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  1. Sparkgap

    pump capacitor problem

    Single phase induction motors require a capacitor to start or start/run depending on motor type. For most, the capacitor is there to energise a second winding in the motor to produce a rotating magnetic field and hence turn the motor. If the capacitor is breaking down you won't get the rotating...
  2. Sparkgap

    Buffer Tanks - 2 or 4 port connections

    Looks like an existing block, so probably insulation not all that great. Also what size of flats there are. Just looking at heat demands and HIUs for some new 1-2 bed flats at the moment, which are working out at between 3-5.5kW each for heating. Hot water loading for HIUs is about 35-40kW...
  3. Sparkgap

    Oil tank fire protection

    Put a tank in at a school, against a brick wall under a window. Only requirement was to change the glass up to georgian wired. Depends on what the tank is against and how far. Have also used bunded plastic tanks with integral 30 or 60 minute fireproofing.
  4. Sparkgap

    oil tank level gauge

    That looks like an overfill prevention device! When the oil reaches the float it blocks the inlet and stops more being put in.
  5. Sparkgap

    Buffer Tanks - 2 or 4 port connections

    Some funny figures there. Heat loss from 5" pipe will depend on the type of insulation and temperature difference, but digging out my trusty *** packet I'd guess about 35-40W/m heat loss per pipe assuming 40mm insulation thickness. As for the loadings, heat losses give you 1992kW (8kW x 249)...
  6. Sparkgap

    Buffer Tanks - 2 or 4 port connections

    Course they haven't! That takes time and money!! :tongue3: Even just for heating they're 200kW light, then take into account a proportion of them running a bath/shower/sink at once when Coronation Street finishes and I reckon it's going to get a bit parky!
  7. Sparkgap

    Cannot stop slow leak...

    Looks like 1/2" iron to 15mm comp copper fitting bedded right into the cast brass. I'd go with not having enough PTFE if it's dripping from that part. Compression side shouldn't leak if done right. Could possibly be a split in the cast fitting, not unknown. Have you checked that?
  8. Sparkgap

    Buffer Tanks - 2 or 4 port connections

    It might be possible to design out a buffer tank, but in most cases they are required to provide a heat sink due to the slow response of biomass boilers. The first school I put biomass in had a system designed by a 'professional' biomass company and no buffer. Problems galore! Next they put in a...
  9. Sparkgap

    central heating not working downstairs

    Depends how your system's arranged but could be crud or something blocking flow or return to ground floor. Have you tried putting in some cleaner?
  10. Sparkgap

    Boiler controls ??

    Depends what else they might have. Trouble with a single stat is finding the right place to put it, too cold a room and the heating's on for longer than it needs, too hot and the rest of the place gets cold once that room is satisfied. Did the boilers concerned have rads with TRVs? or even...
  11. Sparkgap

    Washing machine struggles to drain

    Is this the 1" hose you usually get off the machine? Could be 4m is too much back pressure for the pump. Suggest extending the waste from under the sink in 40mm with a trap and stub stack beside the machine (done the same with mine when I moved it into another room) so all the pump has to do is...
  12. Sparkgap

    Ghostly clock

    Have also had that suggested elsewhere, but having originally wired the place the only electric anywhere near it is an emergency light about a foot below it and you don't get a lot of magnetic field off low current mains wiring! I would add that the previous clock in the same place had no...
  13. Sparkgap

    water flow regs?

    Why bring in more unenforceable laws? If you want instant hot water at high flow rates you have to put in some serious boiler power, something like the Andrews Fastflo or Rinnai Infinity, which means bigger gas supply etc. Combis are great for smaller properties but if you've got a family and...
  14. Sparkgap

    Ghostly clock

    Interesting little problem: local scout hall has a clock on the wall, Smiths quartz same as what goes in schools. Has a problem keeping time, in fact it was so far behind that I replaced the battery three days ago and in the next 90 mins it lost a quarter hour. Took it home and left it in the...
  15. Sparkgap

    Waste issue

    Why two traps? Just take the connection from the waste unit straight into the other tee and do away with the trap and pipework which must be full all the time!
  16. Sparkgap

    underfloor heating not working upstairs

    As I said, check if it's getting a supply first or you could end up changing it and still not working.
  17. Sparkgap

    Martinplumber

    Back of a *** packet calc: typical HWS pump about 20W, therefore running 24/7/365 uses about £27 of electric at 15p/kWh. If you add in 1" insulated pipe for 50m at about 10W/m losing heat from the GSHP at about 4.3p/kWh it loses about £190 worth of heat in that time. Obviously if you only have...
  18. Sparkgap

    Martinplumber

    Hot water circulation and pressure: if you're running an unvented system a circulating pump will make virtually no difference to balanced pressures for showers. Usual unvented pressures are about 20-30m head equivalent while a typical HW circulating pump may generate 0.3-0.6m so any pressure...
  19. Sparkgap

    Oil tank pump

    Or you could use a vacuum cleaner! Got a number of steam engines which needed oil removing from sumps as they'd become contaminated with water, friend knocked up a collector using an old milk churn and two pieces of 1" pipe. One through the lid for a couple inches, the other through the lid down...
  20. Sparkgap

    things that go bump in the night

    Is there a pump overrun? Could it be localised boiling when pump shuts off?

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