Ideal Response 120 fluctuating pressure and expansion vessel

[heliosuk]

Both CH and DHW down. Re-pressurised system and no effect. Tapped pressure sensor with little hammer and warning light went off. Changed pressure switch and all back to normal. On taking out switch noticed a lot of crud stopping flow to switch.
Now cannot control pressure and overflow coming in. Have to repressurise system each morning.

Manual suggests faulty expansion vessel but which one, there are two. A round one beneath the boiler and one ( according to the manual) on the right hand side.

Me thinks draining down the system and running a cleaner through at double strength could help. Any ideas.

From 0.2 bar to topping up to 0.5 bar obviously makes the system work but then it runs geting close to 3 bar which I think is excessive.

Any help in tying down affected part or known issues would be much appreciated as was recently made redundant and cannot afford a boiler engineer. Normally I would get one in. Am a vehicle engineer by trade so not daft either.

[Agile]

Look at the FAQ about repressurising the expansion vessel.

Its the red one!

Tony

__________________
ARGI Registered Engineer

[mlcinfl]

Agile wrote:

Look at the FAQ about repressurising the expansion vessel. Its the red one! Tony

Maybe he has two expansion vessels, due to the size of the system? If so then either one could cause the problem.

[Agile]

mlcinfl wrote:

Maybe he has two expansion vessels, due to the size of the system?

Or maybe he is refering to the shock arrestor on the cold water inlet?

Tony

__________________
ARGI Registered Engineer

[ChrisR]

Did you clean out the crud from the part the pressure switch screws into as well as the switch itself?
DOn't bother with a system cleaner just now though.

The valve for the pressure vessel is under a plate on top, on the right, about hand size.

[mlcinfl]

Agile wrote:

mlcinfl wrote: Maybe he has two expansion vessels, due to the size of the system? Or maybe he is refering to the shock arrestor on the cold water inlet? Tony

Too true,

Hang about, we don't even know what boiler we're talking about.

[swbjackson]

According to the title on the thread it'san Ideal Response 120.

__________________
Mike

[heliosuk]

Thanks for the responses guys. There appears to be 2 expansion vessels. One on the left hand side which is on the DHW feed pipe and another hidden one on the right. The one on the left is ball shaped and is below the boiler. It has a schrader valve on it. The other according to the manual is a long rectangular one behind the control boards. This involves quite a bit of dismantling to get at.

As the round one seems to be the only one easily accesible, I take it that this is the one the manual refers to about re-pressurising. I have changed the schraeder valve and tried to pump up to one bar but it won't have it. I then started to question why an expansion vessel would be fitted on the DHW inlet side and is this really the vessel they are refering to as pressure fluctates only with the heating on. This leads me to think it is probably the main one on the right behind the control panels.

Given that the pressure switch appears to be on the feed to the other expansion chamber and there was crud in it ( cleaned out as best possible) now makes me think it's this one causing the problem, however I can't see any easily accessible valve to re-pressurise it.

Do these vessels often go wrong as if so and I have to major dismantle to get at it I might as well change it.

[nickso]

remove the panel on the right hand top of the boiler. this gives access to the shrader to repressurise (as long as your flue doesnt exit over it). read the FAQ's on how to do it properly.

[heliosuk]

Thanks Guys!

From the last note I repressurised the system and it is a lot more stable. Will drain down system tomorrow and flush and follow through the FAQ answers. Am still convinced there is too much crud in it so will run a cleaner through it and flush. As I have the time at the moment it should pay off if this stuff works as can only improve it. Seems like I'm going in the right direction now.

If not then will be a toss up between replacing the boiler or the unit. £100 at least for an expansion vessel but £500 for a new set up.

Will have to work out the odds etc for the best way.

Thanks for your help. If you ever have a problem with air suspension or steering/handling on your car I'd be pleased to help!

[nickso]

you wont go far wrong in replacing an ideal, even less wrong in replacing a response.

do you sell air suspension or just fix it? custom or manufacturer only?