Circulating Pump

The central heating circulating pump will usually sit impassively in a cupboard or somewhere out of sight and you may never see it, until of course there is a problem. Should you ever have the need to replace this pump and are not confident to remove it from your heating system, then it is a good idea to use the services of a professional plumbing tradesman like a Grove Park Plumber who can carry out all types of plumbing jobs big or small. There is little really that can go wrong and very little to see on its casing either, but you can see where the electrical cable enters the motor (this is coming from the boiler). On the top or side of some pumps, you will see that a metal or plastic cylinder is attached usually to the pump casing. The name for this is a (smoothing) capacitor and is fitted to prevent the magnetic field generated by the pump motor (as it turns) from causing any interference to any of the domestic electrical equipment such as a television or radio. A Lee Plumber can fit a pump. There will probably also be a dial or a screw fitted to the casing so that the pump speed can be adjusted. This can be done by you or a professional by hand or with a screwdriver. The circulating pump is very quiet when it runs, but it vibrates slightly which you can feel with the hand.

Air Lock:

There is a large screw on top of the pump casing called the bleed screw and is fitted to let the owner or a professional plumber to release any air that may be locked inside. Central heating pumps cannot self-prime, so if air was to leak in, the pump is not able to lose the air until it is bled out manually. Air in the pump will stop the flow of water through your system.

Bleed The Pump:
Loosen the screw slowly until the hiss of the air starts. Do not open fully. Once the hiss stops you may see a dribble of water, then, you should tighten the screw. Job done.

The humble circulating pump as you can see is really quite a simple thing, but very important for making sure you are warm.”