Overflow pipe running a river

Hi Kerry.

A few bits of info first. Who's your frie... Oops, sorry. My bad...

cough

Er, what I meant to ask was, do you have a cold storage tank in the loft? And do you have a hot cylinder somewhere?

Or, do you have a mains-pressure hot tank (a MegaFlow-type thingy)?

I'm guessing from what you are saying that you cannot have a 'combi' but may have a 'system' boiler. Any idea?

Anyways, the boiler isn't holding pressure? Ie - you top it up and the pressure drops pdq?

A good first step is to try and work out whether the leak ('cos there must be a leak) is inside the boiler or elsewhere in your system. The way to do this is to isolate the boiler flow and return pipes (they'll have shut-off valves on them) and to then tweak up the pressure to 1bar or so - and see what happens.

But, you'd need to know what you are doing. And not worry about chipping your nails.


(I'm joking... )

 

From what youve said you have a standard boiler and hot water cylinder with tanks in the loft? It is one of these tanks that is overflowing? The ball valve has been replaced recently.

First thing is that it is possible that you have a sealed system but a vented hot water cylinder, not an uncommon layout.
If you can access the loft can you see if the water in the tank is hot or cold. If its hot it could indicate a couple of things.
First thing it could be the coil in your cylinder has split and the heating water being of greater pressure is forcing the hot water back up into the tank. To get a better idea if it is that, does the overflow run continuously or only when you fill the heating system up?

Another possible option could be your shower, do you have a mixer shower and is this cold mains fed and hot fed via a pump? I have seen this happen before, bad practice but a non return valve fitted on the hot will cure it.

Outside chance it coukd be a mixer tap failed and crossing over cold into hot.

Give your guy a call tell him you have no hot water and a Charlie Dimmock (remember her ?) water feature out side if he's a decent guy he'll get to you sooner rather than later.

Keep us informed please

 

I know nothing of your hot water problem, but I'm intrigued as to which one of the fine young ladies in your avatar you are.

 

I'll second that...

 

DON'T TELL THEM!

hee-hee


Your boiler has a pressure gauge, Kerry, so it is a 'system' (sealed) boiler supplying a hot cylinder with a cold storage tank in t'loft. Probably.

I suspect Dave above has it sussed - if the water is coming from the overflow from the tank up in the loft and that water is warm/hot (when really it should be cold coming from that loft tank), then it would suggest the heating loop of pipe inside the hot cylinder is where it's leaking.

So, you pressurise your boiler and that water escapes from what should be a sealed pipe system and leaks inside the hot cylinder and mixes with the hot water in there (yuck). It'll then have nowhere to go but to push the cylinder's water up through the vent pipe, into the cold tank and then it overflows out t'house.

Which would usually be better news than a pipe leaking under the floor...

I am concerned by this in your OP; "the pressure is less than 1 bar and I've left the water valve open as the plumber suggested." By 'water valve', do you mean the boiler pressure top-up tap?

Man, that's strange advice to suggest leaving it permanently topping up!

If this is the case, could you turn off that tap and then see if the water stops overflowing after 10 minutes or so?

(In any case, all you are doing is wasting water...)

If you turn the boiler right off, then you can heat your water using the immersion - if you have one?

See how you get on with that, and I'll sit here thinking about where you could have a shower...

Sorry - my bad again...

 

yep, dave blows gas is 'on the money', how to narrow it down is fit a none return valve on the hot water pipe coming off your cylinder to the hot taps, if it still runs out of the overflow, you need a new cylinder,

 

You tease, you still have said which one is you, I've had a bet with myself as to which one you are, can't pay out until I know.

 

I KNOW! I KNOW!

Ok, I don't.

But in my mind I do...

 

After reading through this post carefully, considering the symptoms, working through the advice offered, racking my brains for some helpful input, researching the problem, and finally staring at the avatar (for maybe a little too long) the only thing that I can think of is ............................ I need a cold shower................. right now ..........................

 

guys guys guys, how old are you, the original poster could be anyone, a fat beer soaked,string vested slob in a smoke filled bed sit, c'mon people get a grip,

 

That's it Tom, burst our bubble why don't ya!....

 

"...the original poster could be anyone, a fat, beer soaked, string vested slob in a smoke filled bed sit"

Well, that did the trick all right. I had the visions of the heavenly Kerry replaced by one of our own Tom...

 

Tom, you old spoil sport, there's me admiring the avatar and try to guess our Kerry, then you come along and fill my head with Toms Tavern regulars.

 

That's right Tom, his real name is Jerry but he hit the wrong key when typing the post!

 

aw shucks, i'm sorry fella's, I guess i'm getting a little sulkie in my old age, tell you what, if Kerry posts up some selfies of her friend and herself for the boys, we can all go over to flaterics site, he's got a smiley for that sort of thing,

 

well dave blows gas is not just a pretty face you know and our Mr DEvs knows almost everything, but its a bit unfair to blame the boiler installer, there is no way he could have predicted the cylinder to go faulty , anyways its all sorted now, how about a selfie, not for me you understand, but the lads seem keen