Icos HE15 low pressure help

[PThomas]

Hi

My recent house has an ICOS HE15 boiler with a Santon Premier Plus pressurised system.
After problems with 'L' 'F' flashiong I have removed and cleaned the condense trap which has now fixed that.

However just above the boiler in the pipework is a pressure gauge and release valve, currently showing about 0.3 bar!!!

I can not find any obvious way to top up the system and the installation manual is of no help.

Could somebody please quide me in the right direction?
I did wonder if it would re-pressurise itself once I had the boiler running again but it hasn't! My neighbours is at just over 1bar pressure and working fine. The only pipes to the boiler are 2 large pipes in and out, and the condense trap. The overflow/pressure is off one of the large pipes.

Any advice/suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

[kevplumb]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=241932

 

[PThomas]

hi

thx for the link, read through all of that and i understand the concept of the filling loop but there isn't one! at least not one that is obvious. definately nothing around the boiler and if its in the airing cupboard then its made of copper and not braided hose.

all the valves in the airing cupboard are already open....

What would it link between in the airing cupboard?

does seem strange to me though that it would be in the airing cupboard when the pressure display is above the boiler......

thx in advance

 

[kevplumb]

there is one somewhere

who mentioned the airing cupboard

 

[PThomas]

there is definately NOT one around the boiler, only gas, water in, water out and condense trap pipes. Gauge is on one of pipes in/out boiler and then it links to a pipe outside for overflow.

There is no fresh water main pipework near the boiler to act as a filling loop.

The only place with any valves is the airing cupboard.

 

[kevplumb]

take a couple of pics of airing cupboard and post them up

 

[PThomas]

As requested a few photos:-

First top of the boiler, as you can see just flow and return pipes here:-

Bottom of the boiler, just gas and condense waste pipes:-

Ok Airing Cupboard pics:-

Hope these help?

 

[PThomas]

Can anyone offer any advice/suggestions?

Thx

Paul

 

[MJN]

Hi Paul,

I'm reading this via my phone so not able to scour the images in too much detail however it does appear there is not obvious filling point! Given the concentration and availability of pipework in airing cupboard setups like yours one would usually expect to find the filling loop in there. However, as you point out, you would expect the pressure gauge to be colocated with the filling loop with yours not being then the airing cupboard filling point would make less sense.

You could always fill up via the drain cock on the pipe above the boiler - attach a hosepipe (use jubiless clips to secure it!) between the draincock on the heating pipe and a draincock on the mains water system (there's likely to be a few around - check under sinks, near the incoming water supply, etc). Open both drain cocks and fill.

Mathew

(Note: I am assuming there's nothing hidden out of the way behind the cylinder)

 

[kevplumb]

just a thought (me old brain is fuddled)

it's not open vented by any chance

f&e tank in loft

 

[MJN]

I'm not in the trade (but I'm guessing you are given the name) but surely if it was open-vent there'd be no pressure gauge, PRV or expansion vessel?

Mathew

 

[PThomas]

Hi

No, definately not. No tank in loft and is pressurised system.

I presume there's nothing I seem to be missing from the pics you have seen?

Strangely there is a 15mm pipe bridging the input and output pipes on the storage tank with a gate valve in it. What would this be for and should it be open or closed? (Don't think this is related to the pressure issue)

My only thought is to connect a hose from the outside tap to the drain valve above the boiler and re-pressurise it that way.....


I also noticed in the manual for the pressurised thank that I can add pressure by using a bicycle pump on the valve on top of the red cylinder. But I know there is a lack of water in the system at present so I'm not sure that will help.

 

[ismellgas]

This is spaghetti junction man! get a combi
also Kev it says on the sticker on the cylinder "unvented" lol but i was going
to say that too

maybe take advantage of the system being empty and cut in your own filling loop. also I hope its not just a faulty gauge but you'll find out if you try to drain it..

 

[kevplumb]

This is spaghetti junction man! get a combi
also Kev it says on the sticker on the cylinder "unvented" lol but i was going
to say that too

maybe take advantage of the system being empty and cut in your own filling loop. also I hope its not just a faulty gauge but you'll find out if you try to drain it..

well just before you fall over laughing the "unvented" you refer to is the domestic hot water

you can still have the primaries open vented

the .3 would amount to enough head of water for a tank

which makes me wonder

how the hell was it filled in the first place

Strangely there is a 15mm pipe bridging the input and output pipes on the storage tank with a gate valve in it. What would this be for and should it be open or closed?

it's a bypass should be open a little

the air precharge in the ex vessel has nothing to do with it

 

[MJN]

I also noticed in the manual for the pressurised thank that I can add pressure by using a bicycle pump on the valve on top of the red cylinder. But I know there is a lack of water in the system at present so I'm not sure that will help.

No - that's purely for pre-pressurising the expansion vessel.

Go for the hosepipe. All being well, topping up should not be a regular activity so it matters little that it's not as convenient as a dedicated filling loop.

Mathew