Combi Boiler - Pressure loop connected to mains

[Simon2101]

I recently had a new combi boiler fitted and it was requiring charging every day. I called company to say that there must be a leak on the system. The guy came out and fitted some connection to the mains, I am assuming it is a pressure regulating valve.
I think the leak must still be there but the system is just topping up the pressure from the mains all the time. I tried to query this but have not been given a satisfactory answer.
I have had a few combi boilers and have never heard of one being connected to the mains to keep the pressure.
Any comments welcome as I would like advice before taking this further. Am I just being paranoid?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Sounds like a quality install.

Have you paid them yet?

The filling hose should be disconnected when done filling. What boiler is it?

 

[Agile]

Are you some kind of tenant?

There is a leak on the system and the installer has fitted a pressure reducing valve to maintain the system pressure. I call that "feeding the leak"!

In a few months the new oxygen being provided will rust the rads from the inside and you can expect them to start leaking!

Thats a most irresponsible installer!

But as you will read on here there are a few real cowboys about!

Tony

 

[rjm2k]

Photos always help, is this company Gas Safe, did you get your installation certificates etc?

 

[ianmcd]

Agile is correct they have fitted a pressure reducing valve and set it at 1Bar or whatever your boiler guage is now showing, this will constantly top up the system and corrode it from the inside, ask your installer to locate the leak and repair it then remove the pressure reducing valve, they will probably want to introduce leak sealer to your system but depending on which boiler you have this may invalidate the warranty of the new boiler

 

[loafer]

dudes! vis-a-vis origibal post. Was it a sytem or back boiler conversion to a combi??? The original poster has not elucidated on this point!!!??? Did the installer check.....
gas drop test!? (ahem... first and most important)
find the d.o.c. (usually hidden away under the floor which has probably been covered with a laminate floor!!!
visual inspection of all rads blank n bleed rad valve connections...??? evidence of rust signifying rads kapput or valves dodgy.
Cannot understand why contractor hasnt filled and asked you to run system for a few days before returning to flush and inhibit??? Cleaner needs to go to work on system before flushing and inhibiting. There is obviously a leak on the new re-organised pipework or the old f&r. Short of totally inspecting all of the ch f&r pipework there is absolutely no complete gaurantee that if there was a pre-existing leakage that the new boiler pressure will not drop. Your installer should have checked this and informed you of this issue.
BTW... you said that you have had a few combi swaps! Why? either you have moved house a lot or the previous installations have been done by cowboys or you have had kerrapee boilers installed and havnt had them serviced and or maintained by competent gas safe engineers??? PLease elucidate. I am intrigued

 

[loafer]

btw dan is spot on correct. The filling loop should always be disconnected. faulty ballfix and or x2 check valves will cause pressurre to increase and or decrease...... and it stops people fiddling with em and overpressurising the system.

 

[Boilerman2]

The leak MUST be traced! I got involved in a similar scenario a few years ago, a PRV had been fitted to the filling loop to maintain pressure, the oil fired combi eventaully leaked we were contracted to replace, we however would not proceed untill we had traced the system leak, which was found to be under the concrete floor in the middle of the bungalow, by the time we dug the floor screed up to expose the leak we found a MASSIVE hole under the floor probably 10ft diameter!!! this led to the entire floor slab of the bungalow having to be re-poured and the house underpinned - it took 6 months to complete the work and was massively expensive!!

 

[Simon2101]

Thanks for the agreement on this, I was pretty sure it was the wrong thing to do.
It is a Grant Vortex boiler, very big unit stored outside with oil feed, not something I have ever had before so was a little uncertain.
I am now a tenant but still have my own properties, moved to Scotland with work and easier to rent.
This house has been recently been refurbished and every single job has been terrible, I actually threw the builders off the property half way through the kitchen installation as things so bad, but landlord set them back to work!!
This is adding to the list of things I am complaining about.

Good to hear comment about laminate flooring as already getting a bit 'fur' around the radiator pipes where the laminate is cut.