Boiler overheated - now CH but no HW!
- Thread starter TG
- Start date
Okay - now we're really scared of our boiler!
We wrestled with the PRV until it 'clicked' and loads of air then water (through the pipe) came gushing out until the pressure on the boiler dropped to zero. When it was quiet we then managed to eventually access the air valve on the BOTTOM of the expansion vessel (should that be right??) and put on the footpump. After a lot of pumping, through water, we got the pressure on the footpump up to about 0.8 bar (don't entirely trust the footpump) and on disconnection water sprayed everywhere from the vessel's valve. The pressure gauge on the boiler went up while we were pumping and now read just over 1 bar. We couldn't get the PRV to do anything but jiggle a little, my husband managed to make something 'click' eventually by turning it clockwise. We didn't use the filling loop as the pressure was already up.
We plugged the boiler into the electric socket and stood back. We turned the boiler back on 'heating' and stood back. After a few seconds the pump started and then the pilot lit and it sounded great for about 10 seconds. Then there was an awful thumping noise from the expansion vessel for quite a few seconds until we turned the boiler off for safety. Then there was a sound of rushing water and air at the same time, (but nothing was coming out of the drain pipe outside) accompanied by what sounded like the pump running. This carried on for a couple of minutes, with the boiler pressure having dropped to zero, until we pulled the plug out of the electric socket to shut it up.
We just hope it can't still breathe without electricity!
Does this sound pretty bad or normal? Should we have left it on to see what happened next? Have we done anything illegal? Sorry for all the questions!
(p.s. yes - stroke from brain tumour removal op at 31 - you never know what life's going to throw at you)
We wrestled with the PRV until it 'clicked' and loads of air then water (through the pipe) came gushing out until the pressure on the boiler dropped to zero. When it was quiet we then managed to eventually access the air valve on the BOTTOM of the expansion vessel (should that be right??) and put on the footpump. After a lot of pumping, through water, we got the pressure on the footpump up to about 0.8 bar (don't entirely trust the footpump) and on disconnection water sprayed everywhere from the vessel's valve. The pressure gauge on the boiler went up while we were pumping and now read just over 1 bar. We couldn't get the PRV to do anything but jiggle a little, my husband managed to make something 'click' eventually by turning it clockwise. We didn't use the filling loop as the pressure was already up.
We plugged the boiler into the electric socket and stood back. We turned the boiler back on 'heating' and stood back. After a few seconds the pump started and then the pilot lit and it sounded great for about 10 seconds. Then there was an awful thumping noise from the expansion vessel for quite a few seconds until we turned the boiler off for safety. Then there was a sound of rushing water and air at the same time, (but nothing was coming out of the drain pipe outside) accompanied by what sounded like the pump running. This carried on for a couple of minutes, with the boiler pressure having dropped to zero, until we pulled the plug out of the electric socket to shut it up.
We just hope it can't still breathe without electricity!
Does this sound pretty bad or normal? Should we have left it on to see what happened next? Have we done anything illegal? Sorry for all the questions!
(p.s. yes - stroke from brain tumour removal op at 31 - you never know what life's going to throw at you)
Hi TG sounds like you have air in the system or the expansion vessel has leaked. Add pressure to your system and bleed it. Some boilers have bleed valves on them so check yours
Reset boiler pressure at 1 bar and then run your boiler.
It is a possible that topping up the pressure in the expansion vessel may cure the boiler pressure problem, But there are other things that can cause this, also this would not interfere with the hot water supply .
You seem willing to have a go so keep posting .
I know the these guys don't like raven heat ,but I have never had a problem with them, I have fitted the condensing boilers in the properties were i'm responceable for the bills, and also had a combi in my own home for 12 years and not had any problems.I suppose it's up to the individual but i have nothing bad to say about them
PS i still think the prv should have operated at 3 bar may be wrong but that seems to be the norm
Reset boiler pressure at 1 bar and then run your boiler.
It is a possible that topping up the pressure in the expansion vessel may cure the boiler pressure problem, But there are other things that can cause this, also this would not interfere with the hot water supply .
You seem willing to have a go so keep posting .
I know the these guys don't like raven heat ,but I have never had a problem with them, I have fitted the condensing boilers in the properties were i'm responceable for the bills, and also had a combi in my own home for 12 years and not had any problems.I suppose it's up to the individual but i have nothing bad to say about them
PS i still think the prv should have operated at 3 bar may be wrong but that seems to be the norm
If any water at all came out of the expansion vessel at the air valve then the diaphragm has failed. The solution to this is to either replace it in situ which is often difficult or to add a new vessel at a convenient location somewhere in the house.
As there is a lot of air which is not being cleared then it sounds as if the auto air vent is either clogged or the vent cap is closed. See if the cap is loose and if not open it gently and see if air comes out.
Tony
As there is a lot of air which is not being cleared then it sounds as if the auto air vent is either clogged or the vent cap is closed. See if the cap is loose and if not open it gently and see if air comes out.
Tony
Before we got chance this morning to pluck up the courage to check the boiler's air vent or bleed valve we got a phonecall out of the blue from 'Coldbusters' (government scheme) who we'd been told last week couldn't help us for months due to lack of funds. He wanted to come round this afternoon as he had a space. He filled in some forms for an engineer to come round and recommend our boiler for repair or replacement as he said things were surprisingly quiet at the moment and they'd been told by the council they could help a few more people. I don't know how long it will be before the engineer comes round but it shouldn't be long and if so we might let him listen to the boiler in the state its in at the moment to see what's wrong and if he can repair it.
We really weren't expecting any help before the Spring, if at all (as told to us over the phone), and feel very lucky and grateful if the boiler can be sorted out for us sooner than that.
Thankyou so much for the time and trouble you've all taken to talk us through helping ourselves. We feel like we've given it a go and at least know now that it's not a quick fix that we can do safely ourselves to make it work properly again to tide us over. (You should have heard all those noises!!) The pressure dropped to zero so fast before we pulled the plug out of the electric socket I don't think we could raise it again to try the heating out (whatever the boiler was doing it didn't sound like it was going to stop).
Thankyou again, we're going to lock ourselves and the cats into our living room with a fan heater until the engineer arrives. So glad we're not entertaining at Christmas!
We really weren't expecting any help before the Spring, if at all (as told to us over the phone), and feel very lucky and grateful if the boiler can be sorted out for us sooner than that.
Thankyou so much for the time and trouble you've all taken to talk us through helping ourselves. We feel like we've given it a go and at least know now that it's not a quick fix that we can do safely ourselves to make it work properly again to tide us over. (You should have heard all those noises!!) The pressure dropped to zero so fast before we pulled the plug out of the electric socket I don't think we could raise it again to try the heating out (whatever the boiler was doing it didn't sound like it was going to stop).
Thankyou again, we're going to lock ourselves and the cats into our living room with a fan heater until the engineer arrives. So glad we're not entertaining at Christmas!
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