Water pump is active during the night...lives in a 3rd floor apt

[Bob the slob]

My friend lives in a 3rd floor apt and she said that during the night she sometimes can hear the water pump going but there is no water being used in the apt. The pump is just for her apt tho.

Can anyone shed any light on this for her? Someone told her it could be a leak somewhere hence the pump pumping more water up.

 

[Round Tuit]

Re: Water pump is active during the night...

I have a similar issue.

It is a leak but first she should check (A) are any taps dripping, or (B) is the toilet cistern overfilling (even slightly) and then dripping into the toilet bowl. Both of these things have caused my problem - the toilet cistern is still an ongoing issue - and while a drip won’t instantly cause the pump to kick it it will eventually.

 

[Leo]

Re: Water pump is active during the night...

There was a similar thread here a little while back, very quick search didn't find it, but if you have more time to trawl the results you might have more luck.
Leo

 

[z109]

Re: Water pump is active during the night...

It is a leak but first she should check (A) are any taps dripping, or (B) is the toilet cistern overfilling (even slightly) and then dripping into the toilet bowl. Both of these things have caused my problem - the toilet cistern is still an ongoing issue - and while a drip won’t instantly cause the pump to kick it it will eventually.

Agree with both of these possibilities - the reason the pump takes a while to go is usually that there is a small pressure vessel to maintain pressure in the taps between the time the tap is turned on and the pump kicks in. As the tap drips or the toilet overflows slightly, the pressure drops until the pump kicks in.

Some toilet cisterns overflow into the bowl, others have a separate outflow pipe into the drains. You'll need to take the lid off the cistern and see is the water at the overflow level. If so, you may be able to adjust the ballcock to reduce the water level in the cistern (make sure you don't break it off! Make sure you know where your water stop valve is before you alter anything!).

 

[Bob the slob]

Thanks will check it out later.

 

[Jock04]

Before anyone goes adjusting stuff- does your friend have an ice-making fridge-freezer? That would cause the water to flow intermittently too, and the pump would kick in to top up the pressure. If so, most of them have an option to switch the ice-maker off, or a "sleep" function.

 

[Bob the slob]

No she doesnt have one of those fridges. Am going up tonight will try and check for leaks and see whats wrong.

 

[alert]

If the pump is only for her appartment she might consider having the pump wired through a timer-switch, (similar to those for immersions or put in the fuse-board), such that electricity only gets to the pump in the hours that she's not asleep.

ALERT.

 

[Bob the slob]

No leaks, no taps running or water running into the cistern. There is no leak in the attic I wouldnt say as it would be well noticable by now (moved into the place in June). I am thinking its something to do with the cylinder for the hot water. Any other ideas anyone? Its goin off every twenty mins for about 5 secs each time.

 

[randombloke]

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem except I think it's worse. I've noticed that our pump kicks in for about 10 seconds every 30-40 seconds. When this happens it can go on for hours. I have gone around the house to see if any taps dripping/toilet cisterns going and can't find any. Sometimes it happens after the washing machine has been on but continues for ages after it's finished. Was thinking about tracking down the plumber that installed it about a year ago and whinging at him about it...

Randombloke

 

[Bob the slob]

Sounds like hers too only hers is less frequent.

 

[alert]

Hi Bob,

You might be right about the hot water. As the water is heated by the immersion the pressure in the diaphram of the pressure vessel attached to the cylinder would change, then when the imersion switches off, (ie when the water temperature reaches the desired temperature), the pressure would drop, as the water cools, and this pressure drop may induce the pump to activate, I suppose this could repeat as the immersion is reactivated then deactivated ad infinitum as the water heats then cools, then heats, etc.

ALERT.