Glow Worm 18hxi F1 fault

JonSt · 21 Jan 2010

Hi, I've just moved into a new house with a Glow worm 18hxi boiler. I keep getting an F1 fault and it turns itself off. I have little info on the boiler and the estate agent (its a rented property) says I need to check the pressure of the system before they will send someone out to help, and then not help me with how I do that!

How do I check the pressure, being a complete newbie to central heating as my previous house had storage heaters?

I read some where that it could be the PCB(?) a filter box or a seal somewhere. Does anyone have any experience of this and what I can do to check the pressure?

Thanks.

Tibbot · 21 Jan 2010

The hxi is supplied as open vent so may not have pressure gauge. Look in your loft, if there is a small 4 gallon tank connected then there is no pressure to be read.

JonSt · 21 Jan 2010

Thanks Tibbot. I have looked in the loft and there is nothing, as this is a 3 storey house, I have the water tank on the middle floor. In the cupboard are two smaller tanks, see below:

Untitled

JonSt
21 Jan 2010
1

Is it the white one? What else can I check with the boiler to see what is faulty?

glasgowgas · 21 Jan 2010

in your pic, to the right of the pressure gauge (on the red expansion vessel) is a silver braided hose

follow this hose until you come across a 1/4 turn black handled valve

open valve slowly until gauge pressure reads 1.5 bar

JonSt · 21 Jan 2010

Thanks for that, there are two 1/4 turn valves on this hose. Have turned them both slowly to open and the pressure has gone up, but only to 1.1. I've put the heating on and turned it up but it isn't going up.

Is 1.1 bar satisfactory?

Agile · 21 Jan 2010

If I was not a boiler engineer then I would have been surprised that a tennant cannot find and read a pressure gauge.

Now, I am never surprised about what tennants cannot do.

In fact its what tenants DO that encourages some landlords to remove the flexible silver hose to prevent tenants over presurising systems!

Tony

glasgowgas · 21 Jan 2010

in 99.99% of times its more than ample

all external controls calling for heat??

have you reset boiler?

JonSt · 21 Jan 2010

Thank you glasgowgas. Yes, I have reset the boiler. I'll see how that goes for now.

@Tony - Sorry if my question is too trivial but as I said I am used to storage heaters not central heating, so never had the need to understand a new central heating system. I am not used to this system and therefore asked questions here before doing anything, with the estate agent being less than helpful so far! I can imagine that some people will tinker away, but I want my deposit back at the end lol

kitch0978 · 22 Jan 2010

has it worked at all since you moved in? is the gas on?

Agile · 22 Jan 2010

JonSt said:
but I want my deposit back at the end lol

I was only talking about tenants in general and not you!

Very sensible NOT to tamper and to ensure there can be no argument about you getting your deposit back.

Its one of the failings of the lettings market than few landlords have a "flat" file with all the information needed on the equipment/appliances, local amenities etc as the very best landlords do.

Bring in an agent and they are most likely to call you to their office and just hand you the keys.

Only a VERY, VERY few will take you to the property and show you round and have an informed knowledge about everything.

Thats in spite of quite high rental levels!

Tony

JonSt · 22 Jan 2010

Thanks Tony.

I moved from a flat where the estate agent took me there showed me around, went through the inventory, making notes of scuffs etc, this time none of that! Like you say, into their office sign the paper, give them my moeny and hand over the keys, I have to then check/fill out the inventory myself! And I have next to no info on these systems. More info on the Velux windows and the toilet sistern than there is on the central heating! Disgrace!

Anyway, back to the subject at hand, the gas is on and working, the boiller has just been shutting off randomly. It came on this morning ok after opening the 1/4 turn valves last night, so I'll see how it is when I get home.

Agile · 22 Jan 2010

When you say opening the black valves, I hope you mean closing them when the pressure reached 1.5 Bar?

Tony

mickyg · 22 Jan 2010

crikey, a whole page of replies that are absolutely irrelevant to the OPS ignititon failure fault!
OP, get an RGI in to look at it. All possible faults are gas related unfortunately.

JonSt · 22 Jan 2010

Agile said:
When you say opening the black valves, I hope you mean closing them when the pressure reached 1.5 Bar?

Tony

Yeah, I opened the valves, the pressure increased to 1.1 Bar and have closed the valves again as the pressure did not go about 1.1.

As for the ignition fault, I have read that it might be because of low pressure. The boiler has not gone off today, so this may have resolved the problem.

mickyg · 23 Jan 2010

JonSt said:
As for the ignition fault, I have read that it might be because of low pressure. The boiler has not gone off today, so this may have resolved the problem.

nothing to do with pressure. Your boiler is heat only and does not record low pressure faults. In the case of extreme low pressure it may give one of a few fault codes relating to circulation.
It will no doubt return and you should get it checked out. If the boiler is pre 2005 and hasn't been properly maintained it may need a safety critical seal replacing.

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Glow Worm 18hxi F1 fault

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