Domestic water pump advice please - Page 2

Hi Jim, thanks for replying! The deposito is probably around 500 lt. Whilst we appreciate your suggestion, the logistics and cost of this, done retrospectively, would be prohibitive we think. There is absolutely no way it could be sited within the house as such, the most logical high point would be on our 3rd storey flat roof - and moving all the pipework and power supplies could be expensive. 

We are waiting for the new Heat Pump installation with the water filter and will then see what happens.

These houses were built with depositos originally because of the unreliability at the time of the water supply; although it can also be fairly ‘iffy’ at times now. Yes, we also have enough for a couple of days, providing we don’t take too many showers. The first time all the water ran out I was taking a shower and covered in shampoo. Do you know just how many bottles of cold mineral water it takes to rinse off shampoo?!!!!!

Actually, I can imagine, Stephanie. It's happened to us several times, always at the lathered-up stage.

Pity you're so far away, or I'd volunteer to come up with some bottles next time it happens.

Thank you for your considerate offer, Jim! I’ll bear it in mind!!

Tell me where you are.No fix no fee.thats my way  of doing business. 

Thank you for your kind offer, but we are nowhere near your area; also as we said earlier, as we are having a replacement Heat Pump installed, we shall now wait and see what the tecnico says when he installs the filter also.

Thought you’d all like an update on our exciting life in the campo and associated infrastructure,,

Our new shiny Heat Pump has been installed, and a large filter mechanism attached to the pipework just before the pump from the deposito. All is silent, peace, functioning hot water, efficient showers. We smiled at each other smugly, imitating the cats in receipt of unnoticed extra cream supplies.

Too soon. 

The pump started again. Relentlessly. We eventually found a v small hardly noticeable cistern leak. Thank you Pete for the suggestion. This was not as easy a repair as one would immediately imagine, due to the heavy lifting required to remove the cistern cover. No, naturally we do not have the type of cc wc whereby one simply lifts the lid! Then the very narrow Geberit mechanism does not have an easily available replacement seal/washer - oh, no. Friendly plumber and A managed to track down nearest appropriate fitting and adjust to fit. This takes up most of a day.

All quiet for 2 days. Then, without warning, no water. Assume for some reason, deposito drained. Investigate. No. Still no water. Both of us bemused. Read pump manual, in Spanish as well as English, in case mistranslation. Returns the gnomic information that foot valve blocked and does not appear to be user fixable. Find nearest supplier and ask. It will apparently require pump removal and return to nearest service centre for complete rebuild. Oh dear. Decide to ring builder who installed it. Sends friendly plumber immediately, who says not pump. Several hours later, poor man has tracked problem to pressure reducing valve on mains supply (installed because of very high pressure intermittently, causing joints to blow and enormous water leaks). 

Valve dismantled, clogged with cal. Cleaned, refitted. Silence. Peace. H and C water on demand.

Except that this morning the pump is running......................

Thanks, Pete. No, we don’t have a filter under the sink.

I am currently watching/listening, notebook in hand, to check on frequency and duration of pump running. I am sincerely hoping that there isn’t another hidden leak requiring wall and ceiling demolition as happened last year!

However, bizarre as it may seem - but what do I know?! - I am vaguely wondering if it could be anything to do with the local pumping  arrangements, as new pumps were installed by the Ajuntamiento last year on the distribution system. There is a regular period around 8 am daily when the pump cycles continuously for what seems like forever, but in reality probably around half an hour. Rumour has it that these mains pumps are switched on and off ,about which I am dubious, but whether that could have an effect - who knows?

Or the Heat Pump topping itself up - do they work like that?

We can’’t see any leaks of any description currently, so are waiting to see what happens. Life is exciting and full of rich surprises - little did we know that our later years were to be consumed but the vagaries of domestic pumping systems!!!!! I’m thinking of writing a book.............

Nothing on timers at all - and all HW is supplied by the famed new shiny external Heat Pump, which has it’s own outdoor metal house, due to it’s size!!!!  The only mechanism on timers are the 3 x battery operated watering systems, all of which have been turned off completely for some considerable period.

We are going to wait and see exactly what happens over the next week or so, having  just finished with all the endless repairs and so on. This morning it ran for around 10 minutes at 9 am, for no apparent reason, since when all has been quiet. 

If the problem starts to get worse we shall have to try the pressure meter check - Arthur is convinced there may be an airlock somewhere.

I appreciate all your suggestions, Pete, and am grateful for your help, which has at least convinced me that we’re not going mad!

Hi, one way of finding out if you have a leak on the house side is to blank off the pipe that comes out of the pump towards the house. If water can't flow towards the house and the pump still runs then you have a problem with the pump, if the pump doesn't run then you have a leak on the house side.good luck.

Thank you,Neil,for this advice, which we will bear in mind. We are currently watching and waitin to see what happens, if all the repairs and vastly expensive new kit all settle down before embarking on further explorations. At the moment I’ve had enough!!!!!