Saunier Duval help/advice needed please

RowaN

I have a Saunier Duval boiler (I think boiler is the right word.. I'm not very clued up here) in my flat (not sure the model number). I've run into a couple of problems...

A long while ago when I had it serviced, the engineer told me that whenever the pressure gauge got below a certain level, theres a value I should open until the pressure goes back up. The thing is, I can't remember if I'm supposed to turn the boiler off (i.e. stop it so the flame goes out) before I do this, or if its ok to do it while its turned on. I've been turning it when its turned on.. but then water slowly drips out of the bottom over a few days during which time the pressure goes right back down to where it started. Time for a new one? Am I risking blowing myself up?

Next problem.. recently, the boiler ONLY seems to give me hot water when I have the external thermostat turned up high enough to click (so the radiators come on). It never used to work like this - I used to get hot water from my taps even when the thermostat was turned way down.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.. the company that used to service my boiler no longer answer the phone! Not sure if I could afford paying them £60 to service it at the moment anyway..

robowen

Best to put water in when the boiler is cold.
Introducing cold water into a hot boiler is not a good Idea and can fracture the heat exchanger.

When cold, the pressure should be around the 1-1.5bar mark.

Water coming out 'of the bottom' is not a good sign and should be looked at ..obviously. I'd need to see it to to tell you where from.

If you only get hot water when the heating is on, this is 1 sign of a divertor problem. Your plumber should check the diaphram inside the valve, this may have perished.

Hope this helps

rob

RowaN

By cold, do you mean stopped? Or can I do it when the flame is lit but its not doing anything (thermostat turned down). Thanks for all the info.

robowen

RowaN wrote:

By cold, do you mean stopped? Or can I do it when the flame is lit but its not doing anything (thermostat turned down). Thanks for all the info.

Cold means cold. When the heating hasn't been on for a while and the system is cold.
The pilot light can still be lit.

rob