combi-boiler cont./

[tictactoe]

Conflicting reports that we have low pressure (but the water flow is generally good) and being told that that isn't necessarily true and that it could be low or high regardless of the speed coming out of the tap(s).
Have a shower in the 1st floor bathroom which is like a pressure hose!! ( Upstairs shower is electric anyway )

$64,000 question is: Do we bite the bullet and buy new?
should it be something similiar or completely different?

Apparently the couple living here before were given wrong advice about the type needed, but that is only heresay.

Do not wish to pay out yet again, (for repairs etc) if it is only throwing away our money...

Advise please

(a flummoxed) n00dles

[raysparx1]

Hi tictac,

I am not a plumber,but it sounds like a leak on the system, on combis if the pressure drops it doesn't work properly,We have poor water pressure where I live but the pressure in the central heating system doen't keep dropping,it is sealed in,, you need a decent plumber to take a look, I wouldn't think you would have to replace the boiler, call out a heating engineer, to check the whole system, how often does the pressure gauge drop ?

Ray

[tictactoe]

Hi ray,

In the summer months not bad at all, have only needed to raise level once since May. In the (last) winter it gradually (every 5 days) became a 3 day task!!

Have lost my faith in the heating engineers that we have so far seen...

[raysparx1]

Hi tictac,

The problem then must be on the heating side, the pressure coming into the house does not need to be that good for it to work, cos once the pressure is up it should stay up, Hope you find a decent engineer, it only sounds like a small problem, if once the pressure is ok,everything works fine, so I can't see that much can be wrong, Ray

[tictactoe]

Hi ray,

Thanks ever so for replying so quickly. Looks like I will have to trust someone else to come along and have a shuffty.

many thanks

Enjoy you dinner !!

fish & chips

[raysparx1]

Good luck,hopefully a decent plumber is on here tonight,
Ray


Pie & mash, covered in liquor, plenty of vinegar !!!!

[Hard@it]

The heating pressure should be constant and has nothing to do with the hot water supply to taps etc. If it is not maintaining a pressure of 1bar say for at least a couple od days then ( although manufacturers do not like it ), I would put a leak sealer in and apart from a horrendous leak you should be ok. If on the other hand it is lack of pressure at outlets then it is your main pressure or supply pip diameter into the house that requires looking at.
Cheers Hard@it

[tictactoe]

Hi Hard@it,

Thank you for the advice. It only seems to drop quickly when the c/h is running, and as I said before there is no sign of water from the p/g outlet. Forgive me for asking but is the leak sealer method something I can do, or does it require an expert? If I take the advice of getting someone to check out the main pressure/supply pip - are we talking mega bucks to fix if it is indeed that?


n00dles

[johnizere]

I had a similar problem...pressure decreasing every few days, and I discovered that the water in the central heating system is not governed by the pressure from the rising main, (the water coming into the house). My pressure drop was caused by the water in the system leaking back through the valve you use to top up the system (I forget what it's called) being tightened up enough. You say it's been ok through the summer, same as mine was, and it only became a pain when the heating was on regularly, as the pressure builds up when the water is hot. I assume you've seen no leaks around the house, near radiators etc.....?

frucknuts with frikkafronka sauce

[tictactoe]

howdy johnizere, (nice monicker)

AH ! Not a unique case then. No, no sign of any leaks from rads etc. Had a new valve (near the pressure gauge) fitted, after the zone valve was done, but still had the damn thing dropping every couple of days. I wondered if it was difficult to detect the problem when none of the engineers seemed to have an answer to it. Ok at moment - other than the ignition/boiler cutting out when running the hot taps (which fortunately is not happening all the time - like you it is the c/h that seems to bring on the trouble with the pressure gauge.

It would be nice to get it all sorted before the onset of autumn, otherwise the two coal fires are gonna be the only heating I'll feel like using!!


home-made fish cakes with parsley sauce

[johnizere]

I'm not familiar with zone valves, (and I'm not a plumber either!), but I am familiar with heating systems. Discount anything to do with taps, showers etc, they're on a totally separated water system within the house. I installed my own combi boiler and central heating system, and had corgi engineers to comission it. The way we found my leakage was to completely close off all radiators, so that the water was simply running around the house straight back to the boiler, thus no radiators were taking any hot water,and the pressure was still dropping. then they took off the valve (the one I mentioned earlier), it's called a loop fill valve, it's possible to disconnect the filling loop from the system after shutting the water supply to it, and when the boiler was started up, hey presto....the water was coming back through it!....replaced....fixed.
Is it possible for you to shut down totally one of your "zones", eg the first floor, and see if anything changes?

christmas dinner

[Hard@it]

tictactoe - surely your mains water connection (to the heating side of the boiler) has a double check valve on it plus it should have a shut off valve. regardless of these it should not be left permanently connected to the mains - at least one end should always hang disconnected. If it is disconnected than there should be no back feed of water to the main EVER.
Surely this is the case and there is no loss through the mains connection there must be a leak in your system or some bampot has only connected a mains connection to both your heating and hot water without separating them or putting a double check valve (filling loop) to the heating .

[Hard@it]

Sorry - once things are either rectified or we know more about your system we can talk about leak sealer.

[tictactoe]

Hi Hard@it,

No idea how it has been connected, right or wrong. The only technie bit I do is to attach the cold water supply in hose to the heating return, open both taps (valves) to increase water pressure, then disconnect again, until the next time. Will have to get someone in to look at it yet again to see if what you say could be the problem. I despair at not knowing what the answer is and getting someone in who could tell me anything, and having to accept (believe) whatever they say.

Johnizere,

Having had trouble initially with the zone valve (not working on auto) the system was playing up then with pressure loss. That was fixed, (new zone box) and they did shut all the rads off when testing. All appeared Ok, but then about a week later, the hot water didn't get hot!! That was fixed, but despite being told that the pressure loss must be due to a a leak from the outflow pipe (of which there wasn't) it just continued, until we switched the heating off.

You guys have been very helpful and understanding, I appreciate your time very much, it is very kind of you to try and sort out what the problem could be. I just feel like having it all ripped out and start again, but would that solve the problem, who knows?

Once again thank you. Will post on here if I get any positive results.

n00dles

Leg of Lamb

[Hard@it]

You should not be putting a hose to your system to fill. There should be a single main coming to your boiler and just before it you fit a isolating valve and a tee. Connect one side direct to the hot water connection. On the branch of the tee fit a fill loop which comes ready made with a ball valve on one end and a double check valve on the other.
The ball valve connects to the tee end and the other side with the dcv connects to the boiler heating connection.. When you fill the heating side up to your 1 or 1.5bar, disconnect the loop at the coupling end which is generally at the dcv. then if your pressure falls then you have a leak somewhere. No the leak sealer is no problem just empty a large radiator and pour it in - you may have to run the system for a few hours but see the instructions. Your local plumber/heatimg merchants will assist. Hope this helps Cheers Hard@it

[tictactoe]

Hey Hard@it,

The techie bit I do to increase the pressure was advice I got from the Tech Dept customer care at Glow worm AND one of the heating engineers that changed the circuit board when it blew.

Touch wood, but strangely have not had the ignition cutting out since posting this thread??? S*ds law !!!

Will definitally get it checked out though, and will print this off for reference.

Thank-you very much for getting back to me,

Cheers
no00dles

[Hard@it]

None the less you should check it is installed properly anyway. Hope you have not gone to all this bother and found that you should have been maintaining the press. Are you in the US of A ? Cheers Hard@it

[tictactoe]

Hi Hard@it,

Lordy no (from USA) sunny Worthing!!

Was advised that the pressure should read at least 1.5 bar
(manual says 1.7) and to raise it if it goes lower, which luckily only seems to be a frequent task when c/h is on. Why oh why has nobody (3 different engineers) checked or referred to the installation, if it is indeed wrong? The previous occupants left all the paperwork re installation etc, and it was the very company that I initially rang with regard to warranty and fault finding, when the problems started, but because they were located so far away, a call out was twice the cost than a local engineer! The last c/h engineer works for a company that covers many insurance companies in the South, and seemed the most reliable and adept at what the problem was. So I think a call to them would be the best plan of attack...

cheers
n00dles

[Hard@it]

Call a halt to this anytime you want,but I am more than willing to help. With regard to pressure - if you are having to do this even once a week then it is a problem, and you poss. do have a leak ! A leak can be difficult to find as being under press. the water atomizes into the air and obviously you cannot see it. If it was me I would go to Plumb Centre or any heating merchant and fork out �12 or so and get it in to the system.it does not affect the domestic water side . This will seal up any minor leaks and assist you in maintaining pressure, furthermore introduving fresh water constantly is detrimantal to your system. As I said prev. the manufacturers do not like this as they think it plugs up the small orifices in the control side of the boile r, but it only seals on contact with air - so no prob.
This will maintain your heating pressure, but your hot water to taps etc is pressured by the water main. If you are getting sufficient pressure at your taps then sealing your heating side will def. assist you, and as I say you can put sealer in yourself.
Just to ensure that we are talking the same problem here, please confirm if it is :-
a) The drop in pressure on your boiler.
b) Insufficient pressure at your taps.

[tictactoe]

It is the drop in pressure to the boiler (pressure gauge - clock face: 0 - 4) has small red hand(?) and larger black hand that at the moment is reading 1.5bar...which it has maintained for just over a week now...[when c/h is on I would have to bring pressure up every few days!] so whilst in summer time do not have this problem...

Flow to taps: Quite good in kitchen (boiler situated), bathroom (same floor) not so good - bath dreadful. 2nd floor bathroom better than 1st floor...The shower though in the 1st floor bathroom (mains connected) is like a jet hose!!

Incidentally Hard@it, when in Winter mode I hear a constant 'pressure' like sound i.e. water running through the system in the boiler cupboard (even when the c/h is off for the night), and was told that it is due to air in the system/pipes/pressure and nothing to worry about...

Arrggghhh!!

[Hard@it]

Get the sealer in and save yourself a lot of bother !!!!!!!!!
Hard@it