Heating Pressure

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

Morning, now im sure this has been discussed many times but I cannot find anything specific to my case. I have an Ideal Logic Heat 15, just a year old, as is the whole system. It had its first service in August, and all was fine, until Monday when I wanted the heating on for the first time this year. After using the heating, the pressure dropped to around 0.6bar on the separate gauge under the red vessel. Strange I thought, so I topped it back up to 1bar as per the house builders notes. But it keeps dropping. What could cause this on a system that was fine until it got serviced? Of course, I will call someone out if the problem persists but I just wondered if there is anything I might be able to do to rectify it, such as a valve mistakingly not put back in its correct position. It is a maze of pipework in the airing cupboard as it is with the hot water cylinder too, so don't like touching what I don't understand. I have done the basic checks, no leaks, no faulty radiators...... Can anyone advise before I pay a fortune out?

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

Appologies, I have made a right pigs ear of attaching the images and somehow ended up with my text right in the middle. Sorry.

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

Update. After interogating the other half, it would appear that in her wisdom she tried topping up the heating system to 1bar by turning the red valve seen in picture 3 which i believe to be a pressure relief valve, which would explain why the pressure went even lower. After some reading on the FAQ on here am i right in thinking that once this has been used, it will leak forever more???? Hence why the pressure is constantly dropping........... after i have done it the right way via the filling loop? Please tell me i am correct and i will get someone to change it right away, probably going to cost a fortune too.

TCCHeating · 3 Oct 2015

The pipe from the prv should terminate somewhere outside. Go and find it and see if it is dripping. If it is you may be able to re-seat it by opening and closing it a few times. If that doesn't work, you need to get an engineer to replace it.

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

The pipe from the prv definately does not go outside, i think it may be plumbed into the internal plumbing of the house(?) there is no evidence on the external wall of it appearing outside. Could it go into the white discharge pipe from underneathe the boiler into the internal house plumbing?

TCCHeating · 3 Oct 2015

In the pic it goes through the wall. Whats behind that wall? It shouldn't go into the white plastic pipe under the boiler. May be worth ringing the installers and asking them where they terminated the prv pipe

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

The pipe does go into the wall. To the other side of that wall, is outside/external wall. The only thing that comes out of that wall on the outside, is the vent(?) from the boiler/where the steam comes from. And, the gas pipe at wery low level where the gas enters the building.

TCCHeating · 3 Oct 2015

Can't help you any further then. If it goes through an outside wall but doesn't appear on the other side. It's a bit of a mystery! Contact the installers

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

Im wondering if it might go into a soil pipe within the wall or a down pipe for rain water to the other side of the wall, but not at home to check just yet

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

On reflection after looking at a pic of my house, what i thought was the gas inward pipe in the black cover could be the prv termination exiting the wall at low level, perhaps? The boiler is upstairs directly above this little black pipe. As on reflection, gas will enter the house where the meter is, surely?

duncan1984 · 3 Oct 2015

After looking at the outside of the house, where the black pipe comes out, that is infact the PRV termination. There is evidence of it been used from where i have opened the valve upstairs (to try resettling the valve shut) as the gravel is wet. So i am going to give it a few hours to dry, and put a saucer or bag around it and see it it collects water later when heating on. Is this correct? And if it does, its the PRV that is not shutting properly, resulting in loss of pressure, even when boiler not in use?

duncan1984 · 4 Oct 2015

Update. I have had a clear food bag over the PRV termination pipe outside, and no water has been collected in the bag. So what could it be? There are no visible leaks, i have checked every bit that is accesible, obviously i cant get into the walls. Could any other valve be faulty or the red cylender itself?

Steelmasons · 4 Oct 2015

Could of had it sorted by now.

What a waste of time.

duncan1984 · 4 Oct 2015

steelmasons said:
Could of had it sorted by now.

What a waste of time.

How do you mean? I am trying to find out what the problem is before stuff gets replaced at a cost that might not need doing? An engineer is coming tomorrow.

duncan1984 · 5 Oct 2015

UPDATE. The Central Heating Engineer has just attended and concluded that it is not the PRV. He has now switched the boiler off, filled up the pressure on the gauge to 2bar, and put a bucket under the condense pipe. Apparently this will give more of an idea if it is the Heat Exchanger in the boiler that is at fault, or a leak in the system (which at present is not visible). The gauge has already started dropping, but no water in the bucket so far, just one drip.

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Heating Pressure

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