Problems with heating/water and really smelly Pump!

[Grundfos Girl]

Evening to all. I have been reading the forum with great interest since my radiators packed up downstairs. I have searched and tried to follow some of the advice but being a girl I am a bit special needs I am afraid. I have followed the suggested format as follows:

1) Boiler make / model (gas or oil)
Old gas fired model that seems to be functioning as usual

2) What is / is not happening.
No heating downstairs since Christmas eve - *hot water was working fine and upstairs radiators working *see next point

3) Has ANYTHING else been done or changed recently.
A heating engineer we know suggested we turn off upstairs radiators and see if the downstairs ones came on - they did not and now the hot water will not heat to the usual temperature as quickly

4) When did the problem start?
Christmas Eve

5) When does it happen? eg, heating coming on or going off.
Constant - no heat downstairs

6) Anything else you feel may be of relevance.
Having read as much as I could on here I undid the screw on the Grundfos 15-60. Some water came out BUT foolishly I didn't turn the electrics back on and therefore did not see anything turn or not turn. However the smell from the cupboard is like fish glue now. The pump is very hot, the pipes around are also equally hot. The upstairs radiators are fine but the hot water tank is tepid.

Any ideas very much appreciated. I will re-check the pump when it has cooled down to see if anything is turning...

 

[JohnD]

It is an old model with a hot water cylinder, right?

Is there a small water tank in the loft which supplies it? How full is this tank, and what happens when you press down the ball float?

If you bleed the highest radiator in the house, does dirty water squirt out forcefully? (use an old rag to catch it and protect the carpet) How high is this radiator compared to the pump?

Feel the pump again. is it too hot to keep your hand on?

Feel the pipes going into it and out of it (there may be an arrow on the pump to show direction of flow) Are they both as hot as the pump? How far along the pipes do they continue being hot?

Try the pump again when it is running. Is the spindle turning?

Can you post some pice to show the pump, the cylinder, the pipes around them including any with electrical devices in them.
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=99672

I have a feeling your pump is not working.

 

[ChrisR]

Having removed screw, you can thrust a medium sized say 4-6mm screwdriver onto the hole - it'll be obvious if it's spinning. If it's not, you might be able to unjam it by pushing into the vague slot and turning the spindle inside. You can try all that with it "live".

COld downstairs rads if often a sign of sludge - plenty more to look up on that!

 

[Grundfos Girl]

Thank you gentlemen.

It is an old system with a hot water cylinder - I will investigate the tank and the water levels in the morning and I will also try the highest radiator bleeding. There are three upstairs - which would count as the highest - the one first or last on the system??

I am having a G&T to try and CHILL out a bit so I don't think poking about now is a good idea but I will report back tomorrow

 

[Grundfos Girl]

Following your expert advice (and reassurance I was not going to kill myself!) I managed to get the pump spindle turning again with a screwdriver this morning.

The heating is now working again - many thanks to all who helped me with this

 

[JohnD]

start saving up for a new pump

they have service valves on each side so ought to be easy to swap, except that the valves get jammed or break