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Some advice on two different problems please?

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coursemyhorse

Hi all, first post here. I have a problem in our house which I am getting fed up with because the landlord will not fix. I have had electrician and plumber out already and problem 1 they can't/won't fix and do not care for, problem 2 they moved the thermostat and also replaced it to no avail. It's got to the point where I just wantto pay a plumber to get it fixed for me then I will try to make him pay for it if possible.
Any advice massively appricated. I have a friend who is an ex plumber and he said he might be able to take a look for me.

I apologize in advance about knowing nothing much about this kind of thing and if I use the wrong terms I'm sorry.

1: Pipes in the airing cupboard knock/bang/pop/click and make noise only when the hot water is on on it's own.

When the heating is on as well as hot water, or heating on on it's own, the knocking goes away. It sounds to me very much like there is air in the pipes, as the pump does that stalling noise like when it isn't getting a 100% water feed, and then wooshes off and will be quiet for a bit. In fact, I'm almost certain it's air. When the hot water is on first thing in the morning at 6:30 (we have to have it on then to get hot water for morning) it wakes me up which is annoying.
Been like this for over a year. They have tried stuff before like wiring the pump up differently but it hasn't helped. The pump always comes on in the airing cupboard when the HW is on. I turned it down myself from medium to low which partially helped the noise levels (the pump seems noisy to me anyway personally) but it still knocks and clicks away. It does it whenever the HW is on not just in the morning. There is no radiator in the HW loop like the bathroom one to dry towels - I say this based on the fact no radiators come on when the HW is on even if the rad valves are open.
I spoke to a friend who mentioned that it could be the way it has been wired up.
It is NOT water hammer apparently my friend reckons. The taps do NOT splutter/stutter or knock when you turn them off. HW works ok, but does take a while to come through to the tap when we turn it on, but this might be down to the pump I turned down to low.
My mate also said to try wiring it so that it is purely gravity fed rather than relying on a pump. I don't know how to do that, but we have a reservoir thing in the loft and a boiler in the kitchen. We have the standard HW tank cylinder thing in the airing cupboard.

Any ideas to stop the noise? It isn't a loud massive earthwuake like whack, but more a popping knocking clicking constant. Drives me mad.

Agency/landlord is being rubbish at fixing this. They don't want to know really as say it works.

Another clue (this might not be related at all but thought I would say as well) is that the water comes on by itself regardless of settings on the computer every night for about 10 minutes around 11pm. This also wakes me up. I don't know why it comes on like this even though I haven't set it to.



2: Heating hard to control

The thermostat for the heating I have to turn up to like 26/27c for it to even come on when the room temp is clearly below 20c. Say the room temp is 16c, the stat I will still have to turn to 25c for it to click on. So say I go to the airing cupboard and make sure heating is on on the computer thing (or say it was set to come on) the stat must be up high for it to come on.
The heating then will come on but get really hot. Basically where say at most houses you set the stat to say 18c and it just comes on and off when required to get to that temp. Ours we can't do it like that, coz I would have to set it to like 26c ish and then it comes on really hot and we end up just turning it off. Set it lower and it doesn't come on at all.

Again, I have had the plumber out on this, the electrician. I apparently had the stat replaced and also they moved it from downstairs to upstairs in case it made a difference. Still the same. It's an analogue dial thermostat.

Any ideas all?
 
is your cold water inlet the first pipe on the flow before the pump? the second one being 22mm and going over the cistern?

Probably is Fuzzy, in which case the neutral point being the feed will mean it will draw air.
Easiest fix is change it to a feed expansion.

Whoever fitted this lot has never even slept with a plumber but is about the usual quality for landlord accommodation. Surprised at the Worcs boiler tho. That is a first. Usually a Ravenheap :D
 
you mean link them ?? yeh seen that doen before and does fix the problem but not ideal. bit more difficult to change to a VIP
 
Hey guys, I think I need another few morning to monitor this to be sure this is not a fluke, but this morning it didn't knock. It was quiet as anything. Well...just the pump noise with no air knocks. Maybe when I turned the bypass valve the other way this time it shut it off properly and it wasn't fully closed last time? Maybe to do with it leaking when I turn it not sealing properly? I will let you know what tomorrow is like :)
If this does turn out to fix it, I don't know how to thank you all. Seriously thanks so much.

The thermostat thing I can live with since the heating does work I guess.

Someone earlier said that the plumber didn't like clips (or did can't remember), what does that refer to in the pics? I know the work looks shoddy you say, would this have been done when the house was first built or recently? Is the Worcs boiler a goodun then? Thanks again all. Really appreciate it.
 
is your thermostat sited above a radiator or any heat source?

No, this is why it was moved in the first place since it was in a corner in the lounge near to a radiator. It got moved upstairs on the landing not near any heat or cold source.
 
landing isnt a great place as heat rises. best place is the hall, shouldnt give you the probs you are usggesting though, when does it 'click'?
 
If I turn it on first thing in the morning in this current weather (starting to get colder) I gradually turn it and it will click on at around 25/26 c

I think the knocking may have gone away! Touch wood.
 
if it is clicking at 25/26c then it suggest your house is around that temp, thats hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is it hot? if not then the stat itself could be the problem
 
No house is not that hot. Had the stat replaced already supposedly, and got it moved location. Still the same.
 
well it must be faulty if it clicks at that temp but its inacurate
 
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