PRV Valve

[WotEver]

6 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Where does he say this?

 

As far as I can see, his proposal was one pump swap, and keep the old one for spares.  We don't know hiw old the original was, I think, but resumably it had asted long enough to not be a warranty  claim.  If any pump had only lasted a few weeks, I;d be insisting on my money back.

Ahh yes, I read ‘so I replaced it’ as ‘it’ being the pump but it wasn’t, it was the PRV.

 

Okay, so two pumps in as many weeks...

[alan_fincher]

1 minute ago, WotEver said:

Okay, so two pumps in as many weeks...

However that may also be 2 pumps in 5 years!

 

For balance, I have over the years had to replace pumps, but never yet for a pressure switch failure.

[WotEver]

Just now, alan_fincher said:

For balance, I have over the years had to replace pumps, but never yet for a pressure switch failure.

But in this instance we knew that it was a pressure switch failure. So the better fix would have been a new switch which would also serve for any future pump. 

 

Oh, my car has a flat tyre. I’d better buy a new car. 

[alan_fincher]

7 minutes ago, WotEver said:

But in this instance we knew that it was a pressure switch failure. So the better fix would have been a new switch which would also serve for any future pump. 

 

Oh, my car has a flat tyre. I’d better buy a new car. 

Fair comment, but I think Tony's point comes into play.

Unless OP is happy to do all the work required for that fix himself, the option he has gone for may well be the cheapest and/or easiest.

The nearest boat engineer I know to where I live charges very handsomely for an hours labour, and will not invoice anything less than an hour.  By the time the bits have been bought and fitted, I can well see it costing more than just swapping a pump yourself.  The latter as has the benefit of easier logistics and no delay.

[MtB]

13 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

However that may also be 2 pumps in 5 years!

 

For balance, I have over the years had to replace pumps, but never yet for a pressure switch failure.

 

I have. 

 

Pump failures in my experience are pressure switch failure, and leaks. The OP is relatively inexperienced with boats I suspect. Once they get to a dozen or so years of boat ownership they will have replaced a few and be getting weary of it, and begin to look for ways to extend the life of them. Like the separate pressure switch. 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I have. 

 

Pump failures in my experience are pressure switch failure, and leaks. The OP is relatively inexperienced with boats I suspect. Once they get to a dozen or so years of boat ownership they will have replaced a few and be getting weary of it, and begin to look for ways to extend the life of them. Like the separate pressure switch. 

Same here, although more often a leaking pump.After the first failed microswitch and subsequent replacement (Maplin 2 quid), I installed a square d switch (thanks Tony B).

[MtB]

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Same here, although more often a leaking pump.After the first failed microswitch and subsequent replacement (Maplin 2 quid), I installed a square d switch (thanks Tony B).

 

On the other hand, once a pump starts to leak, bin it. I've repaired several leaking pumps by re-making the leaking joint where the cover fits over the valves but the leak always returns after a few weeks. 

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

On the other hand, once a pump starts to leak, bin it. I've repaired several leaking pumps by re-making the leaking joint where the cover fits over the valves but the leak always returns after a few weeks. 

Same here....again.Looks like we were on the same learning curve.Though my bodges must have been better than yours cos they would always last another 6 months before leaking again

[MtB]

30 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Same here....again.Looks like we were on the same learning curve.Though my bodges must have been better than yours cos they would always last another 6 months before leaking again

 

True. 

 

I'm terrible at bodging, I just don't do it often enough to get much practice at it.  

[rusty69]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

True. 

 

I'm terrible at bodging, I just don't do it often enough to get much practice at it.  

Wot! So you are saying I do a load of bodges....That is OUTRAGEOUS....................................................BUT PROBABLY TRUE.

[MtB]

Bodgery gets a bad name but in my opinion, it is one of the most creative aspects to fixing stuff.

 

The problem is, the bodgist sometimes fails to accurately imagine the consequences of his 'creativity' so the bodge fails. A really well-planned and executed bodge is almost indistinguishable from a proper repair to the layman, although a service technician for the installation being bodged up would still recognise it as such.  

 

[WotEver]

34 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

... a service technician for the installation being bodged up would still recognise it as such.  

Like the welder who discovers the car’s sills are filled with concrete? (I knew a guy who did that just prior to selling his 1100.) 

[Chewbacka]

2 hours ago, WotEver said:

Like the welder who discovers the car’s sills are filled with concrete? (I knew a guy who did that just prior to selling his 1100.) 

Which is why when I was a lad you would take a magnet with you when buying old cars.

[wullie]

On 19/11/2018 at 08:00, alan_fincher said:

 

Where does he say this?

