Need a plumbers advice (with pics) should be an easy question!

[dean_ham]

Hi guys, should be a fairly straight forward answer for a plumber. I have a cold water combination valve thats leaking (the leak is coming from between the pressure reducing valve and the pressure reducing valve cartridge)

My system

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hP_95dD8vNJtpuUzoVVavNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Leaking Valve

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/g4nrH0Hk6-zkG830aY9h69MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Exploded View Of Valve

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iOFFcyE6iMB8Zq6qPATfU9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Reading through the manual it seems that it may be down to the strainer being clogged up and explains the procedure on how to remove it and clean it down.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/R4nzzhHELJeYnyKMgSoxy9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

But my question is my valve looks slightly different. As i have a pipe coming out of where it says on the diagram 'expansion valve connection'. Does this mean if i isolate the cold water valve before the combination valve and drain all the hot water from the system. Will i be safe to remove the pressure reducing valve cartridge and clean the strainer.

The system is only 3 years old, i had it serviced 2 years ago and tbh i should really get it serviced again. Its just i thought i would give this cleaning the strainer first before I call a plumber out to say yeah the valve is broke you need a new one when in fact it only needs cleaning!

Thank you my plumber friends!

 

[dean_ham]

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/o5_2-zvM_Z0GTiPh8ilS3tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Last one, as you can see i have a pipe that comes out of the expansion valve connection and goes through the floor board.... Any idea what this pipe is doing?

 

[FlyingFish]

Did exactly that valve a short while ago...cos it was leaking..

Unless its one of the compression nuts that just needs nipping up, your most likely looking at a new valve.

The new valve is slightly different to the original, it comes in two pieces but is easy to fit...When you fill the cylinder back up, make sure you do it correctly so that you KEEP the air pocket in the top of the cylnder, cos that pocket of air contains the expansion when the cylinder is heated back up.

Mick

 

[dean_ham]

I havent got a spanner big enough to try and nip it up wooops ill have to take it home from work tomorrow.
Does the new valve need changing the pipes around or is it the same size etc?
How do you know if u are keeping an air pocket in the top of the cylinder. I think i better phone a plumber if this valve needs replacing!