Three girls inneed of dire help!!!!!!!!!

[donnap]

Is there anyone out there who can help!!!!!

We are three girlsliving in London who have been without hot water and central heating since Friday. We wouldcall out an engineer but we have justpaid for a washing machine and rent and cannot afford it.

Our landlord is in Italy and as you can imagine we are in a position that the only option is to fix this ourselves.

So to the problem, we have a gas boiler that powers a tank upstairs. Its programmed to come on twice a day and has been fine since we moved in this August. But yesterday the pilot light went out so we relit the boiler, the light went out again and as a result we tried for ten minutes and eventually it lit.

When we came back from the pub last night the boiler sounded like it was being hit with a hammer. Since then its been on (the pilot light) but the boiler sounds as though the timer is going on and off. Can anyone advise as were sat here freezing with a screwdriver in hand ready to take this thing apart!!

Donna.

 

[billybear]

Hi

Sorry if this is the blind leading the blind but you seem to be desperate so maybe it will help a bit. I've had a very similar problem - 05.20 Sunday morning. Still waiting for the plumber to arrive.

I diagnosed mine as a seized pump. It starts up with a bang, woofs a few times very noisily then gives up. A random interval of time later it starts over again until the power is cut off.

The pump is (normally) a big barrel-shaped thing on either the main inlet or outlet from the boiler. Should be the outlet but isn't always. 9 out of 10 seem to be Grundfos and will have a big label to that effect. I see you've found instructions for unscrewing and checking shaft for movement. I haven't tried that yet as mine's got two screws and I'm not sure which is which. I will soon though.

It'll need more than a screwdriver to replace it. If it's well installed, it should have cutoff taps immediately in front and behind it, so it can be isolated for maintenance. (If it doesn't I think you should forget even trying this). As far as I can see it's then just (!sorry!) a matter of unbolting top and bottom with a pair of BIG spanners and a fair bit of muscle and putting in the replacement. This should cost < £100 from plumbing supplies place. Daunting job. If plumber doesn't turn up tomorrow I'll do it myself and let you know how I get on.

Bonne chance. Bon courage. Billybear

 

[billybear]

Well I've just got the screw out and had a look. All it did was pee water at me till I shut off the isolation taps.

Inside isn't much except a little hole.

Pump is a Grundfos UPS 25-80 180 and I wanted to check it was/was not turning OK before launching into replacement, but there's no sign of anything turnable. I could take the whole body off with the 4 Allen screws (I think - they're pretty tight) but it seems a bit extreme.

Anybody out there knows the pump and can advise on how to check proper functioning?

Sorry for hijacking the thread girls - I'll probably have to start my own soon!

Billybear

 

[oilman]

Is the pump running then?

 

[billybear]

How can I tell? Symptoms are as described in my first reply - I had to turn it off to stop the infernal noise (this echoes through the air inlet and must have been waking the whole street - not a good idea at 5.30 on Sunday morning if you want to stay on good terms with the neighbours) which definitely seemed to be coming from the pump.

Billybear

 

[oilman]

My post was a question to donap, you know, the originator of the thread.

Billybear, as you suggest starting your own thread would reduce the confusion and allow donap a look-in.

 

[oilman]

 

[billybear]

Well OK, you don't need to tell me twice! I'll leave it for the moment and see whether the promised plumber turns up tomorrow.

Donnap seems to have gone away - I was only trying to be helpful as everyone more knowledgeable than me (not hard, at least for plumbing) seemed to be ignoring her. Over to the real Good Samaritans...

Billybear

 

[ollski]

need to know at least the model of the boiler to have a chance of a vague diagnosis and if it is pumped or gravity fed...the cutting out is probably an overheat protection which would suggest no water or water not moving but we need more to go on

 

[AL]

I have room in my house for 3 young ladies Plenty of hot water to go around