V
vanillasky
This happened back in the 1990s when I was still very green when it came to many aspects of DIY (especially plumbing).
I decided I would remove the central heating pump and fit a new one as I believed the old one was not pumping water as efficiently as it should. I bought the new pump and set about removing the old one. There was a valve each side of the pump (top and bottom) so I would just need to close these to stop the water supply and remove the pump.
I turned off each valve as tight as I could and then set to work undoing the nuts which held the pump to the pipe. These were as stiff as hell and had been in place since the system was first installed in the 1980s. I finally managed to loosen one and a trickle of water started to appear.
I told myself this was 'normal' as there was bound to be some water remaining in the pump and, besides, I'd closed the valves. With great effort, I loosened the nut some more and the flow of water increased! I had put towels down to catch any water but I was now becoming seriously alarmed as the towels were becoming saturated.
I tried doing the nut back up but it wouldn't budge and had now become worn and 'rounded' from my efforts at undoing it (as well as wet) so the spanner kept on slipping off. Another check of the valves and they were definitely closed.
By now, the water was going everywhere (I was too green to know about draining down the system back then) and going through the airing cupboard floor into the living room below.
Time to call the emergency plumber.
Unbeknown to me, the valves which I thought I'd closed had become stuck open over the passing years so turning them had no effect.
I was assuming they were closed when they were really open. A costly lesson both in the plumber's costs and having to repair the ceiling.
I decided I would remove the central heating pump and fit a new one as I believed the old one was not pumping water as efficiently as it should. I bought the new pump and set about removing the old one. There was a valve each side of the pump (top and bottom) so I would just need to close these to stop the water supply and remove the pump.
I turned off each valve as tight as I could and then set to work undoing the nuts which held the pump to the pipe. These were as stiff as hell and had been in place since the system was first installed in the 1980s. I finally managed to loosen one and a trickle of water started to appear.
I told myself this was 'normal' as there was bound to be some water remaining in the pump and, besides, I'd closed the valves. With great effort, I loosened the nut some more and the flow of water increased! I had put towels down to catch any water but I was now becoming seriously alarmed as the towels were becoming saturated.
I tried doing the nut back up but it wouldn't budge and had now become worn and 'rounded' from my efforts at undoing it (as well as wet) so the spanner kept on slipping off. Another check of the valves and they were definitely closed.
By now, the water was going everywhere (I was too green to know about draining down the system back then) and going through the airing cupboard floor into the living room below.
Time to call the emergency plumber.
Unbeknown to me, the valves which I thought I'd closed had become stuck open over the passing years so turning them had no effect.
I was assuming they were closed when they were really open. A costly lesson both in the plumber's costs and having to repair the ceiling.
