Heating question - major flood after service, what’s gone wrong here?

[Dangee]

Feed & vent have been joined.

 

[Mottie]

Further info: My son tells me the bloke removed the F&E tank, took it outside to do something with it and broke something on it so he had to go away and get another one. The bloke reckons if the powerflush doesn’t do the trick, he'll have to replace a major pipe from the boiler to the valve. Anyway, my sons fiancée phoned up her cousin who is a plumber and he said the only thing he can think of that could have caused that after a service was if the boiler or pump were set too high. The plumber didn’t go upstairs at any time (hot water cylinder is in cupboard on landing). My son checked it and the boiler is now set on maximum and they’ve never turned it up past 2/3rds since it’s been fitted. He can’t check it now as he is in on his own at the moment and the baby is in bed and the loft access is in the baby’s room. He doesn’t want to turn it on and wait to see if water starts pîssing out of the loft. Seems strange that the boiler was serviced only yesterday afternoon, has been left set on maximum and 12 hours later it’s pumping over. The pipe work in the cupboard looks like what I used to have in my house - 28mm pipes for a gravity hot water system.

 

[Mottie]

Feed & vent have been joined.

My son says nothing has changed on the pipework, they have just been renewed so must have always been like that.

 

[Dangee]

Might be down to temp & pump setting. Max temp on that is about 82, personally, I set to 70/72 degrees.
Either way, the bloke didn’t pipe it wrong. Not many gravity fed systems about now. Might be lack of knowledge.

 

[Dangee]

You can see when boiler changed, f & e was joined.

 

[Mottie]

You can see when boiler changed, f & e was joined.

I don't doubt your expertise Dangee, but why has it lasted more than two years and only gone wrong within 12 hours of someone touching the boiler?

My old Potterton could never be set to max temp from new without the overheat button popping out. I could only run that at 3/4 power.

 

[HERTS P&D]

The babys bed is not under any tanks?

Andy

 

[Mottie]

Does it pump over for heating & hot water or only on one or the other?

My son says only the hot water was on when it pumped over.

 

[Mottie]

The babys bed is not under any tanks?

Andy

No. That’s first thing I asked him Andy. The water is coming out on the landing, probably 15ft away from baby bed. Anyway, I’ve told him to turn the boiler off to be on the safe side.

 

[HERTS P&D]

I'm going for a partial blockage in the pipework, with the temperature turned up on the boiler it started pumping over.

Andy

 

[Bodgedbuild]

Years ago, I had a similar failure when my old Parkray fire had its flue control stuck open, the expansion tank in the loft melted and dumped boiling water inside the loft. Luckily it was lathe and plaster so it just leaked slowly, it didn't cave in..... Be absolutely sure that the tank in the loft is not thermoplastic and that the system is checked for design as well as function...maybe show the Landlord these two articles...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...scalded-baby-girl-death-known-unreliable.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1434588/Woman-killed-by-boiling-water-pouring-on-to-bed.html

 

[Mottie]

My son is going to tell the bloke to hold off with the flush until he can test it with the boiler turned down which won’t be until tomorrow afternoon as he is on a 6-2 shift tomorrow. Lucky he was as that’s why he found the leak at 5.00 this morning when he got up. He doesn’t want the floors ripped up unnecessarily.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would still bring that Baby out from upstairs until this issue has been solved, or switch the boiler OFF overnight. With the possibility of boiling hot water being spilled in the loft, is it worth the risk? You dont know where it might run to and start coming through the ceiling.

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Further info: My son tells me the bloke removed the F&E tank, took it outside to do something with it and broke something on it so he had to go away and get another one.

I’m confused slightly

The plumber didn’t go upstairs at any time (hot water cylinder is in cupboard on landing).

 

[Deleted member 267285]

Also tell him to make sure immersion heater isn’t/hasn’t been left on.