water problems (1 Viewer)

[Lord Mac]

I filled the m/h with water prior yo my trip to Scotland,by the time I reached the lakes the water had nearly all gone. When I had tried to fill the water heater I noticed that it was taking a long time to fill. On inspection underneath I noticed water was coming out of an overflow, presumably the water heater one. The pump is also working even though all taps are closed and there is no water in the system. When the m/h is posted up I can see a puddle underneath and nothing is switched on.

I know this is vague but I am not technically minded
Could some valve not be closing?

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Sounds like the anti freeze valve is open
Some where near heater is a valve with a flip up lever it is open
This is to stop water heater from freezeing up

 

[icantremember]

It sounds like you have left the boiler dump valve open .... this is probably a small yellow lever in the pipework at floor level close to the boiler. I f it's sticking up it is open and you can push it either way to close it. This could also be an automatic valve which opens just above freezing to protect the boiler if it's is not turned on.

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[GJH]

Hopefully it is just the hot water drain valve(s) rather than a leak somewhere. Depending on how the pump is set up (there are a couple of ways and I can't remember details) it is probably running because water is being "demanded" by the boiler.

You will almost certainly have a manual drain valve like the one in the attachment but you could also have an automatic one (red plastic) which operates to protect the boiler from freezing when the temperature drops below 4 C. It is simple to reset by lifting but won't stay closed until the temperature around it is about 8 C.

 

[Lord Mac]

I have checked the dump valve is closed. The temp here is 5 degrees so maybe it is the automatic one. I have also noticed a leak in the waste water pipe.

 

[GJH]

If you can warm the automatic one up enough to close it then you should be able to fill the boiler and put it on low to keep the temperature high enough.

If we are preparing for a winter trip I normally run a fan heater for a while to warm the van up (rather than use the gas we want for our trip). If the valve is still open when I want to fill the water tank I play a hot air gun on it for a few minutes (not close/hot enough to damage it) then fill the boiler and put the water heater on.

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[DavidG58]

I have checked the dump valve is closed. The temp here is 5 degrees so maybe it is the automatic one. I have also noticed a leak in the waste water pipe.

The auto frost dump valve on our old MH had a very sensitive switch and only has a small movement. When we bought ours it had a clothes peg on it, which I now understand is quite a common trick to hold it closed (up)

As advised already it lifts to reset (close) but probably only moves about 5mm, when in use the peg is a good idea, although you would hope that with the water heater on the temperature at the sensor would stay high enough, but maybe overnight it could drop and dump. That presumes the switch / valve is not faulty, most likely just sensitive

Not a good idea to leave valve closed over winter if not in use, but clothes peg can stay on valve whether open or closed

 

[GJH]

Personally I would rather use a little gas to keep the water warm when it is really cold rather than rely on the clothes peg trick. Replacing a boiler ruined by freezing ain't cheap

 

[rangi]

Could it be the non return valve on the side of the boiler, It should be red plastic, and about 25-55mm from the top, with a 10/12mm tube going down to the, and thro the floor.
These generally C**p out if you have had a frost, you only need a very small amount of water in there to freeze and it pushes the non return valve the wrong way
Replacement cost about £10, I always carry a spare

And who was the silly billy, that didn't check the system before he left home? oh:

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[Lord Mac]

Hairdrier onto valve now working. Thank you all for the advice. It is good to know that help is out there should you need it. I will order a spare valve.