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Calorifier/water tank - what's is going on?


JRT

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I'd very much appreciate some help. I have just bought myself a narrowboat and have been on it for week. Everything seems fine and I'm very pleased with my purchase. However, there is one thing, which may or may not be a problem, that is puzzling me. From the calorifier/water tank in the engine bay is a hose leading to a suspended container which filled with clear water and overflowed into the bilge over a couple of days. I emptied the container yesterday and there was an inch of water in the container again this morning. 

 

I have no idea of what is going on and I was hoping someone does. In case it helps I have a gas fired boiler and central heating. I've attached photographs (ignore the Fertan)

cal1.jpg

cal2.jpg

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Best guess its from the pressure release valve. As the water heats the expansion has to go somewhere .  If there is no expansion vessel on the hoy pipes or accumulator on the cold feed from the pump  ( and no non return valve on the calorifier cold inlet )  it will force the valve to dump.

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It looks to me like the green pipe is from the pressure relief valve. The valve blows off when the water expands on heating up. If you can get to it, turn the knob on it to clear any scale that might be stopping it seating.

Edited by Flyboy
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The PRV is either faulty or pressure is to low for the system, check the water pump pressure and the PRV pressure the PRV should be higher than the water pump.

The outlet from the PRV should also be routed overboard through a skin fitting, saves water in the bilges. ?

Edited by Loddon
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2 hours ago, Loddon said:

The PRV is either faulty or pressure is to low for the system, check the water pump pressure and the PRV pressure the PRV should be higher than the water pump.

The outlet from the PRV should also be routed overboard through a skin fitting, saves water in the bilges. ?

 

Or - which to me is more sensible - route the pipe into a large container (as many folks do). If it fills up 'quickly' then tweak the prv - as mentioned above to hopefully clear the crud.

 

Boats are not like modern cars, in that it's quite important to do regular checks  (engine oil, coolant water, bilges, fresh water tank, batteries et al, et al (that's latin)). Yesterdays's technology needs yesterdays maintenance. Do it while thye Boli's hot bulb is heating up.....  

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Before you start 'tweaking' the PRV hourly/daily, make sure your expansion vessel is set at a pressure that allows expansion. If it has no pressure or a failed diaphragm, then it will not cater for any expansion and the PRV will constantly leak when water is heated. Unnecessary operation of the PRV will cause premature failure. It is also worth getting a spare valve to replace the PRV. They cost peanuts from a plumbers merchants, and for less than a tenner, you can get one with a pressure gauge which takes all the guesswork out fault diagnosis.

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5 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

Before you start 'tweaking' the PRV hourly/daily, make sure your expansion vessel is set at a pressure that allows expansion. If it has no pressure or a failed diaphragm, then it will not cater for any expansion and the PRV will constantly leak when water is heated. Unnecessary operation of the PRV will cause premature failure. It is also worth getting a spare valve to replace the PRV. They cost peanuts from a plumbers merchants, and for less than a tenner, you can get one with a pressure gauge which takes all the guesswork out fault diagnosis.

I don't see an expansion vessel in the op's pictures, I doubt that he has one.

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1 minute ago, Flyboy said:

I don't see an expansion vessel in the op's pictures, I doubt that he has one.

We may never know............................................................................................................................................................................................................

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1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

 

Or - which to me is more sensible - route the pipe into a large container (as many folks do). If it fills up 'quickly' then tweak the prv - as mentioned above to hopefully clear the crud.

 

Boats are not like modern cars, in that it's quite important to do regular checks  (engine oil, coolant water, bilges, fresh water tank, batteries et al, et al (that's latin)). Yesterdays's technology needs yesterdays maintenance. Do it while thye Boli's hot bulb is heating up.....  

 

I agree, a simple and effective way of keeping an eye on the PRV. However, if there is no expansion vessel it may be better for the calorifier to fit one and then he may not need to empty the container very often.

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Thanks for all your advice folks. All is much appreciated and I've clearly some investigating to do. Engine maintenance I can do, I can even do some basic electrickory but plumbing I hate even on land!

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