Worcester boiler - 0 pressure

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  • boliston
    boliston Posts: 3,012 Forumite
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    Le_Kirk wrote: »
    Suggest you find a local heating engineer (one who is Gas Safe registered, or whichever is this week's controlling body and can also do plumbing work) who will then check/pump up your expansion vessel and replace the valves on your filling loop.

    I have got a similar problem as I can only set the radiators to a low temp (warm not hot) as any higher and the pressure gauge goes into the red. Had my boiler about 12 years from new but does the expansion vessel normally "die" (and need expensive replacement) or can it be pumped up again? I have read you can use a bike pump.

    I never need "hot" radiators as my flat stays warm even in cold weather but it would be nice not to have to limit the radiator temp.
  • Alex1983
    Alex1983 Posts: 958 Forumite
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    boliston wrote: »
    I have got a similar problem as I can only set the radiators to a low temp (warm not hot) as any higher and the pressure gauge goes into the red. Had my boiler about 12 years from new but does the expansion vessel normally "die" (and need expensive replacement) or can it be pumped up again? I have read you can use a bike pump.

    I never need "hot" radiators as my flat stays warm even in cold weather but it would be nice not to have to limit the radiator temp.

    Your expansion vessel should be checked and recharged as necessary on a annual service. If yours is not split it can be recharged, if it's split then you'll need a replacement.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    edited 10 June 2017 at 1:51PM
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    Alex1983 wrote: »
    Your expansion vessel needs checking, suspect it's flat and that's why the pressure went to 3 with the heating on, when it went to 3 in probably starting discharging out the pressure relief pipework, a small copper pipe sticking outside somewhere.

    This ^^

    They have a simple car/bike valve, which can leak over time.

    Simple job, find the valve, attach bicycle pump, pump to 1 bar and your sorted.

    You can do this yourself by removing the outer cover, you CANNOT open any part of the actual sealed area of the boiler (where all the gas stuff happens).
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Alex1983
    Alex1983 Posts: 958 Forumite
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    Strider590 wrote: »
    This ^^

    They have a simple car/bike valve, which can leak over time.

    Simple job, find the valve, attach bicycle pump, pump to 1 bar and your sorted.

    You can do this yourself by removing the outer cover, you CANNOT open any part of the actual sealed area of the boiler (where all the gas stuff happens).

    This is NOT the correct way to recharge a expansion vessel. The system needs emptying of pressure and the drain off left open when recharging, the pressure needs inflating to the stated pressure on the existing expansion vessel, if you put to much in you will get the same problem. Leave it to a qualified person.
  • Alex1983
    Alex1983 Posts: 958 Forumite
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    Also removing the case on a lot of boilers, including all the Worcester greenstar range disturbs the combustion seal and needs doing by a gas safe registered engineer.
  • southcoastrgi
    southcoastrgi Posts: 6,298 Forumite
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    Strider590 wrote: »

    Simple job, find the valve, attach bicycle pump, pump to 1 bar and your sorted.

    You can do this yourself


    A little knowledge & all that
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  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    edited 11 June 2017 at 5:08PM
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    Alex1983 wrote: »
    This is NOT the correct way to recharge a expansion vessel. The system needs emptying of pressure and the drain off left open when recharging, the pressure needs inflating to the stated pressure on the existing expansion vessel, if you put to much in you will get the same problem. Leave it to a qualified person.

    Done ok for me, worst that can happen is too much pressure, but then the system will blow off the excess through the safety valve (at around 3 bar)....

    Granted I should have said to fully discharge the expansion vessel first, fill the system to around 0.5bar and then pumped 1bar into the vessel again, simple maths, but that's all getting a bit complex.

    I've done a lot of work on my boiler, changing stats, changing the timer, repairing the control PCB, but I know that there are legal issues involved with going near the sealed areas, so I stay clear of those.

    Maybe there's some protectionism going on here, I totally get that, protecting ones income etc, revealing secrets/tips/tricks could affect income for people in that line of work, but it's also a money saving forum. Gas technicians up and down the country are hardly going to be affected by a forum like this, no matter how much traffic it receives.
    “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right to make an a** of yourself.”

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  • Rubidium
    Rubidium Posts: 663 Forumite
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    southcoastrgi wrote: »
    A little knowledge & all that

    Total lack of knowledge, even after posting this load of rubbish!

    :rotfl:
    Strider590 wrote: »
    Done ok for me, worst that can happen is too much pressure, but then the system will blow off the excess through the safety valve (at around 3 bar)....

    Granted I should have said to fully discharge the expansion vessel first, fill the system to around 0.5bar and then pumped 1bar into the vessel again, simple maths, but that's all getting a bit complex.

    I've done a lot of work on my boiler, changing stats, changing the timer, repairing the control PCB, but I know that there are legal issues involved with going near the sealed areas, so I stay clear of those.

    Maybe there's some protectionism going on here, I totally get that, protecting ones income etc, revealing secrets/tips/tricks could affect income for people in that line of work, but it's also a money saving forum. Gas technicians up and down the country are hardly going to be affected by a forum like this, no matter how much traffic it receives.
  • Alex1983
    Alex1983 Posts: 958 Forumite
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    Strider590, I am fully qualified and I don't think you understand how to correctly recharge a expansion vessel, I don't think the correct way to do it is a secret and I'd happily explain how to as you've now suggested 2 incorrect ways of doing it.
  • thescouselander
    thescouselander Posts: 5,542 Forumite
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    Alex1983 wrote: »
    Also removing the case on a lot of boilers, including all the Worcester greenstar range disturbs the combustion seal and needs doing by a gas safe registered engineer.


    Why would the OP need to do that? All the valves needed to complete recharging of the expansion vessel are accessible from the outside without disturbing anything.
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