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Paloma water heater leaking from bottom


OliveOyl

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8 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Fixed a few of these, usually its the pipework on the heat exchanger in the top right that splits. I patch with a piece of split open copper pipe secured by wrapping with copper wire around the split pipe and solder it all together. A decent plumber would be able to do this. Worth you taking the case off and having a look to see where it is leaking from.

You don't need to be Gas Safe registered as you are not opening any gas chambers or pipes.

I'm not a million miles from you in Middlewich.

I fitted a brand new one years ago and left it a couple of days or so one very cold winter without thinking about it on the peak forest canal. On return it had bloomin split with frost damage at the top. I bought a tube of Liquid metal as it was then called and blobbed some on and it was fine and dandy from then on. The stuff that ya mixed two tubes together the stuff and the hardner and it sure did work.

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20 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

Thank you Richard, this certainly looks worth following up.

19 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

Fixed a few of these, usually its the pipework on the heat exchanger in the top right that splits. I patch with a piece of split open copper pipe secured by wrapping with copper wire around the split pipe and solder it all together. A decent plumber would be able to do this. Worth you taking the case off and having a look to see where it is leaking from.

You don't need to be Gas Safe registered as you are not opening any gas chambers or pipes.

I'm not a million miles from you in Middlewich.

Brilliant Sam, thank you. I will go and have a look tomorrow - is it easy to take the front off?

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5 minutes ago, Boater Sam said:

From memory, and that's not so good now, there are screws behind the knob which pulls off and the case hooks on the top. There may be more advice from here soon.

I'll take my laptop with me tomorrow and once I know which model I've got, I'll google the manual and see if i can do it

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Our paloma has a couple of plastic thumb screws in the side, near the bottom. You pull off the two plastic knobs at the front and lift off from the lip. 

I know mine has a small screw- like plastic knob on it's right (i.e. my left when looking at it) When you say 'pull off plastic knobs' do you mean the two dials on the front of the heater???

Edited by OliveOyl
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2 minutes ago, OliveOyl said:

I'll take my laptop with me tomorrow and once I know which model I've got, I'll google the manual and see if i can do it

I know mine has a small scre- like plastic knob on it's right (i.e. my left when looking at it) When you say 'pull off plastic knobs' do you mean the two dials on the front of the heater???

Yep. Ours is a paloma ph5 3f, i think 

google.com-1.jpg

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The old type had two big knobs and a red band around the casing. Later types were squarer with two small knobs towards the right hand side, the casing on these is held by one screw underneath at the bottom and then lifts off from slots at the topsides.

Just now, rusty69 said:

Yep. Ours is a paloma ph5 3f, i think 

google.com-1.jpg

Old type.

Later type PH-5LFE.

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Dead easily fixed with a bit of solder i have also repaired more than a few ... i tend to tap the split back, solder it up, then open up a 15mm straight joint along its length and wrap it around the damaged pipe then solder it in place ... if you get stuck feel free to give me a shout i am just down the road.

Rick

Edited by dccruiser
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It is a Paloma PH-5 and, thanks to folk on here, I managed to remove the front this afternoon and locate the leak. I am uploading a photo of the front and a close-up of where the leak actually is. If you look at photo 2 and to the left of the pipe that is in the centre, there is a shiny silver bit just left of centre, which has a silver bolt/screw going from right to left at the top and bottom of it. Water sprays out from the exact middle of this piece of silvery metal where it meets a same-size, darker piece of metal (hope this makes sense!).

gasket 153.JPG

gasket 154.JPG

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1 minute ago, OliveOyl said:

It is a Paloma PH-5 and, thanks to folk on here, I managed to remove the front this afternoon and locate the leak. I am uploading a photo of the front and a close-up of where the leak actually is. If you look at photo 2 and to the left of the pipe that is in the centre, there is a shiny silver bit just left of centre, which has a silver bolt/screw going from right to left at the top and bottom of it. Water sprays out from the exact middle of this piece of silvery metal where it meets a same-size, darker piece of metal (hope this makes sense!).

gasket 153.JPG

gasket 154.JPG

Looks like its just the gasket thats failed then ... not a difficult repair 

Rick 

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Just now, OliveOyl said:

It is a Paloma PH-5 and, thanks to folk on here, I managed to remove the front this afternoon and locate the leak. I am uploading a photo of the front and a close-up of where the leak actually is. If you look at photo 2 and to the left of the pipe that is in the centre, there is a shiny silver bit just left of centre, which has a silver bolt/screw going from right to left at the top and bottom of it. Water sprays out from the exact middle of this piece of silvery metal where it meets a same-size, darker piece of metal (hope this makes sense!).

gasket 153.JPG

gasket 154.JPG

PS The first photo actually looks clearer now I've uploaded it. Water sprays out from between the silver and dark metal bit, about one and a quarter inches (on this photo) below the top silver screw.

2 minutes ago, dccruiser said:

Looks like its just the gasket thats failed then ... not a difficult repair 

Rick 

Thanks Rick - any idea what spare part I should ask for because trying to explain what it is and where, is quite difficult?

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Its really clear to see ... just needs stripping and both faces cleaning then a new gasket making out of gasket paper or a hight temperature instant gasket to make the joint ... as i said if you get stuck i am not too far away 

Rick 

 

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3 minutes ago, OliveOyl said:

I don't know what - or where - my drain plug is I'm afraid!

Think it is on bottom right of your top pic, but clearly not the problem.

ETA.used for draining it down for maintenance or Winter to prevent freezing.

Edited by rusty69
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6 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I'm not sure it has one.Just asking. 

OK thanks.

 

 

Right you amazing people, next question - is it enough to just turn off the water pump switch on my fuse board ( as I have done) or do I need to turn anything else off before I dismantle anything further please? (I had a look at my actual water pump today and took pics in case).

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That is the position that these types (not just Paloma) water heater fail - I have had several that freeze up at almost the slightest frost - it is not a seal / gasket that goes it is the unit itself. The water freezes and expands and warps / twists the soft metal housing, when it thaws out it leaks - there is no repair its a replacement part (if the pares for that model are still available) or a new boiler.

 

The part is called the "water control assembly" and for a Morco boiler is about £60.

 

In fact - looking at the photo I think that you can see the 'split' line where it has cracked, and the top half of the 'silver' part is slightly displaced to the right when compared to the bottom half.

 

I'm afraid its dead, deceased, defunct, ut has passed, it is no more, it is pushing up the daisies and has shuffled of its mortal coil.

 

 

 
Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

That is the position that these types (not just Paloma) water heater fail - I have had several that freeze up at almost the slightest frost - it is not a seal / gasket that goes it is the unit itself. The water freezes and expands and warps / twists the soft metal housing, when it thaws out it leaks - there is no repair its a replacement part (if the pares for that model are still available) or a new boiler.

 

The part is called the "water control assembly" and for a Morco boiler is about £60.

 

 

 

Oh dear! That sounds much worse and more expensive than a gasket??? How can you tell which it is?

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3 minutes ago, OliveOyl said:

Oh dear! That sounds much worse and more expensive than a gasket??? How can you tell which it is?

Have a look at the 'silver part' where it touches (is bolted to) the 'darker part'. There appears to be a crack just below the top bolt, and another about half way down, the one half way down looks to have an old soldered repair - the one near the top looks to be the one ejecting the water.

You will need to disassemble it, place the part flat down on a sheet of glass, if it does not touch completely all around then it is not flat and is warped - no gasket or seal will take up the warp.

Once you have taken it apart you may find it falls into pieces (along the cracks) which will also tell you everything you need to know.

 

(Hope I'm wrong)

Sorry.

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