Hot/cold water electric pump problem

mcwhirter

To all the plumbers out there...

The electric pump in the hotpress which is used for hot and cold water is intermittent with hot water only. When switching on cold tap the pump stays on until turning tap off. When turning on hot tap, pump cuts in and out every few seconds. At times during the day the pump will not cut in at all with both hot and cold.

We had a plumber look at it, he replaced the air cylinder that fits on top of pump as the original was full of water. Also he removed lots of bits of plastic which are from the cold water storage tank in the loft. The bits seem to from drilling holes into tank when the original plumbers were installing heating system. The house is second hand so do not know who installed it.

Since then it worked fine for 1 day, now it is doing as before. The plumber originally said that the pipes may need cleaning out and is a big job.

Could it be something else?

Joey the lips

It could be the flow switch in the hoses. If you switch them around so hot pumps cold and cold pumps hot this will confirm it...

Provided the problem transferes if you get me.

If this proves to be the case then its just a matter of trying to unstick the flow switch or replace it.

mcwhirter

Joey the lips wrote: »

It could be the flow switch in the hoses. If you switch them around so hot pumps cold and cold pumps hot this will confirm it...

Provided the problem transferes if you get me.

If this proves to be the case then its just a matter of trying to unstick the flow switch or replace it.

Are the flow switches, black clips that go around the outside of the hot and cold pipes with an electric cable attached to them?

Joey the lips

mcwhirter wrote: »

Are the flow switches, black clips that go around the outside of the hot and cold pipes with an electric cable attached to them?

No that sounds like earth cables..

mcwhirter

Joey the lips wrote: »

No that sounds like earth cables..

There are regular earth connections in the yellow/black colour cable but these black circular clips go around the hot and cold pipe from the pump and have an electrical lead to the connection box on top of the pump.

Where are the flow switches?

Joey the lips

mcwhirter wrote: »

There are regular earth connections in the yellow/black colour cable but these black circular clips go around the hot and cold pipe from the pump and have an electrical lead to the connection box on top of the pump.

Where are the flow switches?

Can you take pictures.

mcwhirter

Joey the lips wrote: »

Can you take pictures.

Please see pictures, thanks

mcwhirter

I applied magnet to flow switches.

On cold pipe , the motor stayed on until removing magnet.
On hot pipe, the motor was intermittent and turned off after a couple of seconds and then came on only when reapplying magnet.

Is that a faulty flow switch then?