hot water circulation pump

[horsenden]

My Grundfos hot water circulation pump has failed.
in feed out from storage tank in shower room airing cupboard. The hot feeds to the basin,shower and in bathroom next door are fine but the kitchen which is 20mt app: away [hence the pump as were in a bungalow] delivery is slow and if on a meter would cost a fortune in lost water. The insurers wont fit a new one as they said the engineer has equipement to test the pump without removing it and it reads the pump has failed due to sludge build up. I can't believe this I don't think they want to pay out to replace it. The water from all hot taps is clean so I can't believe if it's sludge it would be dis-coloured surely. Oh the insureres have recently changed the c/heating pump that was faulty. insurers... British Gas.
Help with info please on pump
Thanks

 

[Agile]

You need to check the Contract. They are designed to cover CH only but have an optional extension to cover other plumbing.

If you have the wider cover then they should cover it in my opinion.

As its clean water being pumped then sludge is not an issue and I think you have had a very inexperienced person on site.

You should complain to BG and say that its covered and they should replace it! ( If covered )

Tony

 

[gas4you]

I cannot see how you can have a sludge build up on a domestic pump? A bit of scale maybe. Are you sure the BG engineer tested the correct pump and not the ch pump?

What is this marvelous bit of testing kit they have? Anyone let me know?

I think it is them just not wanting to pay out

 

[horsenden]

Hi thanks for replies.
Hot water is covered according to contract, and it doesn't say 'if this is a pumped circuit the pump is not covered' just refers to hot water and storage tank cover.


The engineer never tested the pump as he was told not to touch it he had his mobile on amplify I heard the office clown telling him to leave it alone and make no comments. Any way during MY call the a***e in the office lied saying he was told by the engineer it was sludge, he also seems to have lied about the 'testing for sludge equipment which means he doesn't have to remove the pump' [ but I'll tell you what it is when I find out gas4you].
As it wasn't his fault I let him off the hook and said I'll deal with it.

I'm now clutching at straws.
I am thinking 'pressure switch' in the pump and referring to the pump cable which enters the system control panel I would assume that to be live permanently, but on testing with a locator it doesn't show current, taps on or off. Oh! the engineer was here to change the central heating pump any way.

Could I do a direct current feed by removing the cable from the control panel and fitting a 13amp plug and trying it out in a socket?

 

[Agile]

You have never told us what the pump make and model is so we cannot make any comment.

I dont understand why you are not insisting that its dealt with under the insurance policy.

Tony

 

[corgiman]

Why would a secondary circulator be covered?

its failure doesnt mean you wont get hot water, just take awhile thats all

Dont shoot me just playing the devils wotsit (I can spell advokate , advacar oh balls to it wotsit will do)

 

[namsag]

BG do have a bit of kit that is attached to laptop and is then attached to pump supply cable. The programme on lap top can then report several things such as pump jammed, impeller broke off, pump speed not correct etc... As for sludge in this case 2 people are lying engineer and office guy, Take it higher. Not sure if this type of pump is covered on plumbing cover though

 

[horsenden]

You have never told us what the pump make and model is so we cannot make any comment.

I dont understand why you are not insisting that its dealt with under the insurance policy.

Tony

From Horsenden; [its my old school] They won't touch it they have flatley refused to replace/repair as they say it's not covered yet the contract states hotwater pipes and tank so I assumed it covered the pump in the hotwater flow pipes.

 

[horsenden]

You have never told us what the pump make and model is so we cannot make any comment.

I dont understand why you are not insisting that its dealt with under the insurance policy.

Tony

They wont touch it and its nothing to do with the engineer he was very helpfull but was told not to touch it I heard the conversation on his amplified mobile.
Its a Grundfos Selectric ups 15-50

 

[Agile]

I was looking at a BG advert yesterday with you in mind.

It seemed to have two levels of cover, heating only and heating and plumbing!

Of course legally its the words in the Contract that count!

However, if you can find paperwork that implies that the "plumbing" is covered then I would say that youhave a good argument that you only took out the contract as a result of their misleading advertising. You could even make a ( free ) formal complaint to the ASA.

If I was a BG manager I would authorise the pump replacement to keep you happy but I get the impresssion they dont always think about the customer!

Be aware that you have to make a "formal" complaint if you are not happy with the service you have received. Its not enough just to tell the £12k call centre operator.

Tony

 

[horsenden]

Why would a secondary circulator be covered?

its failure doesnt mean you wont get hot water, just take awhile thats all

Dont shoot me just playing the devils wotsit (I can spell advokate , advacar oh balls to it wotsit will do)

As the British Gas homeserve cover states central heating and hotwater pipes and tank I assumed as the pump is in the hot water pipe it was covered.
I do get hot water to all hot taps but because the kitchen is 20mt away from the storage tank on the same floor level [its a bungalow] the delivery is slow. Have these pumps got a pressure switch in them?
There is no power to the pump in the cable feeding from the control panel should there be permanent power IF there is a pressure switch in the pump?

 

[horsenden]

Many thanks for your replies will post the results later after I have contacted BG again
Bob

 

[Agile]

You have still not told us what the pump make and model is so we cannot make any comment on flow switches!

Tony

 

[namsag]

You say you have a UPS 15/50 fitted to your hot water pipe to the hot taps. This is a central heating pump and not designed to be used in this way. Even if they did cover pumps on HW which i am pretty certain they don`t unless it is a recent thing , this is an installation fault and would not be covered under the exclusions in terms and conditions.
Your argument of its attached to HW so assumed it would be covered , you would not expect them to replace your bath/sink taps etc think it`s time to read the contract exclusions.

The pump you should have is a grundfos UPA 15/90 domestic water boosting pump with built in flow switch.

Edit .
Have checked terms and conditions on BG website not covered at all

 

[gas4you]

Its a Grundfos Selectric ups 15-50

Thought this was just a heating circulator. You should have a bronze booster pump fitted for DHW?