hey guys i after some help with an issue pertaining to a 'hydro spartan' cylinder in a flat.
was called to the property about 8 mnths back to replace a leaking pump valve, when i noticed this i was cautious as i had a distinct feeling it was similar to a 'primatic' principle unit.
realised it was a cheap way back in the 70's it was a cheap way of saving time & money when there were flats which would require header tanks & associated pipe-work etc
now i closed of the cylinder cold feed & drained the system down replaced the pump valves refilled all working ok, great all rads getting hot & hot water doing ok too.
8mnths on I get a call from the same customer complaining no rads working or hot water!!
Now armed with the info from before i took a new heating pump i had in the garage but knew it wasnt really going to be that which was the problem!!
arrived changed pump turned system back on same issue, tried everything in my armoury of nearly 40 years in the trade.
drained system all filled up ok no probs tried running through the cylinder circuit as it was the shortest route to the back boiler no circulation, started to think possible partial blockage on primary return especially due to age of system, or possible distributor tube on boiler return.removed & cleaned out auto air vent on hot water circuit as i thought possible air stopping circulation, re filled circuit fingers crossed, zip!!
noticed 3/8" bent auto airvent on the hydro spartan thinking that was partially blocked which in esscence would be making a vacuum in the system therfore not allowing any circulation.when i opened up drain off on heating return & let it run i was getting a flow through the cylinder? It was looking like a possible blockage I thought on boiler return...!!
what i then did was shut off one of the pump valves gatevalve which had been fitted on the heating flow below the 3 way valve so the only flow would be backwards through the bolier return kinda like a contra flow but on the boiler so i could try & rule out the return on the boiler being blocked with in a few secs i could feel circulation taking place which seemed to rule out blockage on the boiler return.
now i had looked on the net for some info about the unit before & understand the principle of how the unit works no moving parts etc but i came across a post on another forum albeit 2007 from a guy who worked for the company for 16 years who explained the workings of the unit but to check the auto airvent that sits in the bottom chamber of the hydro spartan, now due to the accessibility of the aav i was able to loosen the lid so as to allow possible trapped air in the hope by doing that i would get circulation to the rads & hot water, low & behold yes there was some which got my confidence going that it may of been an air issue all along.
All the air out which wasnt a great deal, turned system on again nothing same as before.
Now i hear you all thinking rip it out & put a f/e tank in etc open vent & cold feed job done, hmmm problem is the a/c sits in the middle of the flat the water main rises in the kitchen no proper route either for an o/f to be taken to outside apart from running all round the houses etc, so by now I'm at the end of my tether, i am wary of power flushing the system due to the fact of the hydro spartan.
bestthing to do is strip out & combi in as only small flat one bed 6 rads electric shower, so only hot water used is by basin & sink unit, mentioned to them about having combi fitted & the same answer comes back we cant afford it, so here i am now with a system i cant get working & i'm pretty sure its to do with the spartan unit, & i dont want to waste the customers hard earnt money at 2nd guessing the problem.
Now some posts ive read on here say its down to the cylinder being primatic, in which case you wouldnt need the spartan unit !!! otherwise you would have in escence 2 primatic units the cylinder & the hydro spartan unit.
So to wrap this up i have a hydro spartan unit c/w BBU running fully pumped system 3 way motorized valve y plan 6 rads & cylinder cyl stat room stat programmer,with no circulation which gives the impression its a pump prob!!! changed that checked everything else, but i cant help thinking its the hydro spartan unit which is causing the fault.
The annoying thing is i cant find anywhere any diagrams schematics etc of the workings of it although as i mentioned earlier i do understand the working principle but i want to rule out any issues which i might be missing which maybe staring me in the face !!!
I apprciate all your help on this matter & yes i know it needs ripping out however i cant do that, if it was all leaking etc i would but it isnt thats the bizarre prob just no circulation 'possible sludge but i think i would get some circulation at least....
