Boiler pressure increasing

rwmorris

Hi all,

So, forgive me, since moving out from my parents years ago, I have never had to deal with my own boiler, ever, I know this makes me sound like a stupid millennial but I have just always lived in apartment buildings with shared heating systems.

I'm now living in my own place. The property was empty for the whole of July and I moved in August. I do seem to recall when we moved in and I checked all the cupboards that what I presumed was the boiler pressure gauge was high-ish, but didn't think too much of it and, again, I've never dealt with a boiler before myself. I just assumed this was normal.

Two weeks ago I came home and noticed that there was water all over the kitchen counter. I assumed the washing up had drained accidentally a bit onto the side, didn't think anything more of it. Noticed it again a few days late, thought the same.

I eventually realised something was wrong when I noticed that the boiler was actually dripping onto the side about once every 30 seconds. It wasn't messy washing up, it was the boiler!

Landlord sent round a plumber yesterday who informed me the digital readout next to the gauge was showing 5.4 bar (and this is really bad, again, I didn't know). He reduced the pressure to basically zero, then refilled it, reduced again, then got it sitting perfectly right.

Three hours later and the boiler was nearly back to red (around 3.8 bar on the digital readout), so I bleed another radiator. This morning and I get up, around 8 hours later, pressure is sitting back at 3 bar. I'm reducing it each time to about 1.4 bar or so.

Basically, I assume there's something wrong here, but have I broken it from it sitting at such high pressure for so long, or is it just sorting itself out after presumably weeks of being too high?

Will it require another call out?

Browntoa

What pressure does it show when off ?

Pressure does rise when in use sometimes

rwmorris

Well I'm not using the heating, right now, only the hot water. Overnight it was left as is, nothing running, still increased to 3 by this morning.

JimmyChanga

When he refilled it did he then remove the filling loop (silver flexible braided pipe)? Possibly that valve is not closed properly.

Usually water should be being ejected by the pressure relief valve if it goes near 3 bar. Unless this is some other system I've not heard of.

nofoollikeold

1. What make and model is the boiler?
2. How is it re-pressurised, filling loop (metal braided loop with valve(s) at each / one end), or key / valves fitted under boiler?

rwmorris

Nope, still connected, but valve is definitely on the 'closed' position, although I take your point that the valve itself could be defective.

Honestly, have absolutely no idea how it got to 5.4 bar, it was at the extreme end of the red section of the gauge, and the digital display had actually been flashing to show the bar pressure, I just hadn't thought to check it or look at it. When he bled the radiator it did, at first, come out with quite some force.

I don't know when it was installed. It's a Vaillant ecotec plus 831.

rwmorris

I don't think it's a filling 'loop' it seems to just be direct water pipes going into it with a valve at the top just before it hits the boiler.

It's a Vaillant ecotec plus 831.

TELLIT01

If the pressure is increasing as described it certainly suggests that the valve isn't closing fully. Time to get a boiler engineer out.

JimmyChanga

Also get the pressure relief valve checked out. You shouldn't be hitting 5+ bar if it were working correctly.

rwmorris

Thanks all.

Heading home shortly so I'll check if the pressure's increased again. I think it might be time to get the landlord's plumber back again.

naf123

I'm no plumber but it does look like the filling loop is valve is faulty . Did plumber replace it ?