Boiler grant but boiler doesn’t work! Please help’

andie_h

So I’ve had a system boiler previously and wanted to get a new combi boiler in with the grant. The boiler has low pressure and doesn’t work like it should. When I speak to the company they say this has nothing to do with them? Is this actually the case? Because the system boiler previously worked with no issues. Im not too sure what to do and if I’m liable to fix this or if the company that installed it is? 

Browntoa

Assume you mean no hot water pressure ? 

Sort of standard for a combination boiler.

System boiler would probably have had a megaflo or similar hot water tank for supplying the water at pressure. 

It's working as it should

andie_h

Browntoa said:

Assume you mean no hot water pressure ? 

Sort of standard for a combination boiler.

System boiler would probably have had a megaflo or similar hot water tank for supplying the water at pressure. 

It's working as it should

Thank you for the reply! It does lose pressure but without 2/3 hours? So there’s no hot water unless we re pressurise the boiler. I’m sure this isn’t supposed to happen right? Also would u know if it is done by a grant.. shouldn’t they properly assemble and fix this?

Grenage

Ah; that sounds like there's a leak; which may or may not be related to the installation of the new boiler.  It could have been there for years without you noticing.

andie_h

Grenage said:

Ah; that sounds like there's a leak; which may or may not be related to the installation of the new boiler.  It could have been there for years without you noticing.

Do you think it may be worth speaking to the installers or should I speak to someone separate to fix this? Would I be liable or is it the installers? 

Grenage

I don't know a great deal about boilers, but if there's not water visibly coming out of the boiler or the pressure release valve then it would seem unlikely that it's the boiler itself.

Now that it's a sealed system running at higher pressure, a leak could have appeared or become more obvious.  I don't think it's really the installer's fault in this instance.

Jeepers_Creepers

andie_h said:

So I’ve had a system boiler previously and wanted to get a new combi boiler in with the grant. The boiler has low pressure and doesn’t work like it should. When I speak to the company they say this has nothing to do with them? Is this actually the case? Because the system boiler previously worked with no issues. Im not too sure what to do and if I’m liable to fix this or if the company that installed it is? 

Hi Andie.

If your old boiler was a 'system' type, then that suggests it, too, was 'sealed' and pressurised. Did it have a pressure gauge?

If 'yes', then the new combi (which definitely is sealed and pressurised) shouldn't have added any extra strain on your system, so shouldn't - in itself - be responsible for your pressure drops.

There is a leak somewhere.

Who to call? Absolutely, in the first instance, it's the folk who installed the new combi. If it's a fault in the boiler or something they've done wrong with the installation, then they will almost certainly put it right FOC and say "Oops - sorry".

If it turns out to be a leak somewhere else - eg from a radiator or your existing pipework - then they will hopefully fix it for you, but you'll need to pay for this - which you would do in any case.

If, instead of calling the installer out first, you go to a local plumber and they find a fault in the boiler or installation, there's a good chance you won't be able to claim off the installer for this since you didn't give them the opportunity to put it right first. Fair enough?

Before calling anyone out, there are a few little checks you can do yourself:

Do you know the safety discharge pipe? This is 15mm copper, and goes outside your house near where the boiler is, and either points down at the ground or else bends back and points against the wall. Can you find this pipe? See if there's water dripping out of it.

When you top up the pressure - I presume to a round 1bar - what happens then? When you run the boiler (central heating), what does the pressure do? Does it remain steady? Go up? (If so, by how much?), or does it just steadily fall?

andie_h

Jeepers_Creepers said:

andie_h said:

So I’ve had a system boiler previously and wanted to get a new combi boiler in with the grant. The boiler has low pressure and doesn’t work like it should. When I speak to the company they say this has nothing to do with them? Is this actually the case? Because the system boiler previously worked with no issues. Im not too sure what to do and if I’m liable to fix this or if the company that installed it is? 

Hi Andie.

