Condensation in boiler pressure gauge

[cliverlong]

Combi Boiler is Worcester Bosch Green star 30i about 5 years old, serviced 12 months ago.

I noticed the pressure gauge on boiler was almost completely obscured with condensation. Only noticed yesterday (yesterday)

I have been putting the heating constantly through the day on this past week as I have been at home and outside temperature has been closed to freezing . So probably only happened in past couple of days, but I can't be sure.

Maybe coincidentally, pressure had dropped from 1.5 bar to 0.5 bar. I repressurised to just over 1 bar . It took several cycles through the various programs such as off/on/timer to get the CH side of the boiler to fire . No problems getting HW from boiler. Finally CH now working ok.

So

1) any idea why the boiler pressure gauge filled with condensation?

2) can gauge be opened and fixed as it seems to read and display pressure ok?

 

[cross thread]

More likely it needs a new gauge.

 

[cliverlong]

I took the front cover off the boiler and saw the pressure gauge was attached via a semi-rigid pipe to some"vessel" towards the back of the boiler - I'm guessing that's where the "pressure" is taken from. I hadn't previously noticed a jug under the boiler contained about 300 ml of clearish liquid - that probably explained the pressure loss. Maybe pressure built up somewhere in the boiler, sending a small amount of water vapour down the pressure gauge pipe and also dumped water under the boiler?? Why water wasn't dumped outside I don't know. Maybe there's a frozen "pressure relief" pipe out there? Anyway, I have called a heating engineer. I just didn't want to "fix" the symptom without knowing the cause.

I have switched off the heating circuit of the boiler and left some jugs under the boiler in case it dumps again.

Good move I didn't get rid of my Argos electric / oil radiators.

 

[cliverlong]

I removed the gauge from its clip on fascia and pointed it into a water jug. After a day then gauge dumped another 700ml of liquid into the jug and no other water anywhere. I got an excellent boiler engineer who replaced the gauge and did a service and full check on the boiler. He said the boiler was still in very good condition. Picture of gauge and second water dump attached. Also picture of inside of old gauge.