When I turn my central heating on, the boiler doesn't fire up. The boiler is working as I have hot water.
The pump is silent and if I put my hand on it, there is no vibration, could it be the pump?
There is a small squre aluminium box with a lever on it (some type of valve?) which makes a clicking noise. I have moved the little lever to the three various positions but it makes no difference.
What do you think folks? A new pump? Or a new valve thingy?
2007-10-29 20:51:30 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
The small square aluminium box is probably your three-way valve. If it has three pipes going to it then it is.
This thing diverts the heated water from the boiler to either your hot water cylinder or your radiators.
The route it takes depends on the relative settings of your room and cylinder thermostats and the configuration of your programmer.
The pump may be only in your central heating pipework so it won't come on until the CH system cuts in. If you have hot pipes at the pump then it's failed.
If the pipes at the pump are cold then the CH has not cut in.
This could be either the 3-way valve, the CH thermostat or the programmer.
To replace the pump is not difficult if you know what you're doing, but costly. To replace anything else in the water pipes (such as the 3-way valve) will involve draining down. Not something to be undertaken lightly because the refilling is messy (fernox in the tank) and you have to bleed all the radiators and the cylinder vent pipes etc.,.
It takes ages and you end up chewing on the pipes with frustration.
Get a CH engineer. It'll cost about £70 p/h + parts but at least you'll be warm fro the winter.
2007-10-29 21:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First be sure that the hot water isn't just residual, from the last time the boiler fired, you can check by trning programmer to water only, if the boiler fires, wait and see if it stays on or starts to rumble (ketting), if it does, the pump has gone, if it stays in, turn the heating on and feel the pipe on the silver box furthest from cylinder, if this gets very hot ok, if not, the honeywell 3 port diverter valve has gone.
2007-10-30 17:23:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you know where the pump is,Check when you switch the heating on that the pump is working by feeling the body of the pump,if not try giving it a little tap with a hammer not very hard as sometimes when the heating is not used in summer time the pump stops because of chalk deposits,if that does not work you will have to get a plumber
2007-10-30 04:06:05 · answer #3 · answered by Solo Man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some times the pump can stall, the way to release it is to unscrew the silver cap on the top of the pump. It looks like a silver 10p piece with a slot cut across the middle. Unscrew this about two turns and listen to hear if this frees up the pump.
2007-10-30 09:45:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have a look what temperature you have central heating on. Usually a circle dial with o-35. Some have up to 50deg, but who wants it that hot? It's the thermostat. If the boiler doesn't kick in for the heating at say about 20 deg, try turning it up to say 25 deg. Leave a couple of minutes; if still no joy, turn it up to 30 deg. If still no joy, I reckon the thermostat is broken. In which case you'll need a corgi registered gas engineer.
2007-10-30 04:08:21 · answer #5 · answered by Julia H 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It sounds like the 3-way valve (the aluminium box). This has a spring mechanism which must work to divert water to and from the radiators/ cylinder. £50-£60 new.
There are plumbing and electrics involved, so call a Corgi-registered plumber.
2007-10-30 04:06:03 · answer #6 · answered by Andrew L 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
before getting a new pump x out the pump fuse if its a plugin type,if you have no vibration from pump its possibly gone, they are about 50 quid , how old is the pump they should last a good few years.
2007-10-30 04:14:26 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A couple of basic things to check:
Is there a thermostat that you need to set, somewhere in the hall or lounge? Is there a "summertime" switch that you need to set down? Summertime switches are there when there isn't a thermostat to compensate for the reduced need to heat.
2007-10-30 04:04:06 · answer #8 · answered by k² 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't DIY this one you must get a CORGI registered repairman
2007-10-30 04:00:17 · answer #9 · answered by DARREN A 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a licensed service repairman call out
2007-10-30 03:55:23 · answer #10 · answered by tom4bucs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