Boiler pressure Q - not the usual!

[mini me]

Hi,

If a combi boiler is constantly run with too high a pressure, what are the long term affects?

Basically my old landlord is accusing me of wrecking his boiler by having the pressure too high. He has shown me a bill from an engineer saying that he had to replace the pressure relief valve.

But as far as I understand it, the pressure relief valve's only job is to relieve excess pressure, should there be any. So how can it need replacing if all it was doing is what is was meant to? surely it wouldnt need to be replaced, or any other component for that matter.

Does this sound right to anyone?

Thanks for your help!

 

[tonybhoy]

Sounds daft this I know but the valve usually needs replacing when it does it's job due to a number of reasons one of them being that valves are sh!te

Bit like rads valves the purpose of which is to control the flow of water through the valve however when you use them for this purpose they leak and they too are shi!te

 

[giblets]

Mini me, did your old landlord give you detailed, written instructions on how to operate the heating system pointing out the dangers if the system was over-pressurised? If not, then I would imagine his chances of getting any money out of you for the repair are next to nil!

Did you actually have to top the heating system up at all whilst you were renting the premises?

 

[andytheplumber]

Most modern boilers work on 0.5 bar pressure. most engineers put it to 1 bar pressure. The pressure relief vale should opperate at 3 bar. As long as you keep it below this it should not be a problem.

 

[Agile]

There is a little misinformation above!

The PRV fails after its operated because of dirt in the system getting stuck under the seat causing it to leak.

I always advise systems are pressurised to 1.5 Bar cold. That will rise to 1.8 when hot if the system is correctly configured.

If you set it to a higher pressure than 1.5 bar cold then I would agree with the landlord.

It seems as if you have deliberately been messing about with the system to cause it to need maintenance. Perhaps its because you are a left wing weirdo who is jealous of your landlord because he can afford to buy property and you cannot???

What pressure did you set it to and why were you touching it at all anyway? Are you up to date with your rent payments?

Tony

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Most modern boilers work on 0.5 bar pressure

Some will but most I come across are fitted with a low pressure switch that kicks in about the 0.7- 0.8 bar region.
1 - 1.5 is the generally accepted cold pressure standard as I see it but the last word is in the manufacturers instructions.

To balance Tony's view I will say that in my experience Landlords often know and care little about the system until it costs them money.
I never get a job with the instructions to 'go and show the new tenants how to work the boiler'
I always get jobs where the instructions are that a tenant has moved in and the boiler doesn't work!
I also get many jobs as gas safety inspections for example where the tenant has been left to figure it out for themselves and left the loop connected and the valve left in the on position.

 

[Agile]

At a recent tenant problem the CH pipes came out of the concrete floor.

The tenants were £3000 in arrears with the rent.

The tenant yanked the rad off the wall and moved it back and forth until the pipes broke off at floor level!

All that just to involve the landlady in extra expense!

hey then called the EHO who was very astute and refused to serve any Notices on the landlady because he realised the tenants had purposely broken the pipes.

Tony

 

[mini me]

There is a little misinformation above!

The PRV fails after its operated because of dirt in the system getting stuck under the seat causing it to leak.

I always advise systems are pressurised to 1.5 Bar cold. That will rise to 1.8 when hot if the system is correctly configured.

If you set it to a higher pressure than 1.5 bar cold then I would agree with the landlord.

It seems as if you have deliberately been messing about with the system to cause it to need maintenance. Perhaps its because you are a left wing weirdo who is jealous of your landlord because he can afford to buy property and you cannot???

What pressure did you set it to and why were you touching it at all anyway? Are you up to date with your rent payments?

Tony

WOW, what a fuc up you are!

Where did I say I had changed the pressure at all? Oh wait... I didnt. Kock.

To everyone else, thank you for your replies! I just needed to know if it was viable what he was saying.

Regards