3 Way Valve Location?

[rem]

Sorry if this has been covered before but i have done a search and couldn't find anything.

My hot water is still working but i have been unable to get the central heating to work. A plumber has been out and said this is because the three way valve needs replacing. He told me it would be somewhere between my boiler and the storage tank and that once i'd ripped up my floorboards and found it then he would come back and replace it. Ripped up all the floorboards and its not there, he's now told me that it could therefore be anywhere in the house and i will have to rip up the floorboards through out the house to find it and he can't help until i've done that.

Is there any easy way to trace it? I've followed the 22mm pipes from the bolier to the storage tank and its not there.

 

[secret squirrel]

Sounds like a helpful chap! can you see the pump? is it near that? can you see the junction box (where all the wiring goes) follow the wires from there? it needs power to work so it must be relatively close to electricity. Is it in the loft, I've seen them in there on occasions. I dont want to be rude or unhelpful but do you know what three way valve looks like? you may have 2x two port valves so you may be looking for either.

Hopefully, someone else will come back as well with a few more tips...

 

[rem]

Thanks for the reply, before all the problems i didn't know what a 3 way valve looked like but i do now after trying to work out where it might be, i had a look online.

The loft might be an idea. I found my pump (all corroded and leaking slightly) below the boiler hidden behind one of the kitchen units, i couldn't see the valve still though.

 

[secret squirrel]

Definetly check the loft it may be near the loft tanks. Failing that I'd look for the junction box, find the pump lead and follow that. Valves and pumps are normally easy(ish) to find. When there installed we know sooner or later work will have to be done on them.

The room stat and the cylinder stat may also give you a clue follow the wires (not the yellow brick road)

 

[smoggs03]

how many pipes off the boiler? i'm concerned the 'plumber' might not recognise your system due to his reluctance to return, 2 pipes (water) could be using a valve (a fully pumped system), but four pipes (water) would more than likely be a pump as there won't be a valve(gravity system).

 

[secret squirrel]

Smoggs,

Thanks, I hadn't considered that the "plumber" was wrong, just presumed he was being a "bit" lazy.

 

[rem]

Thanks for the replies i got a proper plumber in the end who told me that i don't have a valve on my system, took him 5 minutes to replace the pump and all is working again now.

I did phone up the company that sent the two previous plumbers to complain and all i got was "well our plumbers identified a fault with your valve and they are exeperienced and qualified so we will need to see a report from the plumber you arranged" - my response ended in "off".

 

[doitmyself]

I did phone up the company that sent the two previous plumbers to complain and all i got was "well our plumbers identified a fault with your valve and they are exeperienced and qualified so we will need to see a report from the plumber you arranged" - my response ended in "off".

You should take them up and sent them the second plumber's report, together with his bill for solving your problem and producing the report. Enclose a covering letter headed "Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (as amended)".

Say that Section 13 of the Act says:

"In a contract for the supply of a service where the supplier is acting in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the supplier will carry out the service with reasonable care and skill."

They are in breach of this term and, as a result, you have had to employ a second contractor to carry out the work. So you are looking to them to reimburse you the second plumbers costs (you can't expect them to pay for the pump - just the labour), including the cost of preparing the report.

Tell them that if they do not pay up within seven days you will take them to the Small Claims Court. That would cost them even more!

Send them copy of the second plumbers invoice for the work and a copy off his invoice for preparing the report.


PS The word "service" does not mean service in the sense of having you car/boiler serviced. Anyone who does work for you is providing a service.

PPS If the second plumber's total bill is less than the first plumber's, then you should ask the first plumber to refund all his charges and pay the second plumber's report charge. This is to ensure you pay the lowest labour charge for doing the job.

 

[smoggs03]

Thanks for the replies i got a proper plumber in the end who told me that i don't have a valve on my system, took him 5 minutes to replace the pump and all is working again now.

I did phone up the company that sent the two previous plumbers to complain and all i got was "well our plumbers identified a fault with your valve and they are exeperienced and qualified so we will need to see a report from the plumber you arranged" - my response ended in "off".

wahoo !!! one up for smoggs!!!!

 

[REDSAW]

you cant do that!.
did the origional plumber get his tools out?
did he encounter an error in their work?.
did they have reasonable time/oppertunity to correct their mistake onsite?.
and did you pay for this service?

 

[smoggs03]

you cant do that!.
did the origional plumber get his tools out?
did he encounter an error in their work?.
did they have reasonable time/oppertunity to correct their mistake onsite?.
and did you pay for this service?

slow down redsaw!!!!! i was just jubilant that i diagnosed correctly !! didnt notice the other stuff in my haste!! even i make mistakes

 

[rem]

The first two plumbers were sent by my insurance company so i am taking it up with them and sending the invoice. The first "plumber" diagnosed the fault as my three way valve. He said it was up to me to find it and it would be somewhere between the boiler and tank and i would have to rip up all the floorboards in my bedroom to find it.

After ripping all the floorboards up i still couldn't find it, the insurance company sent a second plumber who still insisted the fault was the 3 way valve, and when i asked if there had to be one he said yes there will definitely be one but as he didn't do the original plumbing it could be anywhere in the house and i would have to keep ripping up floorboards till i found it!!! I thought this can't be true so posted on here and got a local plumber to come out who straight away said it will be the pump and on my system there is no valve.

Its quite clear the first two guys didn't give a **** and couldn't be arsed to look/do the job properly. I tried to get the company used by the insurance company to come back but they wanted to see a full report before they would send someone back out and wanted 48 hours to consider the report and prepare a response. At that point i lost it and told them to fu*k off and i'd send the report and bill to my insurer once it was done.