Replacing Circulating Pump?

[MFDoombar]

Hopefully someone can offer some tips, I'm a bit of a noob to central heating systems and the missus is getting pretty stressed about the lack of hot water....

I have a 1982 Ideal Concord WCF 240B and a Myson CP53 circulating pump. The boiler is firing when cold, and only lasting for a few minutes before turning itself off. This isn't enough to heat the water. Unfortunately this was initially misdiagnosed as a faulty thermostat which was replaced along with the thermocouple. However the situation is now exactly the same as before these were replaced.

The hot water tank is now pretty much stone cold, so I fired the boiler for a couple of minutes, this heated the hot water pipe which fed through to the circulating pump. The pipe running out of the circulating pump stayed cold. I thought I could take a look at whether the mechanism had seized but I wasn't familiar with the hexagonal nut on the front of the pump, I was expecting a wide slot which I could bleed it with and check if it was seized. When I did undo it a small amount of dark coloured water came out but couldn't really work out how to tell if it had seized.

I'm not confident about replacing the pump myself and have heard that Myson's are pretty rubbish, can anyone recommend a replacement pump and does the diagnosis that it isn't working sound plausible? Anything else I can check? How long would you suggest it would take to change? Any other tips for fault finding?

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[twgas]

Does the Ch work, when its called for?

 

[MFDoombar]

I don't think so, I just assumed it would go off at the same time as the hot water as the heating can't be put on independently. The controls on the timer don't allow it.

I'll give it a go though, thanks.

 

[MFDoombar]

I think it'll take a while to come on as the tank is stone cold now, it's been off for about 5 days.

Any tips on a recommendations for a replacement pump if that was the case?

 

[ianmcd]

The regulations have changed about replacing pumps and state that you must use an energy efficient one now but this wont make any difference with the boiler you have to be honest, most decent guys will still have a stock of standard pumps , my preferred choice would be Grundfoss but that is only my opinion, think most on here would agree though

 

[MFDoombar]

Thanks, I'd just like to have one that works atm!

Is there much of a price difference with the energy efficient ones? Do the Grundfos ones fall in the energy efficient bracket?

 

[twgas]

Have you checked there is water in the f&e tank, smaller one in loft (usually). A 1982 system may well be gravity HW, pumped CH.

 

[ianmcd]

The energy efficient ones are more expensive but really wont make much of a difference on the boiler you have , you can exchange the pump yourself without breaching any regulations if you feel you are competent enough worst case scenario if you do it wrong it will leak or it wont work

 

[MFDoombar]

Have you checked there is water in the f&e tank, smaller one in loft (usually). A 1982 system may well be gravity HW, pumped CH.

I didn't check the f&e tank, it's quite tricky to get to so will take a while to check.

As I sort of tried to describe earlier, the heating and hot water were both off and the tank cold as it had been off for a few days. I switched just the hot water on, this heated the pipe feeding from the boiler in the kitchen to the circulating pump in the loft space, which was previously cold, so presumably this means that the hot water has the circulating pump, rather than the heating?

Could it be used for both?

Is it possible to put up pictures on here as I have a few I took earlier which might better help describe the situation.

 

[ianmcd]

easiest way to check your F&E tank and your cold feed is to open the drain on your heating system and see if you can hear water running into the F&E tank, if you can then you dont have a problem if you cant then you do

 

[MFDoombar]

View media item 62418The boiler is the other side of this wall in the kitchen. I think the pipe coming off the top to the circulating pump is the hot water and the one lower down the heating?


View media item 62421This is how it connects to the tank

View media item 62420Here's the tank

View media item 62419Is that the f&e tank above, the smaller one?

Thanks again for your help

 

[MFDoombar]

Eeek. Sorry they're mostly sideways...

 

[CBF]

I think the pump just about sums up that install, you could def do with some upgrading, undo the nut on the front of the pump & pull it towards you (it won't come off) & that is attached to the inside of the pump & thats how you can see if it's stuck, tbh myson pumps are rubbish & i would be fitting a grunfos, but you need to make sure you have water in the system, oh & that valve shouldn't be on the return pipe

 

[MFDoombar]

I think the pump just about sums up that install, you could def do with some upgrading, undo the nut on the front of the pump & pull it towards you (it won't come off) & that is attached to the inside of the pump & thats how you can see if it's stuck, tbh myson pumps are rubbish & i would be fitting a grunfos, but you need to make sure you have water in the system, oh & that valve shouldn't be on the return pipe

Thanks, i suspected that might be the case, other parts of the flat were done pretty poorly too

What would you suggest upgrading?

How do I check there's water in the system?

 

[Agile]

I do have to say using another CP53 would enable just the head to be changer which is a far easier job than fighting with seized up pump nuts!

Tony