Glow Worm 30ci (Pressure Issue!!!)

[wild01]

Hi all, looks like this is a common problem with these units but all the ones I've read have no actual comeback from the person after problem fixed so we never know what the problem actually was.

My problem:

Unit = Glow Worm 30ci (3yrs old)

Fault = Loosing pressure and unable to refill

Action = Blue fill valve faulty, replaced. Also replaced high pressure valve (overflow outlet was dripping water).

Ongoing = System now looses pressure slowly as system cools i.e. after heating has been on (overflow pipe doesn't seem to be leaking?)
If refilled to 1.0bar and left overnight with heating off, no pressure is lost.

So far has cost me £100, £48 for the blue fill valve & the high pressure release valve with £50 labour.

Any advise or assistance would be greatly appreciated. I have my guy coming out next week to check it out but the more info I have the better.

 

[Deleted member 105431]

Common on these to have a kinked flexible hose to expansion vessel (can be unkinked by altering radius of bend). Check exp vsl charge and also disconnector (brass part of filling loop) for leakage. Glow worm do fixed price repairs for £215


01773 828100

 

[wild01]

Ok, yeah I'll get the exp vessel checked and the flexi and get back with results.


To be honest there is no way on earth the Glow Worm are getting a penny out of me! They maunfacture and sell a crap piece of kit they should be obiged to repair it! There are far too many people with faults all within a year or two of purchase and installation! **** pour in my book! Trading standards should be contacted really!

 

[Deleted member 105431]

To be honest there is no way on earth the Glow Worm are getting a penny out of me!

they've already had £50 worth of spares that cost them about a fiver to make. If you think the glow worms are bad you should count yourself lucky you don't have an Ideal!

 

[wild01]

Just to update on this, I up'd the pressure to 1.5 over night with the heating off and it held pressure so for me that rules out a pipe work leak. Checking the flexi hose and exp vessel is the key here I think but I will update once complete.

 

[wild01]

Well then ongoing saga continues! We have checked the pressure vessel and found the pressure was fairly low. When pressing down on the valve no water came out, just air so we assumed that the vessel was intact. We repressurised it to just over 1.0bar but once again the pressure drops out after the heating has been on.

Last night I switched off the water supply valves under the boiler unit as suggested on here and left it over night. When I checked this morning the pressure had dropped which indicates the boiler unit has a leak and not the copper piping system, is that right?

Not sure what to do next, I think it could be the vessel diaphragm that has perforated and is leaking, although not enough to let water in. I think that means the boiler needs to come off the wall too, agghh! Any idea how much a new pressure vessel costs?

Dangermouse was right. glow worm will no doubt be getting more of my dosh! ******s!

 

[wild01]

Hello folks, in the hope this will help some of you and just to round off this issue my combi boiler pressure issue (GW30ci) is now sorted. As stated we fitted a new high pressure release valve but the fault persisted. After checking the pressure vessel and all other possible faults it looks like this new high pressure valve was faulty from manufacturer. A replacement was ordered again from a different batch and it is now working fine and holding pressure.

I would strongly suggest avoiding using Glow Worm for your future heating needs, I know they probably aren't the worst out there but you could certainly go for better. I live in one of a row of 8 houses all fitted with Glow Worm 30ci and every one of us have had issues with them.

Glow Worm, you suck!

 

[Gasguru]

Well said, although your pile of junk was actually based on a Saunier Duvall design and very thoughtfully they have now pulled out of the UK.

 

[wild01]

Well I'll be stuffed! Guess what, yep, still buggered but have found the problem!

THE FLEXI HOSE IS BLOCKED!!!

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Took the bloody thing of myself tonight and clogged to buggery! So, new flexi hose and flush the system and I shoudl be right! Fingers bloody crossed!!!!

This is turning out to be a never ending saga, Tolkien eat your heart out!!!

 

[RedBeardPete]

Tell me how you unblocked it yourself!!!! I've wanted to do that for months!!!!!! I have had the same flexi hose problem on and off with our 30ci for a year or so. got an engineer to clear it but have since been afraid to do it myself as I thought you had to repressurize the expansion vessel afterwards with special equip and wasn't sure how to get round the back of the central valve to get at the flexi hose. Any advice much appreciated!!

 

[ChrisR]

"Special equip" = bike or car tyre pump.
See "Boiler Pressure Problems" in the FAQ section.

 

[wild01]

Re: RedBearPete; The flexi hose was completely block so I bought a new one. About £16 and the funny thing is it has been upgraded by the manufacturer to a large diameter hose so they obviously new there was an issue there (Tw@t's).

Replacing the flexi hose was a nightmare as it is very hard to access. You'll need long fingers and patience!!!. It is doable though. As for pressurizing the expansion vessel, just get a simple bike tyre pump either foot or standard. The valve is accessible from the top of the boiler unit and should be pressurised to between 1.0-1.5bar. Get a pressure gauge (£2-£5) from your local halfords or somewhere similar and test the pressure with this as the ones on the pumps are usually rubbish.

Hope this helps.

 

[RedBeardPete]

You're a star! Thank you. I had got into my head that you had to use the bike pump on the opening that the hose connects to! DOH!