HeatTeam engineer left PRV leaking on powermax boiler

[ceecjc1]

Guys,

I had a HeatTeam engineer round to recharge my expansion vessel last week. Yes it's a DIY job but it's covered under my plan so it's better the expert does it than I make a mess of it.

He discharged the pressure in the system using the red PRV, which I've read on here many times is a bad thing to do because it is very likely to leak afterwards, right? Once he left, the PRV continued to slowly drip and squirt the water out of the system into the overflow, and the boiler gets to zero after about a day.

I've got an engineer coming back tomorrow to fix it, so should I be expecting him to replace the PRV or just wiggle it and tell me it's stopped leaking? It doesn't leak fast enough to know if it's fixed or if there's residual water in the pipe dripping out, or if the boiler will empty its contents down the drain by tomorrow morning. If any of you experts have any advice on what to look out for it would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[petertheplumber12]

There are times when twisting the PRV and letting it slam back on its seating does stop it from leaking, but the best thing is to replace it, and make sure it isn't used for releasing system pressure again. The rubber seal gets a bit of grit embedded in it and that causes the leak, and from then on it can be difficult to get it back to normal.

 

[ceecjc1]

Thanks Peter, that's what I thought. I'll make sure he replaces the PRV.

Does the system have to be fully drained for this or just depressurised?

 

[Boilerman2]

No just de-pressurised, by the way although there are many who say the PRV should not be lifted, there is a requirement for the PRV to be lifted at every Service to ensure that it is not stuck or blocked and will release pressure in the system if it rises too high, the service engineer was right to lift the PRV, but he/she should have made sure it had re-seated afterwards - this would have saved a 2nd visit

 

[DP]

ceecjc, why should operating the PRV be a bad thing? I have been doing this for the past 25 years and will continue to do so into the future. For goodness sake, this is a safety device, therefore I would operate it during service to ensure it is not STUCK. If it failed to jack up, then obviously there would be other problems. Who knows what the release pressure would be if indeed it had NEVER lifted. I would rather have a weeping PRV which can easily be replaced then a 'pressure cooker' waiting to take the 'roof off'

Have faith in the man, do not p155 him off. Let him deal with the problem as he sees fit. If someone told me how to do my work, I would start collecting my tools and be headed for the van to disappear into the sun.

 

[ceecjc1]

there is a requirement for the PRV to be lifted at every Service to ensure that it is not stuck or blocked and will release pressure in the system if it rises too high

This makes a lot of sense, thanks.

why should operating the PRV be a bad thing?

Because they are all apparently very badly designed and leak after operation. I'm not the gas safe engineer here, so I'm basing this on the advice I have received on diynot from many, many gas safe engineers. The how-to section also advises in bold not to use the PRV.

I'm not ****ing the guy off, he's ****ing me off by having to wait in for the second time in a week when he could have done his job properly the first time around. All I'm trying to do is gather advice on here to help identify if he's doing another half arsed job.

 

[hazetimesfive]

I crack the PRV all the time, very rare that I can't get one to re seal. If it seals again then fine no need to replace it.

 

[ceecjc1]

I crack the PRV all the time, very rare that I can't get one to re seal. If it seals again then fine no need to replace it.

Have to say this sounds like the easiest way forward, and I suspect this is what he'll do.

Problem is you can watch it for five minutes solid and not see a drop, then it'll give a squirt and a gurgle, so I don't think I'll be able to tell if it's fixed or not. I'd give it a go myself but I'm not going inside the boiler, that's for the engineer to much about with

 

[Onetap]

there is a requirement for the PRV to be lifted at every Service to ensure that it is not stuck or blocked and will release pressure in the system if it rises too high

True, it's the only way to test it. If it then leaks, it isn't a fault with the valve, it's due to the gunge in the water.

A PRV manufacturer (National Vulcan, ISTR) used to have a leaflet in their sales blurb about a DHW calorifier/cylinder, that had over-heated. The control valve on the steam primary coil had been letting-by. The PRV had been dripping and the water had evaporated from the hot metal, so the PRV was blocked shut by stalagmites. It boiled over a week-end, split and launched itself through a concrete floor, taking out the computer room above.

 

[ceecjc1]

Yeah I can believe that!! This is worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bU-I2ZiML0&sns=em

 

[Agile]

I was testing a boiler after repairing it and watched the pressure rise to 6 Bar while the 3 Bar PRV stayed firmly closed.

At that pressure the EXV started leaking and lowered the pressure.

I operated the PRV manually and surprisingly the EXV resealed at norml operating pressure.

Tony

 

[Alfredo]

ceecjc, If someone told me how to do my work, I would start collecting my tools and be headed for the van to disappear into the sun.

Sun? ... in Glasgow ?...

Alfredo

 

[DP]

You would be surprised. Should have been here on Wednesday- must have been tropical sun

 

[Boilerman2]

Tony - I'll bet that was on an Ideal Icos/Isar!! i've been there twice!!
crap in the PRV meaning the EV acts as PRV, it was great to see it seal up again though!!

 

[Agile]

No, it was actually an old Apollo with a separate EXV under the stairs.

That was a very bad experience and cost me £60 for a parking ticket issued TWO minutes after my meter time had expired!

It did surprise me that the EXV resealed.

But a typical tight customer with an outdated boiler in a £1M property by Portobello Market. I had actually parked in Portobello Road itself!

Tony