Perhaps it's time to call in an expert?!

 

[Agile]

There have been problems with the main plastic mouldings leaking!

Tony

 

[mickyg]

There have been problems with the main plastic mouldings leaking!

Tony

thats the one on the LHS tony, the leak appears to be right of centre on the boiler.

To the OP. Is it not possible to trace the leak to roughly where its coming from? if so a picture with an arrow would be great.

 

[PaulTaylor]

My camera struggled to not come out all blurry but I managed to get these

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• PaulTaylor
• 5 Apr 2009
• 1

Zoomed in version of red rectangle area:

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• PaulTaylor
• 5 Apr 2009
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[Gas2Air]

As mickeyg has said it's the flow switch. They tend to incur a hairline fracture on the inlet to the manifold, gets worse if left. The new part will be modified (grey) and the filter is upside down when refitting.

 

[mickyg]

in which case my money would be on the flow switch.

 

[PaulTaylor]

Thanks for everyones help so far

There are instructions for replacing a flow sensor in the manual. Is this relevant to the flow switch? If so I'll replace it - assuming I can get hold of one.

Copied and pasted from the manual off their website:

Part 2000801910

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• PaulTaylor
• 6 Apr 2009
• 1

14.22 Flow Sensor
For access, refer to section 14.1.
Refer to section 12.10 and drain the boiler hot water circuit.
Refer to diagram 14.17.
Remove the clip securing the filling loop tube to the domestic
water filter housing, see diagram 14.20.
Pull the tube forward to disengage it before rotating it down and
out of the way.
Undo the brass securing nut above the cold water inlet valve.
Remove the securing clip between the domestic water filter
housing and the flow sensor, see diagram 14.17.
Disengage the domestic water filter housing by lifting it up and
out.
Remove the electrical connection to the flow sensor.
Remove the securing clip between the flow sensor and the
hydroblock.
Remove flow sensor.
Fit new 'O' rings.
After replacing the flow sensor, open the cold-water isolation
valve and slowly open a hot water tap to remove air.
Close the hot water tap and check for any leaks.

 

[Agile]

I would wait until some of the others reply but I have also encountered one of those parts which had cracked and was leaking mains water.

As far as possible I stay clear of those models because i dont like plastic boilers. Changing it was actually very easy though.

Tony

 

[mickyg]

yeah thats the one paul. No guarantee its definately the cause as i can't see it! but its no.1 suspect at the moment.
But certainly worth a shot for DIY money. Its very straight forward to replace.

 

[PaulTaylor]

I give up. I can't undo the brass nut above the cold water inlet valve, it just won't budge and I'm worried about damaging the pipes because they are moving under the force of me trying to turn the nut.

At least I tried! Thanks for all your help.

 

[Gas2Air]

I give up. I can't undo the brass nut above the cold water inlet valve, it just won't budge and I'm worried about damaging the pipes because they are moving under the force of me trying to turn the nut.

At least I tried! Thanks for all your help.

Never give up! Have you got enough room to get a pair of grips on the brass valve and a adjustable on the nut? Be brave. Or turn water of at mains and get to the nut thats on the pipework, this normally is a better option depending again if access is good.

 

[PaulTaylor]

There is very little room so I had the same idea about the nut on the pipe work - it is really easy to get to and would definitely have allowed me to move things to get the flow sensor out.

One problem though! When I came to turn the water off at the mains it wouldn't completely stop the water flowing. I thought I was going to break the mains isolation tap I tried so hard but it won't turn off any further. So I tried waiting for ages to see if it would stop but there was always a substantial trickle coming through the kitchen tap. So I guess I need to get the water company out now as well as a plumber?!