Help with Valiant Boiler

We have just moved into a new house and it has a Valiant VCGB 142 E. I thought it was a combi boiler which we had in our old house but I have since found out that it is connected to an emersion tank upstairs.

Our problem is that the house has been empty for about 1 year and the instructions for the boiler seem to be very vague.

The water pressure dial on the front of the boiler seems to fluctuate from nothing to max depending on certain conditions. When we filled it up by the filling loop on moving in, as soon as the heating switches on the pressure shoots upto max and we have to use the other valve to release some of the water. When the heating switches off the pressure slowly drops to 0 again. I don't like leaving the heating on when we go out so at the moment we are coming home to a freezing cold house.

If i need to call someone out I will but I thought there might be something we could do ourselves beforehand to maybe save some money calling someone out. Everything we have gone to do in this house has thrown up lots of problems that have cost us money to rectify.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

You have a faulty expansion vessel on the boiler. It may only be necessary to restore it's precharge pressure, although it's quite likely to need replacement. If so, it's much cheaper to fit a new generic expansion vessel externally to the boiler.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
I am assuming that this is something that needs to be done by a professional.

British Gas have offered us a home maintenance service costing £16 a month which means that they will come out and fix our boiler and then maintain it. I think I will just sign up with them and let them deal with the problem.

I dont think you can call them within the first few weeks at that price.

If you start with a fault its about £24 a month.

Tony

sarahred777 said:

British Gas have offered us a home maintenance service costing £16 a month which means that they will come out and fix our boiler and then maintain it.

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...except that they won't cover problems caused by sludge, which could be anything as far as you know. They'll try to sell you overpriced power flushing, if not a new boiler when all it needs is a new part. They're sharks - stay clear of them.