New Gledhill Stainless Lite Indirect Unvented alarming popping noises.

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New Gledhill Stainless Lite Indirect Unvented alarming popping noises.

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samba1

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Happy Christmas everyone,

We’ve just had a new Gledhill Stainless Lite indirect unvented cylinder installed by Dyno. It is making an alarmingly loud popping noises when the hot water is being used, not always but very very often.

Mentally to me, it seems like the inner casing of the cylinder is flexing in and out (just like a plastic water bottle under a pressure change).

I have read that these are thin cylinders (hence the lite) and many have reported issues, even after a replacement.

Those of you experts out there who are familiar with this cylinder and it’s issues, is my best course of action to get Dyno to replace with another brand/model, rather than go with a replacement of the same brand/model?

Dyno have requested Gledhill to come on site, but I have read some posts saying the problem reappears after replacement. The visit will now take place in the new year, but I want to be prepared and not be fobbed off.

In your experience and expert opinion what is my best path here guys? Is it worth just insisting Dyno to get a refund and go for another brand/model (I’m assuming that is an option)? If so which one?

Thanks!

P.S. Dyno guys have checked the pressures, i.e. reduced the mains down to 3bar, and on Gledhill’s telephone advice reduced EV from 3bar to 2.8bar.
 
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The point was made that if both PRVs are supplying water at the same pressure then system should work OK, I would think that you could have at least 0.5bar difference in the two and still have proper mixing but I would agree though and can't really understand why it wasn't done the "proper" way, I Iinclude a schematic once again which is quite clear, the EV is also wrongly installed so all these might conspire to cause noise in a paper thin unvented cylinder.

1640644195967.png
 
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John.g said:
The point was made that if both PRVs are supplying water at the same pressure then system should work OK, I would think that you could have at least 0.5bar difference in the two and still have proper mixing but I would agree though and can't really understand why it wasn't done the "proper" way, I Iinclude a schematic once again which is quite clear, the EV is also wrongly installed so all these might conspire to cause noise in a paper thin unvented cylinder.

View attachment 67600
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Thanks John.G I did question Dyno if the EV should be installed in the way it was, they said no. However, I was merely asking about the way it was piped, I.e. the flow of cold water has to make a 90 turn to go into the cylinder. Is this what you are indicating by being wrongly installed, or is it that it should be connected directly to the combination valve? I’m not 100% sure what ought to be the correct way…
 
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I wouldn't be overly worried about a 90deg turn but I would much prefer to see a balanced cold mixing with the hot, a balanced cold means coming off the same PRV as the cold supply to the cylinder, ie the combination valve block. or whatever its called.
"I did question Dyno if the EV should be installed in the way it was, they said no." why didn't they change it then?.
 
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John.g said:
I wouldn't be overly worried about a 90deg turn but I would much prefer to see a balanced cold mixing with the hot, a balanced cold means coming off the same PRV as the cold supply to the cylinder, ie the combination valve block. or whatever its called.
"I did question Dyno if the EV should be installed in the way it was, they said no." why didn't they change it then?.
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Sorry, my typing is terrible!!!

Should read:

"I did question Dyno if the EV should be installed in the way it was, is it wrong? they said no that’s not a problem”
 
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Well, if glendhill's installation is like the one I've posted there is no way that they will provide a new cylinder. They must have sold hundreds of these Stainless Lite, they can't all be noisy?.
A quick look through the installation manual doesn't show the position of the EV but it certainly shows the cold feeds taken off the combination valve.
 

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The inlet assembly is correct and the system is balanced without repiping the whole house, move on Jon neither of these would cause the popping noise
 
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Also, if the expansion vessel is piped from the combination inlet group, ensure that it is NOT piped from upstream of the non return valve as shown (in the official Glendhill guide) but is piped downstream of the NRV, there may be a tapping for this from the ERV.

1644963930516.png
 
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TGF5454 said:
Hi samba1,

Did you ever resolve your issue, I have exactly the same symptoms and what sounds like an identical install
Click to expand...
TGF5454 said:
Hi samba1,

Did you ever resolve your issue, I have exactly the same symptoms and what sounds like an identical install.
Click to expand...
Hi, yes sadly it was a case of swapping the cylinder. Replaced with a Joule and no issues at all now. My Gledhill cylinder had a new serial number sticker over a previous one, to me that suggests it was either reworked in the factory or a returned unit.

The date code was for November and the two numbers were 3-4 weeks apart. The whole situation was suspicious to me. There may be a perfectly good explanation for it but I struggle to see any other.

Check if you have any deformation on the outer skin to indicate any impact to the unit in transit. The other area of suspicion is the combination valve. Could just be a faulty batch. Mine was supplied with the cylinder and was made by Reliance Water Controls. The new Joule cylinder came with Caleffi combination valve.

if you still have the option to swap out I would try to entertain that idea. I understand that it’s not always a pragmatic option.
 