Sorry for the long post
all comments gladly received
was called to the property about 8 mnths back to replace a leaking pump valve, when i noticed this i was cautious as i had a distinct feeling it was similar to a 'primatic' principle unit.
realised it was a cheap way back in the 70's it was a cheap way of saving time & money when there were flats which would require header tanks & associated pipe-work etc
now i closed of the cylinder cold feed & drained the system down replaced the pump valves refilled all working ok, great all rads getting hot & hot water doing ok too.
8mnths on I get a call from the same customer complaining no rads working or hot water!!
Now armed with the info from before i took a new heating pump i had in the garage but knew it wasnt really going to be that which was the problem!!
arrived changed pump turned system back on same issue, tried everything in my armoury of nearly 40 years in the trade.
drained system all filled up ok no probs tried running through the cylinder circuit as it was the shortest route to the back boiler no circulation, started to think possible partial blockage on primary return especially due to age of system, or possible distributor tube on boiler return.removed & cleaned out auto air vent on hot water circuit as i thought possible air stopping circulation, re filled circuit fingers crossed, zip!!
noticed 3/8" bent auto airvent on the hydro spartan thinking that was partially blocked which in esscence would be making a vacuum in the system therfore not allowing any circulation.when i opened up drain off on heating return & let it run i was getting a flow through the cylinder? It was looking like a possible blockage I thought on boiler return...!!
what i then did was shut off one of the pump valves gatevalve which had been fitted on the heating flow below the 3 way valve so the only flow would be backwards through the bolier return kinda like a contra flow but on the boiler so i could try & rule out the return on the boiler being blocked with in a few secs i could feel circulation taking place which seemed to rule out blockage on the boiler return.
now i had looked on the net for some info about the unit before & understand the principle of how the unit works no moving parts etc but i came across a post on another forum albeit 2007 from a guy who worked for the company for 16 years who explained the workings of the unit but to check the auto airvent that sits in the bottom chamber of the hydro spartan, now due to the accessibility of the aav i was able to loosen the lid so as to allow possible trapped air in the hope by doing that i would get circulation to the rads & hot water, low & behold yes there was some which got my confidence going that it may of been an air issue all along.
All the air out which wasnt a great deal, turned system on again nothing same as before.
Now i hear you all thinking rip it out & put a f/e tank in etc open vent & cold feed job done, hmmm problem is the a/c sits in the middle of the flat the water main rises in the kitchen no proper route either for an o/f to be taken to outside apart from running all round the houses etc, so by now I'm at the end of my tether, i am wary of power flushing the system due to the fact of the hydro spartan.
bestthing to do is strip out & combi in as only small flat one bed 6 rads electric shower, so only hot water used is by basin & sink unit, mentioned to them about having combi fitted & the same answer comes back we cant afford it, so here i am now with a system i cant get working & i'm pretty sure its to do with the spartan unit, & i dont want to waste the customers hard earnt money at 2nd guessing the problem.
Now some posts ive read on here say its down to the cylinder being primatic, in which case you wouldnt need the spartan unit !!! otherwise you would have in escence 2 primatic units the cylinder & the hydro spartan unit.
So to wrap this up i have a hydro spartan unit c/w BBU running fully pumped system 3 way motorized valve y plan 6 rads & cylinder cyl stat room stat programmer,with no circulation which gives the impression its a pump prob!!! changed that checked everything else, but i cant help thinking its the hydro spartan unit which is causing the fault.
The annoying thing is i cant find anywhere any diagrams schematics etc of the workings of it although as i mentioned earlier i do understand the working principle but i want to rule out any issues which i might be missing which maybe staring me in the face !!!
I apprciate all your help on this matter & yes i know it needs ripping out however i cant do that, if it was all leaking etc i would but it isnt thats the bizarre prob just no circulation 'possible sludge but i think i would get some circulation at least....
Sorry for the long post
all comments gladly received
