Wheres the water coming from ?

[Vass]

Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system so I could change the
pump, valve and cylinder

Had just the punp and valve to fit when, I find I get home and water is
coming through the floor into Kitchen below

The pipe waiting for the pump is leaking water. (so I have plugged for now
with quickfix plastic thingy)

Now both tanks in the loft have ball valves tied up and are not dripping,
and the hot tap is left on downtairs
to make sure nothing was left in the system

so where is the water coming from? It must be going through the boiler and
out the other side, but I have a feeling the radiators downstairs will all
need draining again before I can finish the work (they were all empty this
weekend)

I'm puzzled where the cold is getting into the system

any ideas?

 

[Aidan]

Now both tanks in the loft have ball valves tied up and are not dripping,
and the hot tap is left on downtairs
to make sure nothing was left in the system

Good so far, but this wouldn't have drained the hot water storage
cylinder. The hot outlet & open vent are from the top, so the cylinder
is still full of water, despite draining the hot water pipes. To drain
it, you'd have to stick a hose in the top and siphon the contents out a
window, or use a low-level drain cock if there is one.

This water shouldn't be able to get into the heating, so the likely
cause is that the coil is leaking. Drain the cylinder to confirm this;
the water should stop. If so, new cylinder time.

Probably a lucky discovery, it would rot your radiators very quickly.

 

[Aidan]

Vass wrote:

PS
And you DID switch off/isolate the immersion heater, didn't you?

 

[Vass]

Good so far, but this wouldn't have drained the hot water storage
cylinder. <snip>

which bit of "Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system " did you
miss?
(the new cylinder is in place (empty) awaiting final connection)

 

[Vass]

PS
And you DID switch off/isolate the immersion heater, didn't you?

Wasn't wired up, and thats where the leak from the old cylinder was causing
all this work :-((
(well near it, actually the copper cylinder had sprung a leak)

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system so I could change
the pump, valve and cylinder

Had just the punp and valve to fit when, I find I get home and water
is coming through the floor into Kitchen below

The pipe waiting for the pump is leaking water. (so I have plugged
for now with quickfix plastic thingy)

Now both tanks in the loft have ball valves tied up and are not
dripping, and the hot tap is left on downtairs
to make sure nothing was left in the system

so where is the water coming from? It must be going through the
boiler and out the other side, but I have a feeling the radiators
downstairs will all need draining again before I can finish the work
(they were all empty this weekend)

I'm puzzled where the cold is getting into the system

any ideas?

What did you do with the upstairs radiators when you drained the primary
system? They probably remained full unless you opened the vent screws. But,
unless both valves were turned off firmly on each rad, some of the water can
later slowly gurgle out.

 

[Aidan]

which bit of "Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system " did you
miss?

None of it.

However, I did note the bit where you said ".... and the hot tap is
left on downtairs to make sure nothing was left in the system....".
This implies a woeful lack of understanding of the workings of the
system.

You ask for opinions. You get opinions, someone spent some time to
suggest likely causes. You're bloody rude in return.

This implies you're an arsehole.

I didn't suggest one other cause, because it might have have inferred
you were a complete idiot. With hindsight, that other theory now seems
quite plausible.

 

[Aidan]

which bit of "Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system " did you
miss?

Vass had previously written:

Drained the hot water cylinder and heating system so I could.....
and

I find I get home and water is coming through the floor into Kitchen below

Doesn't the water coming through your kitchen ceiling suggest to you
that some part(s) of your previous statement may be incorrect?

Keep at it, Sherlock.

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Ah ok yes I missed that bit, did'nt open any radiators so this is the
probable cause
will empty everything and check again
Thanks

Whenever I work on my system, I turn all the upstairs radiators firmly off -
both ends** - to keep them full, and it's surprising how little water comes
out of the pipes.

** counting how many turns it takes to close each lockshield valve, so that
they can be restored to the same state to maintain the balance

 

[Aidan]

Wasn't wired up, and thats where the leak from the old cylinder was causing
all this work :-((
(well near it, actually the copper cylinder had sprung a leak)

The immersion heater failed, so he replaced the immersion heater.

In removing the immersion heater he wrecked the cylinder, so he
replaced the cylinder.

In replacing the cylinder, he flooded the kitchen.

I'd recommend calling a plumber.

 

[Aidan]

Surely if he carries on as he was going he should now replace the kitchen?

I await further requests for assistance with great interest.

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Surely if he carries on as he was going he should now replace the
kitchen?

Is there a DIY equivalent of "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly . .
.."? <g>

 

[John Cartmell]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Is there a DIY equivalent of "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly . .
."? <g>

Far better is the Flanders and Swann musical version "The gasman cometh". ;-)

 

[John Cartmell]

Far better is the Flanders and Swann musical version "The gasman cometh".

http://www.iankitching.me.uk/humour/hippo/gas.html

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Far better is the Flanders and Swann musical version "The gasman
cometh". ;-)

That's very funny - but it's not quite right! That's a circular sort of
thing (like "there's a hole in my bucket") - whereas what is needed is
something which escalates at an exponential rate - maybe starting with
changing a light-bulb and ending with a heap of rubble where the house had
used to be!

 

[Aidan]

and ending with a heap of rubble where the house had
used to be!

The gasman will often achieve that.

 

[Aidan]

Far better is the Flanders and Swann musical version "The gasman cometh". ;-)

I recall often hearing that on the light programme (or something) on
the wireless on Sunday mornings, after Mum plugged the set into the
light socket and the valves had warmed up.

 

[John Cartmell]

I recall often hearing that on the light programme (or something) on
the wireless on Sunday mornings, after Mum plugged the set into the
light socket and the valves had warmed up.

At the Drop of Another Hat (of which "The Gas-Man cometh" was part) opened on
stage on 2 October 1963 and was shown on TV in 1968 and 1970.
The Light Programme broadcast between 29 July 1945 and 30 September 1967.
Transistor radios date from 1954.

Broadcasts of extracts from ATDOAH may well have featured on the Light
Programme but far more have been heard on Radio 2 and 4 &c since then. And you
really were behind the times with your valve radio in the days of colour TV
weren't you. ;-)

 

[Matt]

whereas what is needed is
something which escalates at an exponential rate - maybe starting with
changing a light-bulb and ending with a heap of rubble where the house had
used to be!

Paging Dr Drivel, paging Dr Drivel




--

 

[Vass]

I await further requests for assistance with great interest.

All finished, pressure tested and working
the leak to the kitchen was a cup full at most
sorry to disappoint