Potterton Puma 80 Boiler - low pressure warning light

[ComradeBT]

Hi everyone. My first post onto this site!

Background:
I have a Potterton Puma 80 boiler - 14 years old or so - which was already in situ into a property I moved into earlier this year. The water temperature when having a shower fluctuates each time from quite hot, through to luke warm then back to quite hot again. (you get use to it after a while). This has happened for several months. Additionally, n occasions the gas light goes out but each time I have managed to re-light it using the indicated process to do so on the boiler.

Today: the low pressure warning light has come on. I've checked the bar pressure gauage. The red needle is indicating a bar pressure of about 2.75 with the black needle at 0 (zero). I have no hot water flow at all.

Any advice on the first steps to take to see if I can get this working again? I know the boiler is old and I was thinking of replacing anyhow for a Worcester but if there is a simple solution then I'd try and get some extra life out of my Puma.

Many thanks!
Ben.

 

[ComradeBT]

Could anyone help me please? Still have no hot water or heating! Situation remains the same as described before.

Thank you!

 

[Dan Robinson]

the black needle is the reference.

Top the system up (described too many times to mention already on the forum as well as in the FAQ).

When the black needle is at around 1 to 1.5 the light should go out.

If it doesn't you have a blocked sensor.

 

[ChrisR]

Also - Look at the pcb. It has a red led which should go smartly on/off as you turn the hot water on and off. If it's lazy to go off, your boiler will overheat and you need a new flow switch.

Fluctuating hot water temp is not v common on Pumas. Are you in a particularly hard water area of London? I didn't think there were any, apart from Epsom. Could be a dud temp sensor - rare, or a dying pump, or ....

Pumas are easy if you find an old git who understands them. Just a couple of obsolete parts now.

 

[ComradeBT]

the black needle is the reference.

Top the system up (described too many times to mention already on the forum as well as in the FAQ).

When the black needle is at around 1 to 1.5 the light should go out.

If it doesn't you have a blocked sensor.

Hi Dan. Thanks for the response. I've been trying to find the the 'PV' valve (if, according to the FAQ's, that's the correct thing to do to top-up the pressure) within the Potterton Puma 80 but I'm not sure where to find it to be honest! I've managed to open up the front panel of the boiler so that I can now see the circult of wires that sit above the controls. Where is the PV valve located?

-- apologies, as I've never looked into the behind the scenes operation of a boiler before so I have no idea what I'm looking for!

Hope you can advise further?

Ben.

 

[Dan Robinson]

What is a pv valve?

You want the filling loop.

Probably under the boiler.

Certainly not in it.

 

[ComradeBT]

What is a pv valve?

You want the filling loop.

Probably under the boiler.

Certainly not in it.

Ok....and what is a filling loop? I can see two valves - a blue and a red for the water feeds I presume? Are these the filling loop? Or is it something completely different?

 

[ComradeBT]

Hi everyone. My first post onto this site!

Background:
I have a Potterton Puma 80 boiler - 14 years old or so - which was already in situ into a property I moved into earlier this year. The water temperature when having a shower fluctuates each time from quite hot, through to luke warm then back to quite hot again. (you get use to it after a while). This has happened for several months. Additionally, n occasions the gas light goes out but each time I have managed to re-light it using the indicated process to do so on the boiler.

Today: the low pressure warning light has come on. I've checked the bar pressure gauage. The red needle is indicating a bar pressure of about 2.75 with the black needle at 0 (zero). I have no hot water flow at all.

Any advice on the first steps to take to see if I can get this working again? I know the boiler is old and I was thinking of replacing anyhow for a Worcester but if there is a simple solution then I'd try and get some extra life out of my Puma.

Many thanks!
Ben.

*** UPDATE ***

I've managed to locate the filling loop handle and turning this to let water back into the boiler increased the bar pressure with the black needle moving to 1.5. However, just ten minutes later the pressure fell back down to 0 again. There is no water dripping out or leaking and I had no taps on. Can anyone advise again please? Thanks!!!

 

[Agile]

Probably leaking from the pressure release valve.

These are still repairable boilers.

You may need an old Git like Chris!

Tony

 

[ComradeBT]

Probably leaking from the pressure release valve.

These are still repairable boilers.

You may need an old Git like Chris!

Tony

Cheers Tony. Excuse my beginners take on all of this. I've never played around with a boiler before. I forgot to add that after re-pressurising to 1.5 bar, the low pressure warning light remained on.

What I do now have is water in my radiators but after re-pressurising again the bar is steadily dropping once more.

Any idea where the pressure release valve is? I can't see any evidence of water leaking anywhere.

 

[Agile]

Its on the right!

No evidence? But have you been outside to check the discharge pipe?

The police would not get far if they only looked for dead bodies inside the house!

They have to check OUTSIDE in the garden and not forgetting in the well!

 

[ComradeBT]

Its on the right!

No evidence? But have you been outside to check the discharge pipe?

The police would not get far if they only looked for dead bodies inside the house!

They have to check OUTSIDE in the garden and not forgetting in the well!

Luckily no wells here!!!

I'll check in daylight come Wednesday when I next get chance to look outside.
Thanks for your help so far. Are these valves easy to replace?
My Potterton Puma is probably 14 years old so I realised I'm probably heading to getting a replacement Worcester instead but I don't have the £2,000 it's going to cost to buy and install.

 

[Agile]

Not the easiest to replace.

But probably a different cause anyway!

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

They're a piece of pish to replace T. Five minutes max.

 

[ComradeBT]

They're a piece of pish to replace T. Five minutes max.

To Dan & Tony - thanks for your help so far. It's much appreciated. Will update you both when I check to see if there is any water coming out of the outflow pipe on Wednesday. No hot showers for a while yet. Grrr!