Bl**dy heating's just packed up

I'm pretty sure it's the pump as when I take the chrome plug out of the
centre to see if the shaft turns, water dribbles out and I'm sure there
shouldn't be any water in there.
Any heating engineers like to confirm this ?

I aint no heating engineer but you should check your motorized valves are opening. Some of the have a manual lever on the side that you can use to overide the valve and the pump will come on. It might still be the pump mind you but try it and see first. You could wire the pump to a plug top and plug it in the wall to see if it works as well (it is 240 v is'nt it??). Or it could be the boiler stats gone or the boilers overheated or any number of other things. But check the valves first it's simple (if you can get at them).

Good idea about wring pump up, I just saw the water and reached a
decision. Will try in the morning.

It all kicks into life ok, fires up and burns for 20 seconds or so then cuts off.
All the internal pipework is red hot but outlet ones cold. As far as I can
see looking in the service book and the boiler itself, there are no motorised valves.
It's a Worcester 240 combi.

Don't forget to check your thermostats (pipe, boiler and room) as these are a good source of problems. I would however lean toward the motorised valve. These usually have a lever on them so you can open them manually and check operation.

hi mate water should dribble out of the center plug when removed its used as a bleed screw for your pump
hope this helps

you should be able to see the pump shaft rotating when the boiler is running with the center screw removed if not check the voltage on the pump at the connections

Hi All

Okay, i had a problem like this a few weeks ago,
Boiler runs for a min or so, then cuts out and needs resetting, you could hear the water in there boiling just before it cut out.
Pump had been noisy but i thought it was a boiler fault.
rang ad in free paper, plumber came out, and confirmed my thoughts, and charged my £140 to put a new pump in (bastard) later found out price of pumps were £40, he was there 35 mins, now thats what i call an hourly rate.

It sounds like same problem,
change pump, mines been okay since.

HTH
Mitch

[Edited on 20/3/06 by mitch2b]

Can you spin the pump with the screw head in the end of the centre spindle while it's switched on, they sometimes just stick and need restarting. If not there should be isolator valves either side of the pump so you can change it easily without a drain down.

funnily enough mine packed in last week. it truned out to be the motorised valve; showed same symptons oas yours; heating would start, run for a very short time but not heat to radiators. did have hot water though.

got british gas engineer to come and fix it - cost £ 134 - a fixed price deal; inclues call out, 1 part and labour.

Does it give you hot water?

I had a motor go on a honeywell motorised valve a couple weeks ago. £15 and about 15 minutes to fit, perhaps I should think of a career change

Andy

Thanks to all who made some very useful comments, it now seems to be ok.

Wadders, nope, no hot water either
Omega, wired pump up, nowt.
Rash/Petef, took end off, stationary, gave it a tweak with the old screwy, turned it back on and yippee !!

Just evicted the last monkey with his brazing torch

Thanks again all.

[Edited on 20/3/06 by NigeEss]

well done