 

As far as I can see, his proposal was one pump swap, and keep the old one for spares.  We don't know hiw old the original was, I think, but resumably it had asted long enough to not be a warranty  claim.  If any pump had only lasted a few weeks, I;d be insisting on my money back.

Yes Alan, bought boat 2 years ago, don't know history of pump, was cheap and easy to change PRV first, then when this didn't work i  thought that it could only be the pump, and as for fitting a new remote electric PRV it was quicker and easier to fit new pump, if not cheeper. Any way thanks for your advice,as far as I'm concerned we ask for advice and follow the best solution to remedy the problem, i always appreciate all answers to my questions, I'm sorry if I've offended Whatever but we all take advice and make decision to act on it or not.

[Flyboy]

8 hours ago, wullie said:

Yes Alan, bought boat 2 years ago, don't know history of pump, was cheap and easy to change PRV first, then when this didn't work i  thought that it could only be the pump, and as for fitting a new remote electric PRV it was quicker and easier to fit new pump, if not cheeper. Any way thanks for your advice,as far as I'm concerned we ask for advice and follow the best solution to remedy the problem, i always appreciate all answers to my questions, I'm sorry if I've offended Whatever but we all take advice and make decision to act on it or not.

 The advice to fit a Square D pressure switch is good. A cheaper alternative would be to fit a car type relay for a couple of quid . This will reduce the load on the pump micro switch . It's easy to do as long as you can access the wiring to the existing pump pressure switch.

[blackrose]

On 18/11/2018 at 23:45, WotEver said:

Odd how some folk ask for advice and then ignore it...

Not really, it's fairly common (and often reasonable) in all areas of life, to ask for advice but in the end to make up one's own mind. It may seem odd to the advice giver, but the person who's actually dealing with the issue usually has their own reasons.

[Tony Brooks]

35 minutes ago, Flyboy said:

 The advice to fit a Square D pressure switch is good. A cheaper alternative would be to fit a car type relay for a couple of quid . This will reduce the load on the pump micro switch . It's easy to do as long as you can access the wiring to the existing pump pressure switch.

Agreed but just a relay would not solve problems related to scale in the switch diaphragm chamber or port or hardening of the diaphragm.

[pearley]

On 14/11/2018 at 09:59, alan_fincher said:

A great deal of research not required.

At BES, for example.

Edited to add:

I've also encountered 4 bar ones in boats, such as this Midland Chandlers offering

 

Whilst that might get around a problem of letting by because of "too high pump pressure", I wouldn't recommend it because it sounds too close to what many marine calorifiers are rated and/or tested at.

Our new Surecal calorifier came with a 4 bar PRV prefitted. I reached it with a 3 bar one. 

[Flyboy]

24 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Agreed but just a relay would not solve problems related to scale in the switch diaphragm chamber or port or hardening of the diaphragm.

Agreed, but surely the same would apply to a Square D pressure switch.

[Tony Brooks]

6 minutes ago, Flyboy said:

Agreed, but surely the same would apply to a Square D pressure switch.

They do not seem to be suffer that sort of problem in the same way. I think the hole into the diaphragm chamber is much larger so is unlikely to block and the diaphragm may be made of a different material. Also as its normally mounted vertically there is a good argument that water will never get at the diaphragm because the water will compress the air in the chamber (like an accumulator) and the compressed air will push the diaphragm. I also think the diaphragm is larger than the onesin the pump.

[Flyboy]

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

They do not seem to be suffer that sort of problem in the same way. I think the hole into the diaphragm chamber is much larger so is unlikely to block and the diaphragm may be made of a different material. Also as its normally mounted vertically there is a good argument that water will never get at the diaphragm because the water will compress the air in the chamber (like an accumulator) and the compressed air will push the diaphragm. I also think the diaphragm is larger than the onesin the pump.

Thanks for the clear explanation, I never seen the internals of a Square D.

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, Flyboy said:

Thanks for the clear explanation, I never seen the internals of a Square D.

The diaphragm chamber is normally riveted onto the bottom of the case with the inlet as part of the housing. The springs are proper compression springs so require much more force than the springs used in the micro switches. Two springs and two adjustments, one for cut in and one for cut out. Usually double pole contacts so for water pump use you can use one pair and keep the others unused as a spare or use both in parallel to lighten the load on each.

[Ex Brummie]

On ‎14‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 10:23, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Well I never, thanks!

 

Every day is a skool day. In my whole career I've yet to encounter a 2.5bar PRV. I bet they don't sell many! Any idea what appliance it is intended for? 

 

 

Every Grant oil boiler comes with 2.5 bar PRV.