Hot water pressure issues

[Colin68]

I attended a job today where the customer complained of hot water pressure issues after loft insulation fell in the header tank, cylinder is a vented indirect in the first floor b room with header in the loft .. drop of 22mm cold supply to the cylinder is about 3m. I cleaned out from the tank, drained cylinder, removed a small insulation plug from T at the base of the cylinder just above the d rain valve and thought yippee .. home early for dinner ... not to be checked the cylinder nothing in it, check basin and bath taps fore, all clear. Checked valve to isolate cold supply to cylinder also ok .. flow from the header tanks seems good .. cylinder only partially fills, any ideas ?, bit stumped as the flow from the header seems good

 

[diamondgas]

If cylinder is only half filling there must be a restriction upstream of the cylinder. Between cyl and header! Where is it flowing okay to from the header? Air-lock or blockage....! Only other possibility would be blocked Open vent!

 

[Colin68]

when I drained the header with a hose pipe on the drain valve .. it was flying out .. but when connected to the cylinder to fill it seems to just trickle any ideas for blowing water/air back up the to clear the blockage .. see if a little bit of insulation whizzies out the other end into the header .. perhaps a hose connected to the cold water tap on the bath (mains pressure) then on the end the cold supply down pipe maybe?

 

[Colin68]

hadn't thought the about the open vent being blocked

 

[diamondgas]

Did you check the Cold feed conection into the cylinder for blockage. If the pipe is clear to the d/off but not clear entering the cylinder then the restriction sounds like it's possible at or near the cylinder connection!

 

[Colin68]

checked .. and all clear

 

[diamondgas]

You have good flow into the cylinder yeh, or do you think the restriction is in the feed?

 

[Colin68]

I reckon it must be the feed then .. all was fine until the insulation incident .. and to top it off the it's 22mm feed and a 15mm vent .. I know, I know .. told the customer that this need to be changed .. could the vent be full also?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

i told you to get wet vack ,you could have just suck it all out

 

[diamondgas]

Easy way to eliminate whether it is or is not a vent issue is to open a hot tap. If it fills quickly then I'd reccon the vent would be my next port of call!

 

[Colin68]

he he .. hello matey .. you are of course right .. do they come with fancy attachments for sticking on the end of 22mm he he

 

[Colin68]

doesn't fill quickly .. the tap runs ok for about 20 seconds then goes to a trickle

 

[diamondgas]

So we have a full cylinder and pipework yeh? Are all the taps the same, just a trickle? Rule out open vent, bye-the-way! Thinking airlock/blockge in main draw-off or cold feed!

 

[SafeGasInstall]

go get a wet vac and stick it on to the pipe work under the hot water tap ,this will suck it out if is a problem on the hot ater pipe ,if not try the cold feed or the vent

 

[diamondgas]

Scratch that.........! 20 seconds says open vent empying quicker than feed ......... back to cold feed!

 

[diamondgas]

Does it work safegas...? I've always done the hose between mains hot and cold for air locks and blasted out a blocked feed with mains if it's there too!

 

[Colin68]

reckon I'll try the cold feed and vent pipe .. with a good suck .. what do you reckon Einhell Wet and dry vacs? .. gonna get one on Friday .. could have done with one today when the carpet got wet .. all the special tools I have in the bag I don't have this one grrrrrr

 

[diamondgas]

From what you've described i'd concentrate on the cold feed Colin to start with. Drain the tank and suck up the feed pipe if you can... Need biglips and good lungs though... lol ... gooduck

 

[SafeGasInstall]

ha ha ha ha Colin told you 4 weeks ago ! you told i was on wind up ..............
dgas - yes mate it works if is powerful does even clear out air locks easy

to Colin -next time if you get some dirt on the carpet spray some mister muscul (window cleanner ) scratch it with your fingers till is start to get foamy and then suck it out with wet vac

told you wet vac is a must in our trade !

 

[Colin68]

thanks Stan .. getting one Friday for sure ..

 

[SafeGasInstall]

nice ,any probs give me a call you have my number if I can will help you over the phone !

 

[Colin68]

thanks matey .. save me bothering Mike

 

[Colin68]

Hey up Stan, got myself an Einhell 20 ltr Wet vac yesterday, flippin awesome mate! ... you were bang on! .. sorted the issue with the cylinder too, cleaned the guys tank with this little beauty also ..... he'll be having a nice hot bath tonight

 

[SafeGasInstall]

Well done , I bet you are so proud of your self know

 

[Colin68]

yeah I was very happy after .. I had to burp the hell out the cylinder .. ended up connecting a hose to the vent pipe and pushing cold through using the bath mixer taps, down the hose into the bath .. coughing and splutering it was then the all hot taps came good ... I learned very valuable lesson on this job