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TGF5454 said:
Hi samba1,

Did you ever resolve your issue, I have exactly the same symptoms and what sounds like an identical install.
Click to expand...
Have a look at this thread, I think the answer is now becoming clearer…

www.plumbersforums.net

Gledhill Unvented Cylinder Loud Bang Hot Water Demand

Recently had a new heating and hot water system retrofitted in a domestic property. Previous hot water system was gravity fed with a vented cylinder. New system as shown in the photos. Installer commissioned system about 3 months ago and all was working fine. There have since been two faults...
www.plumbersforums.net www.plumbersforums.net
 
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samba1 said:
Hi, yes sadly it was a case of swapping the cylinder. Replaced with a Joule and no issues at all now. My Gledhill cylinder had a new serial number sticker over a previous one, to me that suggests it was either reworked in the factory or a returned unit.

The date code was for November and the two numbers were 3-4 weeks apart. The whole situation was suspicious to me. There may be a perfectly good explanation for it but I struggle to see any other.

Check if you have any deformation on the outer skin to indicate any impact to the unit in transit. The other area of suspicion is the combination valve. Could just be a faulty batch. Mine was supplied with the cylinder and was made by Reliance Water Controls. The new Joule cylinder came with Caleffi combination valve.

if you still have the option to swap out I would try to entertain that idea. I understand that it’s not always a pragmatic option.
Click to expand...
Thats not good news at all, ours is an early 2021 date of manufacture.

We are also using the RWC combination valve that was supplied with the cylinder. Which Joule unit did you go for? I don't think we could return at this point which is a real shame.
 
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TGF5454 said:
Thats not good news at all, ours is a May 2021 date of manufacture.

We are also using the RWC combination valve that was supplied with the cylinder. Which Joule unit did you go for? I don't think we could return at this point which is a real shame.
Click to expand...
Would you mind posting a photo of the RWC combination valve installation and also where the expansion vessel is teed into it or teed into the system.
 
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TGF5454 said:
Thats not good news at all, ours is an early 2021 date of manufacture.

We are also using the RWC combination valve that was supplied with the cylinder. Which Joule unit did you go for? I don't think we could return at this point which is a real shame.
Click to expand...
Hi,

The one I went for is: Joule Cyclone TCEMVI-0200LFC. I spoke to Joule technical who said that model range has 1mm steel compared to others which only have 0.5mm
 
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Just wondering if all those Glendhill cylinders, even the ones with the proper insulation curing time, are behaving like this/these ones where the EV is tapped off the PRV and right at the inbuilt check valve. If the EV pre charge pressure is incorrectly set and not at least 0.2bar < than the PRV pressure it may be enough to upset these paper thin cylinders.
 
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I believe ours was originally set to 3.0 as per the manual & sticker on the tank but later dropped to 2.8 which reading above is also Gledhill advice.

Shame because it’s a good looking tank, buts it’s way to noisy to live with.
 
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Hi TGF - apologies for reviving the thread - been looking on the forums and am active in a couple of related posts - did you sort out your issues? My set up sounds very similar indeed to yours - mains supplied the cold for taps/shower, PRV under sink to limit to 3bar, combination bloc has balanced cold not used. The cylinder is fed its water from a supply pipe from the mains which goes through the combination bloc and then into the cylinder. Do you have mixer showers/taps/monoblocs etc as most people probably do (with cold off mains directly and hot from cylinder)?

The manufacture date of my cylinder is January 2021. I have had BG/Dyno out a few times but with little success and the cylinder bangs (not always) when heating up - it appears to be worse when hot water is drawn down a bit. I have contacted Gledhill to see what is going on. Depending on what happens I may have to call BG out again. Regardless of when it was fitted, it was them who did so and I do have the Homecare cover so hopefully I can get this resolved somehow..
 
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I ran out of patience and replaced the tank with one recommended on the other thread to be honest. Your symptoms sound exactly the same, ours got worse and worse it was cracking and popping and banging on heat up and when water was drawn down. Ours was only 4 months old.
 
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Thanks for coming back. Gledhill seem to be aware of the problem. The proposed fix is to rivet the seam on the outer casing which is contracting and expanding. If this doesn't fix then the cylinder will likely need replaced. Another person with a similar issue suggested the fix worked. I am waiting to see what happens and will chase along but will give this a go and see what happens especially as BG don't seem willing to replace just now and I would rather not buy a new cylinder myself.
 
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Not got a pic but it's the opposite side to the main branding and logo. They have assured the cylinder is safe etc which is good but clearly the manufacturing process on a few wasn't great. Hopefully when it's done it wil solve the issue which is the same as others on cool down and the subsequent heat up.
 
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