If your old boiler was a 'system' type, then that suggests it, too, was 'sealed' and pressurised. Did it have a pressure gauge?

If 'yes', then the new combi (which definitely is sealed and pressurised) shouldn't have added any extra strain on your system, so shouldn't - in itself - be responsible for your pressure drops.

There is a leak somewhere.

Who to call? Absolutely, in the first instance, it's the folk who installed the new combi. If it's a fault in the boiler or something they've done wrong with the installation, then they will almost certainly put it right FOC and say "Oops - sorry".

If it turns out to be a leak somewhere else - eg from a radiator or your existing pipework - then they will hopefully fix it for you, but you'll need to pay for this - which you would do in any case.

If, instead of calling the installer out first, you go to a local plumber and they find a fault in the boiler or installation, there's a good chance you won't be able to claim off the installer for this since you didn't give them the opportunity to put it right first. Fair enough?

Before calling anyone out, there are a few little checks you can do yourself:

Do you know the safety discharge pipe? This is 15mm copper, and goes outside your house near where the boiler is, and either points down at the ground or else bends back and points against the wall. Can you find this pipe? See if there's water dripping out of it.

When you top up the pressure - I presume to a round 1bar - what happens then? When you run the boiler (central heating), what does the pressure do? Does it remain steady? Go up? (If so, by how much?), or does it just steadily fall?

Thank you for your helpful reply! The old system boiler we had didn’t have a pressure gage. We literally just got this new combi boiler installed a few weeks ago.

Also thank you for the tips I will definitely have a look at the safety pipe and speak to the people who initially stalled it. It was done within the grant scheme and we also paid on top. It’s just a shame it doesn’t work as we expected it would. 

As for the pressure the boiler flashes LowP. To which we then top up the boiler to fill the pressure to 1.5 bar. The boiler fires up, the water and heating is hot but after approx 2/3 hours the pressure drops and we’re in the cold again. It isn’t consistent which is the issue, and I’m guessing there must be a leak somewhere as you said. It’s just so frustrating that we’d have to pay on top of what was already quite an expensive replacement, especially if the cause was because of a change in the boiler system. 

neilmcl

What about contacting the boiler manufacturer via your warranty.

andie_h

neilmcl said:

What about contacting the boiler manufacturer via your warranty.

I definitely shall call them! Maybe they can steer me in the right direction to getting this properly sorted. Thank you!! 

Jeepers_Creepers

andie_h said:

Thank you for your helpful reply! The old system boiler we had didn’t have a pressure gage. We literally just got this new combi boiler installed a few weeks ago.

Also thank you for the tips I will definitely have a look at the safety pipe and speak to the people who initially stalled it. It was done within the grant scheme and we also paid on top. It’s just a shame it doesn’t work as we expected it would. 

As for the pressure the boiler flashes LowP. To which we then top up the boiler to fill the pressure to 1.5 bar. The boiler fires up, the water and heating is hot but after approx 2/3 hours the pressure drops and we’re in the cold again. It isn’t consistent which is the issue, and I’m guessing there must be a leak somewhere as you said. It’s just so frustrating that we’d have to pay on top of what was already quite an expensive replacement, especially if the cause was because of a change in the boiler system. 

Ah, so the original boiler was supplied by a small tank in the loft?

It is reasonably common, when there's a change to a 'sealed' and 'pressurised' system, for any dodgy pipes or joints to start leaking due to the extra pressure. That's not the boiler's fault, just the fact there's some weak parts in the old pipework and rads.

We don't know that's the case here, tho'.

If the pressure falls within a few hours of being topped up, then that suggests a significant leak - which is good! Ie, it should be obvious and easier to trace. We are probably talking about 2 or three cupfulls of water each time.

Look at every rad and visible pipe in your house - a leak there should be very obvious. But mainly check that pipe outside.

Don't bother with the boiler manufacturer - call out the installer. That's your first port of call.