| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 57680 | 2005-05-09 12:07:00 | Totally OT - Calling all plumbers... | Tony (4941) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 353728 | 2005-05-09 12:07:00 | Ok, here's the story. We've got a Beasley solar water heating system - panel on the roof, big water tank in the house, small vent pipe on the roof. It was installed when the house was built, about 3 years ago. Works really well - no water heating bills from about September through March-April. We turned the immersion heater on a couple of weeks ago, and a few days later water started erupting from the vent pipe on the roof in 30 second bursts every 10 mins or so. Went on all night and stopped in the morning. Last Saturday we turned the immersion heater off because it was a sunny day. In the evening the venting happened again, over a period of about 30 mins. I called the installer who said it might be the thermostat gone bung and it was boiling, though there was no other evidence to support that (we have a temperature gauge panel on the wall), and also the power consumption was not out of the ordinary. This evening it started again (immersion heater was on). 30 second bursts every 6 mins. This went on for a while, and we turned the immersion heater off. Stopped for a while, then started venting continuously. If we turn on a tap, (hot or cold) it stops then starts again if the tap is turned off. As far as I can tell it is cold water being vented (at least it is now). We are on tank water, and while most of the water is just running back into the tank, some is getting lost, which is not good. What is more worrying though is that the pump is running continuously, which can't be doing it any good. I've turned the pump off for the night, and I'll be calling the installer in the morning, but I thought I would call on the assembled expertise of the Press F1ers to see if any one has any suggestions as to what might be going on. :confused: :confused: :confused: |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 353729 | 2005-05-09 20:52:00 | I'm not a plumber, but when our (normal) hot water cylinder was doing it, it was because the low-pressure-limiter was dying - ie. water pressure was too high for the cylinder to cope with (At the particular water temperature), so it started spewing out the vent pipe. Coupled with a low air temperature, it made matters worse. | somebody (208) | ||
| 353730 | 2005-05-09 22:58:00 | Sounds like a valve problem - forget what it's called. | Greg (193) | ||
| 353731 | 2005-05-09 23:58:00 | Sounds like a valve problem - forget what it's called.I think you are right - see previous post. I've talked to the installer this morning and their resident expert is on holiday. The boss is going to try and contact him to discuss what might be happening. In the meantime, so far today it has been OK - but wait till evening... |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 353732 | 2005-05-10 01:33:00 | Tony - is your system pressurised or gravity feed? If pressurised then Somebody is on to it. The water has to be forced out somehow and the choices are: Incoming water, or Steam pressure. :eek: |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 353733 | 2005-05-10 02:09:00 | Tony - is your system pressurised or gravity feed? If pressurised then Somebody is on to it. The water has to be forced out somehow and the choices are: Incoming water, or Steam pressure. :eek:The system is pressurised, but it was venting last night when the water temperature was waaaay below boiling. The water coming out was cold. It all seems a bit of a mystery. The installer's expert is coming to see us tomorrow (poor guy has been pulled off holiday!), so we'll see what happens then. It is interesting that it only seems to be happening at night, so ambient temperature might be a factor - but it wasn't cold enough to be frosty. |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 353734 | 2005-05-10 02:27:00 | Odd that it is intermittant but sounds like a developing failure of the pressure relief valve. Might have a bit of dirt in it, but it shouldn't have got there in the first place. The reason it is venting is that this valve is letting water out as fast as it comes in from the pressure pump. The water simply visits the cylinder on its way through to the great outdoors. :D Nothing to do with boiling, although I'm sure you know that. Sounds like a plumbers job. |
Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 353735 | 2005-05-10 02:45:00 | The reason it is venting is that this valve is letting water out as fast as it comes in from the pressure pump. The water simply visits the cylinder on its way through to the great outdoors.That's certainly my suspicion as to why it was doing it non-stop last night. It's the stop-go thing that has me confused. :confused: |
Tony (4941) | ||
| 353736 | 2005-05-10 03:22:00 | The stop-go will be because there is air in the system acting as a "spring". | Graham L (2) | ||
| 353737 | 2005-05-10 06:27:00 | It's probably whatever is causing the pump to run continuously. Pump runs continuously -> pressure rises -> gotta vent Find out why that is. |
george12 (7) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||