R
Rautospoon
Hi, I live in a bungalow and have a 17 year old traditional CH system with 10 radiators, a BG Multihead III pump (replaced 5 years ago) and an Ideal Classic boiler (re-located in the loft 4 years ago). The system has been serviced every year by BG.
For as long as I can remember (and certainly before the boiler was re-located) there has been a slight drip outside fron the plastic overflow pipe to the F & E tank which often has warm water in it.
The ballcock in the F&E tank was replaced by BG a couple of years ago, but it made no difference.
I have never seen the water in the F& E tank "up to" the level of the overflow pipe, so could the vapour/steam from the warm water in the tank be "condensing" in the overflow pipe and trickling out ? Sometimes it has dripped after the CH had turned off and not when it was on.
The last visiting BG engineer recommended that I rip out the whole system and install a combi as it was outdated with parts no longer available for the boiler (I was easily able to confirm that all parts were readily available on the internet !). I have no desire whatsover to change my system, which with the exception of this one problem, has always and remains (touch wood) to work perfectly !
A "friend of a friend" is a (private) CH engineer and he had a look and confirmed the system was "pumping over" but when he turned the pump spped setting down from 3 (of 4) to 2 (of 4), it appeared to stop and he also suggested fitting a relacement sealed vessel which would be a reasonably priced solution to solve the problem if it continued. He thought the pump was in the correct position and no problem with the HW cylinder and no obvious incorrect piping (although he did say that the precise cause of "pumping over" can sometimes be hard to establish). He said I would be mad to replace the whole system ! However the next day (and continuing) there was/is still the drip and warm water in the F&E tank.
My "instinct" is to replace the F&E tank with a sealed vessel as suggested.
(The loft is boarded with a handrail, has lighting fitted and has ready and safe access to the boiler and tanks).
Any advice, views, opinions from the "experts" on here would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks.
For as long as I can remember (and certainly before the boiler was re-located) there has been a slight drip outside fron the plastic overflow pipe to the F & E tank which often has warm water in it.
The ballcock in the F&E tank was replaced by BG a couple of years ago, but it made no difference.
I have never seen the water in the F& E tank "up to" the level of the overflow pipe, so could the vapour/steam from the warm water in the tank be "condensing" in the overflow pipe and trickling out ? Sometimes it has dripped after the CH had turned off and not when it was on.
The last visiting BG engineer recommended that I rip out the whole system and install a combi as it was outdated with parts no longer available for the boiler (I was easily able to confirm that all parts were readily available on the internet !). I have no desire whatsover to change my system, which with the exception of this one problem, has always and remains (touch wood) to work perfectly !
A "friend of a friend" is a (private) CH engineer and he had a look and confirmed the system was "pumping over" but when he turned the pump spped setting down from 3 (of 4) to 2 (of 4), it appeared to stop and he also suggested fitting a relacement sealed vessel which would be a reasonably priced solution to solve the problem if it continued. He thought the pump was in the correct position and no problem with the HW cylinder and no obvious incorrect piping (although he did say that the precise cause of "pumping over" can sometimes be hard to establish). He said I would be mad to replace the whole system ! However the next day (and continuing) there was/is still the drip and warm water in the F&E tank.
My "instinct" is to replace the F&E tank with a sealed vessel as suggested.
(The loft is boarded with a handrail, has lighting fitted and has ready and safe access to the boiler and tanks).
Any advice, views, opinions from the "experts" on here would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks.
Last edited by a moderator: