Hot water boiler question

[Papa Lazarou]

Pavilion Plumbing - Charlie is an Albion fan and my go to man on boilers.

Excellent - thanks. Always better to keep it in the Albion family.

Edit: Just seen they're in Brighton, I wonder if they cover Worthing?

 

[Rowdey]

The back to back 't' mean it's in condense fill
Mode and running at half power. The EA fault in fairly generic, by is often caused by the one way bearing diaphragm plate on exit of fan sticking closed. Cheap part (and it's not unknown to just remove it) and takes no time to change over

 

[Papa Lazarou]

The back to back 't' mean it's in condense fill
Mode and running at half power. The EA fault in fairly generic, by is often caused by the one way bearing diaphragm plate on exit of fan sticking closed. Cheap part (and it's not unknown to just remove it) and takes no time to change over

How do I fix the back to back t problem? Do I need an engineer?

 

[Rowdey]

How do I fix the back to back t problem? Do I need an engineer?

Just seen this, sorry.
Yes, as the the 'condense fill' mode should only normally happen after boiler has been turned off/not used for a while (and only last about 15mins) i'd say the EA fault is probably causing it, and needs an engineer.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Do people really go away in the winter and switch off their hot water?

I would have thought that the risk of a frozen pipe bursting outweighed the cost of a bit of hot water.

https://www.tado.com/gb/ will get you all the remote control you want and will save you money. Conversely you will find that you never really have to touch it, as the heating only comes on when someone is coming home and turns off when the last person leaves, assuming everyone has a smartphone with the software installed.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Just seen this, sorry.
Yes, as the the 'condense fill' mode should only normally happen after boiler has been turned off/not used for a while (and only last about 15mins) i'd say the EA fault is probably causing it, and needs an engineer.

It's working at the moment, we even have hot water. I did contact a Worthing based engineer through CheckaTrade, but they haven't got back to me yet.

 

[Rowdey]

My brother has a boiler installation company in Brighton (BB Plumbing and Heating-07973618932) and he passes on all his servicing/repairs to someone called the 'Boiler Doctor' - Call him tomorrow and get his number.

 

[Stat Brother]

Another hot water boiler question.

I have a Ultracom 2 CXI.

Once in a blue moon there is a 'lack of water in the installation'.
I open the filing taps and everything is working again.

Now this once in a blue moon is, as the user manual states, needing to be carried out all the time:-

Open the filling tap located under the appliance until
you obtain a pressure of between 0.8 and 1.2 bars on
the indicator, refer to diagram overleaf. If refilling needs
to be carried out too often, there may be a leak in your
installation. In this case, contact your Installation/Servicing
company or Glow-worm Service, to have your system
checked.

Surely though if there is a leak, wouldn't we be knee deep in COLD water by now?

Is there anything else I can do to check the problem out, so we can have heating and hot water, without calling an engineer?

 

[Bozza]

Another hot water boiler question.

I have a Ultracom 2 CXI.

Once in a blue moon there is a 'lack of water in the installation'.
I open the filing taps and everything is working again.

Now this once in a blue moon is, as the user manual states, needing to be carried out all the time:-

Open the filling tap located under the appliance until
you obtain a pressure of between 0.8 and 1.2 bars on
the indicator, refer to diagram overleaf. If refilling needs
to be carried out too often, there may be a leak in your
installation. In this case, contact your Installation/Servicing
company or Glow-worm Service, to have your system
checked.

Surely though if there is a leak, wouldn't we be knee deep in COLD water by now?

Is there anything else I can do to check the problem out, so we can have heating and hot water, without calling an engineer?

The pressure on our boiler routinely drops and, like you, we have to top it up.

We've had BG out a few times to look at the boiler and mentioned it and they don't seem that bothered. I've taken the assumption that small leaks, somewhere, happen and they'd be almost impossible to find if there are no obvious signs.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Another hot water boiler question.

I have a Ultracom 2 CXI.

Once in a blue moon there is a 'lack of water in the installation'.
I open the filing taps and everything is working again.

Now this once in a blue moon is, as the user manual states, needing to be carried out all the time:-

Open the filling tap located under the appliance until
you obtain a pressure of between 0.8 and 1.2 bars on
the indicator, refer to diagram overleaf. If refilling needs
to be carried out too often, there may be a leak in your
installation. In this case, contact your Installation/Servicing
company or Glow-worm Service, to have your system
checked.

Surely though if there is a leak, wouldn't we be knee deep in COLD water by now?

Is there anything else I can do to check the problem out, so we can have heating and hot water, without calling an engineer?

Leak could be under the floor and just running to ground

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[Stat Brother]

The pressure on our boiler routinely drops and, like you, we have to top it up.

We've had BG out a few times to look at the boiler and mentioned it and they don't seem that bothered. I've taken the assumption that small leaks, somewhere, happen and they'd be almost impossible to find if there are no obvious signs.

Blimey desperate measures.
Did he tell you have to water it down, or just say how wrong you are and right he is?


I'm guessing if this is a leak it's a pretty big one, as the topping up process almost instantly starts to decrease, hence wondering if it's something else.

 

[Bry Nylon]

The pressure on our boiler routinely drops and, like you, we have to top it up.

We've had BG out a few times to look at the boiler

Running a boozer and omsung phines, yes. But boilers?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

The pressure on my Worcester combi boiler drops about half every time I repressurise it, and seems to stick there.

