Potterton Performa 28i - low pressure - radiatiors not work

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Hi

I've just moved into a rented house and my swish looking combi boiler doesnt seem to want to heat my house.

Hot water isnt an issue but I cant seem to get the radiators working.

I had a similar issue with an old combi in another house I rented, and to solve it I needed to open a valve somewhere which raised the pressure.

So I checked the pressure read out on the Performa and low and behold its down on zero.
Theres a sticker near it that states optimum operation between 1 and 3 and if its under .5 and over 3.5 to call an engineer.

I'm presuming all i need to do is raise the pressure bar but after searching on the net I've not found any instructions that show me how to do this.
As I said on my other boiler it was a matter of simply turning a handle (I presume to let some water in or something) and the pressure bar rose.

Thanks for any help you can offer, I really am rubbish with these kinds of things.

Andy

EDIT:
I have had a look through the stickies and cant seem anything that leaps out to me for my problem.
It all seems to be about proper boilers and sealed systems and radiator flushing things that seem a little different to what I'm expecting to be told.
Thanks again for any help :D
 
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Look for the filling loop perhaps under your boiler!

Your landlord/agent should have shown you where.

Look in the FAQ section of this site for details.

Tony
 
Thanks Tony

As I mentioned I have suffered a similar problem with another boiler so I knew what I was looking for to fix it.

Unfortunately I can't seem to find a flex pipe with a tap on it.

Having looked online I found a manual pdf which showed me that two of the three taps attached to the bottom of the combi are inlets.
One is for hot water and the other for radiators.
I hope I've read it right (I'll search for a link and post it here).

I've tried turning each and nothing happens, no flowing water noise and no increase bar.

Is there anything else i need to do?
Turn something else somewhere?
Switch the combi off?
Lower the thermostat?
Wait longer with the taps open?

As I said I cant find the flexible pipe thats suggested in the FAQ and that i had on the old boiler which fixed the problem.

Its wierd as the hot water works fine, despite the lack of pressure, and I cant figure out how to increase the pressure with the three taps available to me...

Cheers for any more info and suggestions

Andy
 
Its not part of the boiler and may be anywhere in the property depending on the installer.

Sometimes they are hidden behind the washing machine, in another room or as one I found, under the floor boards!

Tony
 
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You'll have to look harder for a fiilling loop somewhere, unless the installation is fed by a header tank in a loft, which is possible though I don't think it's supposed to be!

If there's enough boiler system pressure for the HW to operate, then the CH should as well. The boiler doesn't differentiate.
 
ChrisR said:
You'll have to look harder for a fiilling loop somewhere, unless the installation is fed by a header tank in a loft, which is possible though I don't think it's supposed to be!

If there's enough boiler system pressure for the HW to operate, then the CH should as well. The boiler doesn't differentiate.

Thats what's confusing me
When i had the problem before the combi wouldnt fire up at all.
Now it seems that the hot water is ok, its just the radiators that wont work.
The combi doesnt even want to kick in for the heating, and I have no idea why that could be.

Will the thing im looking for definately be a flexible pipe?
Theres a tap on the wall at the other end of the kitchen, but i think thats my main water shut off tap...
 
Just had a quick look behind the washing machine and thats where it was lurking.

Theres a flexi pipe back there but with no tap on it.
Instead theres a stopper or something by the looks of it.
It has a screw end on (as in i was able to fit a thick flat head screw driver in it). Managed to manage a tiny quater turn and a drip began to form so I tightened it back up, wont be undoing that anytime soon.

Do they sometimes get capped off instead of having taps on them.

Also the Performa 28i "instruction" sticker on the inside of the flap which reveals the dials and buttons it says that the pressure gague is the "central heating pressure gague" so I guess it does deal with the heating and water seperately.

There seems to be to inlet taps too on the combi itself, one for the heating one for the water.


PDF with taps on combi explained here

PDF manual here

Thanks again all, sorry to be such a pain with this
 
Dont try to put complicated interpretations into simple instructions!

The pressure gauge shows the boiler internal operating pressure which is for CH and DHW.

The filling loop will have a screwdriver slot valve at the supply end.

It will be at 90 degrees to the pipe line. Turn it to be in line with the pipe and the pressure should rise. Parts may leak a little so have a cloth handy.

Tony
 
OK, I'll give it a go.

However this scares me a little:

Agile said:
Parts may leak a little so have a cloth handy.

If I flood my kitchen I will post pics ;)
 
NB the loop might have a tap/valve at BOTH ends. Obviously they both have to be open... :p
 

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