Salamander pump .. standard push-fits failed, replacement?

[tuck1s]

Salamander CT50, professionally fitted and wired in March 2011. Has worked fine since then.
Noticed lots of water coming out (of the smoke alarm, in the downstairs hall!). Tracked it down to the flexible (anti-vibration) hoses. In particular it was the push-fit end onto 15mm copper pipe that had given way.

To get HW functioning again, replaced it with a 3/4" x 15mm compression flexi tap hose.

That stopped the leak, but the slight movements of the pump then set off one, then another push-fit leaking. Eventually all 4 were weeping or gushing. The actual hoses were OK, it was coming out between the plastic and the copper.

Frankly to my unskilled eye these push-fits, combined with the inevitable thermal cycling and vibration, looks like a disaster waiting to happen. I notice the newer hose kits on the Salamander site look like a different design, with red inserts and shutoff valves.

So .. my question is .. Is my fix to this OK for the short-term? medium-term?

I'm a bit concerned about the loops, and that I couldn't easily get right-angle hoses for the inlets.

I'll have a pro out to service the boiler in a couple of months and I'll ask him to take a look and advise too.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I dread to ask for a picture.

The new hoses are a bit better. Have you contacted Salamander and asked for spares?

 

[tuck1s]

Happy to oblige with a picture. The space is pretty tight where the pump is fitted, this shows the two outlet hoses.
The basic principle was "stop the leak, and get the HW back on".

I put the cable ties (loosely) around the front one to help keep the entry/exit points to the couplings straight. I could take those off as I think the whole thing is sitting OK without them now.

As of today, it's running sweetly with not a hint of weeping.

If my current setup is considered horrible by those in the know, I'm happy to spend the £35+VAT for a set, although I see you can get a complete new pump with hoses for around £120 and my faith in their plastic stuff is not strong at the moment.

I see better quality pumps look like they come with 22mm fittings these days anyway, such as recommended elsewhere here, http://www.stuart-turner.co.uk/products/monsoon/u15-bar-twin/, which I would get fitted by a pro. I'm wondering about going down that road anyway when I get the en-suite redone.

The costs are really insignificant compared to the misery a pressurised flood could cause!

 

[dilalio]

That looks neat enough to me
If it doesn't leak or make a racket then you've fixed the broke!

 

[tuck1s]

Thanks. Initially I wanted to do nothing irreversible. But I was wondering about, maybe in a few months' time taking some length off the copper pipes so that the hose loops go (re-doing it with new olives).

 

[dilalio]

If it's quiet and flow is good, I'd just leave as is and forget about it