Advice would be appreciated

[Davidtheg]

Hi,

I have an issue with my boiler that it keeps losing pressure. I am having to top it up maybe 3 or 4 times a day. I contacted a reputable company and they said they think it may be the main component with the boiler or leaking pipe work. They advised to pressurise the boiler then isolate it and see if the pressure had droppped in the morning which I had a little bit not much. They stated I must have a leak somewhere but I’ve just lift a section of new flooring in kitchen where we had additional radiators fitted over a year ago but they are not leaking. I have since came to the boiler repressurised it and took a pic of the pressure before and after and thought it changed a good bit, would this be normal???
Thanks for any help!!!
The boiler off below

Boiler on below

 

[rochdalegas]

Do you mean isolate as in turn off appliance or turn off flow and return to boiler?

The pressure will fluctuate dependant on if the boiler is on or off as hot water expands.

Have you checked the blow off pipe outside and around all the radiator valves

 

[terryplumb]

Need more info. Boiler make / model, do you have hot water storage tank or just a combi ? Sounds like you have a leak on boiler. If you isolated the flow and return pipes at the boiler ,and it lost pressure. See if water is running out the prv pipework ,located outside property.

 

[Davidtheg]

Yeah sorry close the flow and returns. Yeah I’ve checked all rads and thermostats and dry. When you say the blow off pipe is that the pipe you can unscrew and water comes out or likely to be a downward facing 15mm copper pipe?

Thanks for your reply.

 

[terryplumb]

Didn't see your post rochdalegas ,you can sure type quick

 

[Davidtheg]

It’s a Potterton promax combi 28he, no hot water tank. When I mentioned the boiler flow and return was isolated and pressure dropped a little I think this maybe just down to the temp cooling from heating being on.

Thanks

 

[rochdalegas]

The downward facing 15mm copper pipe is the blow off.​

 

[Davidtheg]

I’ll check mate.

 

[ianmcd]

I’ll check mate.

put a freezer bag or a balloon or such on the outlet and tie it on and leave it and see if you get any water in there

 

[Davidtheg]

No it doesn’t look like it’s coming out of the blow off vavle! Does that potentially rule out a problem with the boiler?

 

[terryplumb]

Not necessarily. However ,is any of your pipework to radiators below floor ,maybe in a void below floor ?

 

[Davidtheg]

I live in a bungalow that has floorboards with approx 2 inch cavity to the concrete foundations. All the pipe work runs in the cavity between the floorboards and concrete.

Do this answer your question?

 

[terryplumb]

If you had a leaking pipe down there ,you might not see any evidence . to determine if its a leak on pipes , turn boiler c/heating off tonight before going to bed and let cool for an hour. Bring pressure up to ,1.5 bar ( approx ). Close isolators on flow and return and leave it overnight.check pressure in the morning and record .then open flow and return valves ,if pressure drops at that point ,you are losing water out the pipes / rads.

 

[Davidtheg]

Yeah mate, I done that using the isolator valves and the pressure was pretty much the same in the morning, when I opened the valves I heard the water rush back into the system and the pressure went to near zero. I’ve ripped up a section of laminate already where new radiators were fitted and there is no leaks there. I worried I need to rip up a hell of a lot of flooring etc to find this leak, if I do find it

 

[Davidtheg]

If you were losing water from rads I’d see water on floor or wall eh?