Thanks for your help, I have learnt a lot today. I decided to remove the vessel and found the plastic disc underneath, and the air input under that. It refuses to take any air whatsoever, so I am resigned to a new one in the morning.
I can't locate the dust cap, although the vessel is against the wall. By take it off, are you suggesting it's within the water connection?
(sorry to be thick - if it helps, it is a Flexcon vessel)
I have a central heating system which is a sealed system using a boiler located in the loft and a separate 8 lite pressure vessel (situated just below the boiler, resting across 2 joists) and a 3 bar safety release valve (situated just above the boiler). There are 14 radiators over 2 floors and...