Ariston EuroCombi A/23 MFFI no pressure (Updated with pics)

[LadyNeedingHelp]

Hello, I hope someone can help me.

I adopted this combi boiler when I moved into this house and it never seemed to work quite right, and the red cut out light kept coming on so I got a guy out to have a look. He got it working, cleaning a few bits here and there. This was some months ago. Since then it's been pretty ok-ish - certainly central heating-wise anyway.

Over the last few weeks it's been taking longer and longer for the hot water to come through the tap, although the red cut out light hasn't been coming on, just freezing cold water, and when I've looked I see that the boiler is making a noise but the flame is nowhere to be seen.

Today, no hot water and no heating Red cut out still not on.

I've read a bit about this and, looking at the pressure gauge, I think it's something to do with that. It's on 0.2 Crept up to 0.4 earlier but it's not enough make the thing go, is it?

I've seen a couple of posts on here about a silver pipe underneath the boiler being something to do with increasing the pressure and I do have a silver pipe under the boiler but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Any ideas, or should I just pay a bloke in to see to it?

I can post pics of the boiler and the pipe work if that makes the any easier to respond.

Thanks in advance for any info or help. I guess I'll be putting the gas fire on tonight instead of radiators, and an extra layer all round!

 

[twgas]

the silver pipe will probably be connected to a valve at each end, if so you need to turn on the (usually) black levers. you will then hear the system filling, turn levers off at about 1.25 bar. if your system isnt as I've described post a pic or two of the pipework underneath the boiler.

 

[LadyNeedingHelp]

Thanks for your quick reply!

I've attached pics to this post, as I don't want to touch anything without knowing I'm touching the right bit.

The pipe work is here:

View media item 42781
Where the silver piping connects to the copper, there's what I think is a valve(?), with a groove for a screwdriver on the left hand side, but on the right connection there doesn't appear to be a groove. Is the valve on the left the one I need to do something with to increase the pressure, and if so, what do I do with it?

Thanks again for any replies! There are another couple of pics in my album showing the pressure gauge, and the controls on the boiler, just in case that helps at all.

Edit - album with other pics here: //www.diynot.com/network/user_album_update.php?album_id=11421

 

[LadyNeedingHelp]

Quick bump for this as I've updated the post with pics of my boiler's pipework... just wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of what to twist or turn to increase the pressure

 

[Tom1981]

Turn the valve on the left to open, so the screw driver is in line with the pipe. Watch the gauge until it reaches 1bar, turn valve off so the screw driver is now across the pipe when you have 1bar showing

The valve on the right is a none return valve, water can flow though in only one direction, just ignore it

The silver pipework is called a filling loop

 

[LadyNeedingHelp]

Super, thanks Tom! I've done that, and the pressure went up really quickly (to 1.5 before I could close it)!

I turned the boiler back on though, and it lit at first, but then the light went out and although the boiler was making a noise, there was still no hot water or heating, because there was no flame

I guess it's time to call out a man who can?

 

[Tom1981]

That would be a good idea, you've now done everything we'd expect the customer to do.

 

[LadyNeedingHelp]

OK, I will do that today, thank again