The good news about owning a domestic heating pump is that you don’t have to be a professional to diagnose a problem. Lots of heating pumps have common issues that you can spot and fix for yourself without having to call a professional. However, it’s important to know what these problems are so you know if you need to seek out professional assistance.
Let’s take a look at some of the common issues that can affect your system and then talk about some of the central heating pumps fixes that you can use. These are all quite simple to work out, and they all perform very well.
Problem #1 – The heating pump is running, but there’s no water pumping through the system
If the central heat pump is running, but there’s no water, then it should be slightly vibrating. The most likely problem is that the propeller or shaft on your pump has become stuck. If the pump is very hot, then it’s a problem with the motor. Your motor is designed to heat the pump, but it should never be too hot to touch.
This should be an easy fix. If the pump is stuck and not circulating any water, then give it a tap and see if there are any components that have become seized. If they have, the force will help to nudge them free.
Alternatively, if your seizures are happening on a regular basis, this is a sign that your pump is going to fail soon. The best thing you can do in that case is replace it. We recommend replacing it with the Lowara Ecocirc S+ 25-4/130.
Problem #2 – The pump is blocked and full of dirt
As any type of central heating system gets older, you will find metal and dirt from pipework that begins to break down and flow through major parts of the pump. As this dirt and grime start to build up in all the major components, it can cause them to fail. Thankfully, these are quite easy to solve because it just requires a little bit of a clean.
In other situations, it’s possible for the pump to build up with dirt and then stop working completely. If this happens, your heating system may not work or simply heat up to a lower temperature.
There are a couple of different things you can do to fix this kind of problem when it happens. First, you need to flush the entire system with chemicals.
However, you should be careful about doing this because if you flood the system with chemicals, you risk further damaging the older parts of your pipework, as well as weakening joints.
Once you have successfully cleaned the system, you could attach a magnetic system filter. This will catch any pieces of debris. If you need to replace it outright, we recommend using the Lowara Ecocirc L+ 15-8/130.
Problem #3 – the speed settings for the pump are not correct
Another common issue that can affect many different pumps is that the speed settings are not correct, so the pump doesn’t work as it should. Thankfully, this is very easy to fix with new pumps.
Most modern pump systems are fitted with a single dial that can be used to change the pump speed, and in some cases, there is smart technology built into the device that you can use to remotely change the speed with a tablet or smartphone. Something like the Lowara Ecocirc M 20-6/130 is a good pick for this easy change system.
Final Thoughts
These are some of the most common problems that can affect a pump system. Thankfully, they’re not difficult to fix, and most of them you can solve yourself. Obviously, there are going to be situations where you need to replace a pump system outright simply because it’s not efficient anymore or because it has become damaged in some fashion. This is a normal part of routine maintenance and repairs.
However, these pumps are designed to be low maintenance, so most problems you can fix by yourself with only a limited knowledge of how they work. Make sure that you examine the pump carefully and observe basic health and safety. Don’t do anything reckless, and if you don’t know what the problem is, contact the professional. If you try and fix it by yourself, you could cause irreparable damage to the pump or the surrounding area.
