To Central Heating Engineers - Plea for Help

mamazaac

Is there an expert out there on Classic Tribune unvented hot water systems please? (Specifically Product Code Tc175I).

We inherited a bit of a problem with our immersion tank when we moved house in that, if you have the water pressure at normal setting, the pressure relief valve continuously runs. We have had this valve replaced (and since found out that the people living there before us also had it replaced), but this makes no difference. The engineer that the people before us used was completely baffled by it, and we have had two different engineers as well who also don't know what is causing it. (The pressure coming into the house has been checked and is well within the acceptable amount). However, upon moving some items in the airing cupboard the other day I noticed a sign at the top of the tank which says

"Safety Warning: Any continuous discharge of hot water observed via the discharge pipework indicates a malfunction in the system. Switch off the heat source and investigate the cause after reference to installation instructions"

This appears to refer to the problem we are having, except that the water discharging is luke warm not hot.

The problem is that we have an installation manual for everything else in the house other than the immersion tank (Sod's Law raising its ugly head here). Our neighbours also do not have a manual for theirs, so it looks as though the builders didn't have any for some reason. Simple you say, contact the manufacturer. But Sod really excels himself here as the manufacturer (IMI Waterheating Ltd, Newport) has gone out of business. I found on the internet that Baxi had taken them over, but upon speaking to Baxi they informed me that this was just the boiler side, so they cannot help.

I am posting this message in the hope that one of your kind people may be able to either advise me of a solution to the problem or give me advice on where I might obtain an installation manual.

Anyone???

TornadoTom

I had something similar with mine....different make !
I found the fault to be a ruptured diaphram inside the pressure vessel.
I had the vessel replaced and the fault dissappeared.

Did the engineers test to see if the correct pressure was in the vessel ?
If the diaphram splits, the vessel fills with water and the expansion of the water has to go out of the pressure relief valve instead.
There should be a small cap on the vessel, remove this and press the valve inside it (its similar to a bike tyre valve ), if you get no air out, inflate vessel to correct pressure. If you get water out of it, replace the vessel.
either way, replace any air removed from vessel.
You'll have to check what pressure is required.
You can inflate the vessel with a car tyre pump.

The fact that you get luke warm water is probably due to the fault constantly occurring. When the valves blow off, the water lost is replaced by cold water....thats what they are there for.

p.s, I'm not an expert or a plumber, so tread carefully. I believe there is a requirement to be registered to work on unvented systems...if there isn't..

...there will be soon ! :rolleyes:
Tom

Debt_Free_Chick

mamazaac wrote:

But Sod really excels himself here as the manufacturer (IMI Waterheating Ltd, Newport) has gone out of business.

I think it might have been sold - it could have been split into two parts, with Baxi taking the boiler part, only. If it wasn't sold, then IMI plc retained it but I think that's unlikely.

The old parent company IMI plc is still alive and very much kicking!

Why not send them an email - be clear. Ask them who to contact re a manual for your IMI Waterheating immersion tank. Ask them to confirm who bought IMI Waterheating.

If that doesn't work, call them and ask to speak to someone in the Secretarial department (John O'Shea is the Company Secretary). You really want them to do you a favour and look in the records to see who the company was sold to - so please be polite

plumb1_2

http://www.rangecylinders.co.uk/support/pdf/Tribune.pdf

mamazaac

TornadoTom wrote:

I had something similar with mine....different make !
I found the fault to be a ruptured diaphram inside the pressure vessel.
I had the vessel replaced and the fault dissappeared.

Did the engineers test to see if the correct pressure was in the vessel ?
If the diaphram splits, the vessel fills with water and the expansion of the water has to go out of the pressure relief valve instead.
There should be a small cap on the vessel, remove this and press the valve inside it (its similar to a bike tyre valve ), if you get no air out, inflate vessel to correct pressure. If you get water out of it, replace the vessel.
either way, replace any air removed from vessel.
You'll have to check what pressure is required.
You can inflate the vessel with a car tyre pump.

The fact that you get luke warm water is probably due to the fault constantly occurring. When the valves blow off, the water lost is replaced by cold water....thats what they are there for.

p.s, I'm not an expert or a plumber, so tread carefully. I believe there is a requirement to be registered to work on unvented systems...if there isn't..

...there will be soon ! :rolleyes:
Tom

Many thanks for your reply - I will show your answer to my heating engineer and see if he can check this. We have something under the sink which we can adjust so that the water pressure coming into the house is lower and this has stopped it for the time being, albeit that we don't have very good pressure for showers. Were you able to turn the pressure down coming into your house, and if so did that also temporarily stop the problem with you?

mamazaac

plumb1 wrote:

http://www.rangecylinders.co.uk/support/pdf/Tribune.pdf

Thank you very much for this - can I just ask if this is the same as the Classic Tribune as our doesn't say the word "Range" on it?

mamazaac

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

I think it might have been sold - it could have been split into two parts, with Baxi taking the boiler part, only. If it wasn't sold, then IMI plc retained it but I think that's unlikely.

The old parent company IMI plc is still alive and very much kicking!

Why not send them an email - be clear. Ask them who to contact re a manual for your IMI Waterheating immersion tank. Ask them to confirm who bought IMI Waterheating.

If that doesn't work, call them and ask to speak to someone in the Secretarial department (John O'Shea is the Company Secretary). You really want them to do you a favour and look in the records to see who the company was sold to - so please be polite

Thank you very much - I may have what I need in the link posted below yours, but if I do need to contact them I will make sure I'm very polite.

TornadoTom

mamazaac wrote:

Were you able to turn the pressure down coming into your house, and if so did that also temporarily stop the problem with you?

I've spoken to a plumber friend I know and he says, if the problem lies with the pressure vessel, then reducing the inlet pressure wont help.
The device (Pressure relief valve) is doing its job and telling you something is wrong.
Best to get it fixed sooner rather than later.
Tom

hudsonheating

This cause of this problem is very simple to diagnose, it is either the expansion vessel has lost its charge and needs pumping up, the diaphragm has ruptured and the expansion vessel needs replacing or one of the safety valves is faulty. One of the first two options are the most likely cause.You should realy call a plumber but make sure he has a current certificate in unvented hot water storage systems.
If he has this qualification he should go straight to the expansion vessel and try to release some air via the schrader valve. If he does not do this he isn't what he claims he is and you should send him on his way without payment. If he is genuine it will take him longer to drink the mandatory cup of tea than it will to diagnose the correct solution.
Hope this sorts it.
ps you should also have the unit checked annually, find an engineer who is quallified to do this along with your annual boiler service.

muckybutt

Why the hell have you trudged up a thread thats over 4 years old ????