I understood that it should be about 1.25 bars when not operating, but it is currently about 0.75 bars. It goes to about 2 bars (ish) when the heating comes on.

The plumber said I could have a minute leak in the system that is difficult to trace as it evaporates away (especially if it a radiator joint and the radiator is on - there is a place where there has been dampness under a radiator pipe, but that could just have been the cat doing something unspeakable there once or twice), or it is under the floor and disappears into the ground, or there something wrong with the pressure valve thingy. Either way the boiler still works although the pressure is nowhere near what I understood was the optimum and I'm not convinced it is heating the house to way it should.

Plumbers attitude was to leave it unless or until it stopped working completely, or I could throw money at him while he took the whole system to pieces but he still might not find anything. So, to date, I've left it (despite the nightmare scenario of it breaking down just as it snows and he can't get his van up the hill because of the ice - which has happened before on a difference incident)

If you haven't got pools of water lying under pipes, and nothing else obvious but there is a leak somewhere, how do plumbers trace them?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

The pressure on our boiler routinely drops and, like you, we have to top it up.

We've had BG out a few times to look at the boiler and mentioned it and they don't seem that bothered. I've taken the assumption that small leaks, somewhere, happen and they'd be almost impossible to find if there are no obvious signs.

I am quite prepared to come out and look at as many boilers as you want. What to do after I have stared at it for a while, I have no idea.

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

The pressure on my Worcester combi boiler drops about half every time I repressurise it, and seems to stick there.

I understood that it should be about 1.25 bars when not operating, but it is currently about 0.75 bars. It goes to about 2 bars (ish) when the heating comes on.

The plumber said I could have a minute leak in the system that is difficult to trace as it evaporates away (especially if it a radiator joint and the radiator is on - there is a place where there has been dampness under a radiator pipe, but that could just have been the cat doing something unspeakable there once or twice), or it is under the floor and disappears into the ground, or there something wrong with the pressure valve thingy. Either way the boiler still works although the pressure is nowhere near what I understood was the optimum and I'm not convinced it is heating the house to way it should.

Plumbers attitude was to leave it unless or until it stopped working completely, or I could throw money at him while he took the whole system to pieces but he still might not find anything. So, to date, I've left it (despite the nightmare scenario of it breaking down just as it snows and he can't get his van up the hill because of the ice - which has happened before on a difference incident)

If you haven't got pools of water lying under pipes, and nothing else obvious but there is a leak somewhere, how do plumbers trace them?

Is your pressure relief valve letting by.
Short 15mm safety pipe should on the outside wall that the boiler is on.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Is your pressure relief valve letting by.
Short 15mm safety pipe should on the outside wall that the boiler is on.

Plumber asked that as well.

I don't know.

It is a slightly strange set up as the boiler is under the stairs, not on an outside wall. The exhaust goes through a chimney in the roof, and it draws in fresh air from the outside via vents in the floor (we had trouble with Corgi about air circulation immediately after it was installed about 15 years ago, but it appears to meet the regulations now after a major row with the original installer. I haven't used them since - the current servicer is a different firm).

The safety pipe (if there is one) seems to drain down into the ground under the floor - which is built up about three or four feet above ground level). If there is any drainage out of it, the plumber couldn't see any - although he was very rude about the original installer.

He reckoned if the pressure dropped to zero, then there was a problem that needed fixing. As long as it stayed pressurised (albit not as high as it used to be)and still worked, it was up to me how much money I threw his way. He could replace the valve, but wasn't sure that was the issue, as there could still be a seeping pipe somewhere.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Plumber asked that as well.

I don't know.

It is a slightly strange set up as the boiler is under the stairs, not on an outside wall. The exhaust goes through a chimney in the roof, and it draws in fresh air from the outside via vents in the floor (we had trouble with Corgi about air circulation immediately after it was installed about 15 years ago, but it appears to meet the regulations now after a major row with the original installer. I haven't used them since - the current servicer is a different firm).

The safety pipe (if there is one) seems to drain down into the ground under the floor - which is built up about three or four feet above ground level). If there is any drainage out of it, the plumber couldn't see any - although he was very rude about the original installer.

He reckoned if the pressure dropped to zero, then there was a problem that needed fixing. As long as it stayed pressurised (albit not as high as it used to be)and still worked, it was up to me how much money I threw his way. He could replace the valve, but wasn't sure that was the issue, as there could still be a seeping pipe somewhere.

Sounds like it was bodged from the start

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[Withdean]

Sounds like it was bodged from the start

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Totally half assed from the get go. Should be ripped out and done right.


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[Mr Bridger]

If pressure keeps dropping on your boiler and no leak can be seen, then it’s probably your expansion vessel ( internal diaphragm split)
Needs either recharging, replacing, or external expansion vessel fitting.

 

[Rowdey]

If pressure keeps dropping on your boiler and no leak can be seen, then it’s probably your expansion vessel ( internal diaphragm split)
Needs either recharging, replacing, or external expansion vessel fitting.

This - If it's going from quite low (0.75) all way up to over 2 bar, almost certainly the EV, and just hope the PRV holds out and doesn't need changing too.

@cheshire_cat - WB boilers keep working down to near zero system pressure (unlike practically any other combi boiler) so it is possible to just hang in there until spring time unlike @Stat_Brother and his GW, which is at least a lot easier to work on and change EV/PRV and AAV if required.