Very low water pressure on gauge on combi-boiler

Rochdale_Guy

Hi, bit worried as the pressure on my shower has been really pathetic since the "authorised" central heating engineer did the annual service on behalf of the council in my rented flat last month.

Totally unrelated (or it may be), is the fact the my toilet makes a horrendous fog-horn racket as soon as you flush it, then carries on until the cistern has filled. Bet my neighbours love me NOT :mad:

Anyway, I was sick of the the bathroom radiator (well I call it a radiator but you can only put a face cloth on it, its so small!) being stone cold so went and bled it (when the central heating was off).

Now the pressure gauge on the combi boiler (a Worcester GREENSTAR 'H'E ZWB 7-30 / R30HE combi) is just above "0" on the gauge when its meant to always be just above "1" in the green zone.

I have googled this and found this helpful site that explains the pressure will drop when you bleed the radiators

http://www.ultimatehandyman.org/video/central-heating/radiator-bleeding.php

I'm not telling you how to bleed a radiator, just wanted to share the video so you can hear him say that. BTW - I have found out that council tenants are NOT meant to bleed their own radiators as we don't know what we are doing and will flood our flats. No, seriously, when I moved in and asked for a radiator key, they said you don't need to bleed the radiators. Well, in over 15 years of living here, no workman has ever done it as part of a service and safety check. How can they say a radiator doesn't need bleeding?

Anyway I digress, sorry.

I bled the offending bathroom radiator and it nows gets hot like it should, but as above the pressure gauge has dropped right down. It slowly rises when the central heating is on, but then drops again

So, seeing as I am out at work all day and dont want to book a days leave waiting in for some engineer, is there anything I can do myself - and NO, I am not going to touch anything and blow up this block of flats.

The same useful website also has a page and easy to understand video on how to "top up" a combi-boiler (after some numb skill cold tenant has bled a radiator), but I can't do this myself as the pipe flex needed isn't left in place, good job as it's illegal apparently.

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/TOPPING_UP_A_COMBI_BOILER.htm

So, is there anything I can do myself, or am I gonna have to spend an already lonely upcoming Xmas waiting in for a council workman to come and mess up my carpets with his mucky boots and disturb my already annoyed neighbours? They won't take their footwear off "as it's a health and safety" issue apparantly.

Will the noisy toilet also be cured due to the pressure problem?

Apologies to any central heating engineers who will probably NOT post a reply on here due to my lack of respect for them in this post, I am only kidding. It's just the ones round my way contracted by the council that put Victor Meldrew to shame.
So, any budding Hercule Poirots will know I mean Rochdale Council, ahem!

Sorry, and thank you also in advance.

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lesalanos

On a combi there is normally a filling loop under the boiler. By filling the system with this it will increase the pressure

ormus

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3652569

have a look at this recent thread.
itll help you.

Rochdale_Guy

See page 11 of the user manual here:

http://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/homeowner/literature/discontinued-boiler-literature/discontinued-gas-boiler-literature/greenstar-30-he-combi-discontinued-august-2003-literature

Product literature
User manual for Greenstar HE boilers (discontinued Aug 03)

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080410142934AA1wfGa

Rochdale_Guy

lesalanos wrote: »

On a combi there is normally a filling loop under the boiler. By filling the system with this it will increase the pressure

What filling loop? I guess I need the one below which I don't have.
(You don't think they'd leave a council tenant a flex do you? We might strangle ourselves with it)

:mad:



Sorry again, bad day at the office.
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Canucklehead

Hi.

You should have the 'key' method of charging pressure, unless the installers fitted filling loops to avoid problems with tenants losing them. You won't fill the system without the key or, the braided steel loop.Sorry.

I'm suprised it works at all with the pressure that low. If the boiler is the high point of the system then beware of pulling air into the boiler from the auto air vent.If the boiler gets noisy that's why.

The WC ballvalve needs a new washer.

GSR.

Rochdale_Guy

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi.

You should have the 'key' method of charging pressure, unless the installers fitted filling loops to avoid problems with tenants losing them. You won't fill the system without the key or, the braided steel loop.Sorry.

I'm suprised it works at all with the pressure that low. If the boiler is the high point of the system then beware of pulling air into the boiler from the auto air vent.If the boiler gets noisy that's why.

The WC ballvalve needs a new washer.

GSR.

Many many thanks Canucklehead, I appreciate your straightforward reply. Wish you worked in Rochdale!

I cannot see any filling loop flex

Can you tell from having a quick look at the manual if I can do anything without?

I do appreciate this, thank you :beer:

Rochdale_Guy

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi.

The WC ballvalve needs a new washer.

GSR.

Is this something I can do myself, or as above, do I have to call someone out from the housing...

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Canucklehead

Hi.

It seems yours is not the key type.

Do you have the manual?

If you can find the valves that the filling loop connects to then a shower hose (it has half inch thread) should fit. Make sure the washer is in the end. Open one valve fully , then slowly open the other. It will fill quickly.1 Bar will do.

Ball valve washer.

As long as you can turn off the water under the cistern then you can fiddle about I suppose. If it all goes wrong at least you won't flood the place!
It depends on the type of ball valve you have as to the type of washer you need. Most likely a standard diaphram.


How to....


GSR.


PS don't tell the council. I'll deny all knowledge.:)

Rochdale_Guy

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi.
If you can find the valves that the filling loop connects to then a shower hose (it has half inch thread) should fit. Make sure the washer is in the end. Open one valve fully , then slowly open the other. It will fill quickly.1 Bar will do.

Ball valve washer.

As long as you can turn off the water under the cistern then you can fiddle about I suppose. If it all goes wrong at least you won't flood the place!
It depends on the type of ball valve you have as to the type of washer you need. Most likely a standard diaphram.


How to....


GSR.


PS don't tell the council. I'll deny all knowledge.:)

Thanks, I *DO* have the manual but it means nothing to me

If you can find the valves that the filling loop connects to then a shower hose (it has half inch thread) should fit.

Eh? Pardon? Er, where would this be exactly please on p23 of the manual? What valves? All I can see are those 5 pipes coming from underneath it

By the way, I was gonna have a bath but am worried as the pressure gauge has dropped to just above "0" again. This is like 2 hours after I had the central heating on

As for the toilet, there is no "tap" or stopcock thingy, just a vertical pipe with a white plastic egg shaped dial on it!

I'm an embarrassment to mankind arent I?!
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Owain_Moneysaver

you can buy boiler filling loops in B&Q etc.

If you need a charging key you can get them here. However a google at the manual suggests that you should have connections for a filling loop but it may be separate from the boiler. Basically it's a temporary pipe between the cold water main and the radiator circuit.

I think you need to get the council back in, they seem to have caused the problem.

And stock up with overshoes to protect the carpets.