Vaillant Turbomax VUW 242/1E

[PecoPete]

I want to strip down my pump to see if the impeller is sludged up or detached from the spindle. I can't see how to shut off the water to or from it so if I take it apart by removing the 3 allen screws, will it just flood with water? If so, can someone tell me how to isolate it?
Also, when I take it apart, do I need to replace any seals when putting it back?
Thank you!

Pete.

 

[bell824]

is there a specific reason you want to do this?

If there is no problem you are experiancing why do you want to check?

 

[PecoPete]

The upstairs rads are getting hot but the downstairs ones aren't. The first downstairs rad in the filling order (I think) is less than luke warm, the next is virtually cold and the last is freezing. We've done the balancing bit but they still didn't get hot.
I was told by an engineer a power flush was needed or I could try cleaning the rads individually. I managed to clean that first downstairs rad, hoping it would get hot and confirm that was the problem but as I said, it doesn't. When I told the engineer, he said the pump was probably shot and needed replacing. He was supposed to come round and change it but never showed up and won't answer his phone....for some reason.
Anywho, I've since read that the pump may be in need of a service, rather than replacing and after looking at it, I can't see how to shut off any water input/output. I don't want to risk flooding the gaff so any information would be appreciated.
Cheers!

Pete.

 

[Agile]

99% of pumps are installed using isolating valves!

There should be either two or four screws!

The engineer may be very busy or has some reason for not wanting to speak to you anymore.

A common reason would be that you dont want to pay him to fix your problem. As you seem to be trying to do it yourself that seems to be very likely!

Did you pay him for his visit?

There are many other engineers available but just dont call me if you expect free diagnostic visits as I always charge!

Tony Glazier

 

[PecoPete]

A common reason would be that you dont want to pay him to fix your problem. As you seem to be trying to do it yourself that seems to be very likely!

Did you pay him for his visit?

There are many other engineers available but just dont call me if you expect free diagnostic visits as I always charge!

Tony Glazier

Tony, have I p###ed on your Hush Puppies at sometime? You seem a bit grumpy with me.
The fact that I can't find someone reliable is the reason I am doing it myself and if it is something I can do, yes I would prefer to save a couple hundred quid. Hence the reason I am on a DIY help forum. You know, I even had to check that, given the name DIYnot and after reading several unfriendly posts on here but sure enough, it is a DIY help forum, it says so in its mantra.

Welcome to DIYnot.com

DIY can be both challenging and rewarding - this is where DIYnot.com aims to help. Our expert teams have brought together hundreds of information pages. Why not Do It Yourself?

Yes, I have paid him for other work; £200, in cash, the minute he finished, to clean the heat exchanger. If the guy had bothered to turn up to fix this problem, as we arranged, as he promised me he would, I would have paid him another £215, in cash, no haggling, no bartering, as soon as he'd finished. Do I sound like a dodgy customer to you or do I sound like one you'd be happy to book in?

 

[Agile]

I try to come quickly and dont delay people by "booking them in" for a future visit.

Its not obvious what the scope of the work is but it looks as if I would be charging rather less! About £136 to clean an HE in a combi in a local area. While the boiler is drained to do then then its only minutes to look at the pump impeller and do the finger test. I would also be checking the moin/max gas settings.

Based on what you have said its not clear why he has not apparently come back to continue.

Tony

 

[PecoPete]

Thanks Tony!

I know it is just me but I can't see the isolating valves. However, something you wrote gives me an idea. If I drain the upstairs rads, then no water should escape the pump anyway. Is that right?
If I strip the pump while it is still connected to the boiler, will I need to replace any seals? I ask so I can get them before hand.
You are right in that the pump is working. I took the bleed screw off and the spindle turned easily, I ran the pump with the screw off and it looked to be spinning ok.

 

[Agile]

Sorry, I initially thought when you were talking about the pump that it was a stand alone pump.

Now I realise its a combi and I know that if the pump is not working properly then there will be no or little hot water.

There are still isolating valves under the boiler which isolate the boiler from the system. I would use them so that I did not need to fiddle with the system but there is a small risk of those valves leaking a little afterwards.

Because I charge on a fixed price basis then I need to do everything in the most time efficient maner.

Tony

 

[PecoPete]

Yeah sorry, it is a combi. Excuse my denseness but when you say little or no hot water, you mean to the radiators, right? I have lots of steaming hot water from the taps.
Isolating valves under the boiler. Ok, that makes it clearer and explains why I couldn't find them. Thank you!

 

[Agile]

No, the pump on your combi is required to be working when it delivers hot water!

Tony

 

[PecoPete]

Ah! Well, I've got no problem with the hot water so it must be ok. The guy that cleaned the HE said he was going to balance the radiators but I wasn't here when he did it so I can't be sure. My Wife said she thinks he did but....
I read a detailed walkthru on here, about balancing the rads so maybe I should try that to be sure. Then, as you said before, check the circulation (blockage somewhere?) So either clean all the rads individually or a power flush.
Thanks for your help!

 

[PecoPete]

Update to the problem. I was told I had a blockage in a pipe, as the water coming from the flow or return on one side of a rad, pumped out under pressure, while the other side didn't. I pulled up some floor boards and found a T joint in a pipe, where the pipe going into the T and the pipe coming off it are warm, while the continuation of the original pipe is cold, after the joint. So I figure this is where the blockage is.
I shut all the lockshields on all the rads, fitted a wash machine hose onto the the last rad, the one after the blockagae, on the the flow pipe (I think, the thermostat side), isolated the 2 valves going into the boiler and turned on the filler. The flow out of the hose wasn't really fast so I started hitting the pipe where I believe the blockage is. After doing that, black sludge came out of the hose and the water flow got quicker. Thinking I had it licked, I put everything back together, filled the system up and tried the heating. No joy, the downstairs rads are still cold and the pipes going into that blocked joint are still warm in and cold out.

Ok, along way to it but my question is this. If I cut the pipe where that joint is so I can stick a pipe cleaner through it, can I use a compression joint to rebuild it?
I haven't got the gear to use a sweated joint and I think there will be water in the pipe anyhow so I think compression joints would be easier.

 

[BARNY78BG]

hey mate, restrictions in systems are not easy to find., any thing you do like take rads off or cut out pipe sections are only part fixes,the problem lies in the fact that your system is blocking and you need to bite the bullet and get a professional in to powerflush the system

 

[BARNY78BG]

sorry,forgot to add, even if a pump is faulty,it can still perform ok to give hot water as the circuit has less resistance

 

[plumbandplumber]

What happens if you turn the upstairs rads off? Do downstairs rads heat up?

If you have Vaillant problems, these guys know their stuff.

http://www.vaillantservice.co.uk/Vailliant_Home_Boiler_Repairs_Servicing_Faults.html