We currently have a Heatline Combi Boiler and have been experiencing a lot of problems with it losing pressure over the past 6 months. I have looked through the help here and searched for anything similar but nothing seems to match the problem we're having.
In summary we have to re-pressurise the boiler by letting in mains water up to twice a day in some instances. The problem started gradually - we had to pressurise the boiler say once every week, then every few days, then once a day and now mostly twice a day.
I'll give you some background to the boiler's history. We had a new kitchen extension completed about 4 years ago and because of this we replaced the old boiler with a new combi - all fitted by the builder. Because the boiler was moved to the opposite corner of the kitchen, a lot of new copper pipe work was laid to a) a new rad in the extension and b) to feed the rads in the lounge and upstairs. At the time we didn't think much of laying new pipe work wrapped in the grey sponge and covering it with concrete (to go underneath a walkthrough), but this caused a problem about 4 months after the build was complete as it became damp in the walkthrough area and caused the floor tiling to lift (Karndean tiles stuck with glue).
This problem was eventually resolved by the builder by chipping away at the concrete (with no sign of water around the pipe area) and then resealing with a black bitumen waterproof sealant. This problem has not reappeared since. I mention it because I'm not sure if this could be a problem now.
Anyway, we have had a qualified Corgi engineer to run all sorts of tests. He has:
1. Inspected the boiler and all the usual suspect areas - pressure cyclinder, valves etc (I'm no expert when it comes to boiler terminology) and has deemed the boiler fit for purpose with no major problems.
2. Placed a pressure dial on the radiator closest to the boiler. The idea here was to show the system pressure in the radiators. This always read a slightly higher value than the boiler itself - around 0.3 to 0.5bar.
3. Asked us to isolate the boiler by cutting off the mains pressure and switching it off. When we've come down in the morning, the boiler had lost a very small amount of pressure, but usually not enough for it to trip out.
4. Filled the system with a rad-weld type solution which would (should) fill any cracks or leaks in the pipe work.
5. Isolated the boiler from the system and then filling the system manually by pumping water into a rad and leaving the system pressure at 3.0bar. After half an hour the gauge had fallen by 0.5bar and then another 0.5bar half hour after that. This last test seemed to confirm the pipework was at fault and not the boiler.
When we have to repressurise the boiler the bar rating can be as low as 0.5. Most of the time after we have repressurised to 1.5bar, the pressure rises to between 2 and 3 bar (today, the highest it's been, it read 3.5bar - almost at it's max of 4.0!). The vent/escape outlet outside is working as there's a water stain on the floor and it's wet/damp most of the time.
We have checked all the rads for leaks (and found one around a thermostat valve which we had replaced and thought would be the end of our problems) and all are dry. There are no visible leaks in ceilings, around skirting boards or under kitchen units. My wife and I (as is the engineer) are completely baffled by this.
The engineer we've had seems to know his stuff (old school engineer!) and seems very honest with his recommendation, but the latest recommendation he's made is to re-plumb all the downstairs rads so to eliminate the pipework. This is going to be a major upheaval and something we'd only do as a last resort.
What could be causing this? Do we need a new boiler? Is there a leaky pipe with water escaping into the ground (this might tie in with the leaky pipe we did have 3 years ago)? Is there a tool to detect leaking pipes? Are we missing something obvious?
Please, please, this is a call to all those who might have experienced something similar, do you have any recommendations?
In summary we have to re-pressurise the boiler by letting in mains water up to twice a day in some instances. The problem started gradually - we had to pressurise the boiler say once every week, then every few days, then once a day and now mostly twice a day.
I'll give you some background to the boiler's history. We had a new kitchen extension completed about 4 years ago and because of this we replaced the old boiler with a new combi - all fitted by the builder. Because the boiler was moved to the opposite corner of the kitchen, a lot of new copper pipe work was laid to a) a new rad in the extension and b) to feed the rads in the lounge and upstairs. At the time we didn't think much of laying new pipe work wrapped in the grey sponge and covering it with concrete (to go underneath a walkthrough), but this caused a problem about 4 months after the build was complete as it became damp in the walkthrough area and caused the floor tiling to lift (Karndean tiles stuck with glue).
This problem was eventually resolved by the builder by chipping away at the concrete (with no sign of water around the pipe area) and then resealing with a black bitumen waterproof sealant. This problem has not reappeared since. I mention it because I'm not sure if this could be a problem now.
Anyway, we have had a qualified Corgi engineer to run all sorts of tests. He has:
1. Inspected the boiler and all the usual suspect areas - pressure cyclinder, valves etc (I'm no expert when it comes to boiler terminology) and has deemed the boiler fit for purpose with no major problems.
2. Placed a pressure dial on the radiator closest to the boiler. The idea here was to show the system pressure in the radiators. This always read a slightly higher value than the boiler itself - around 0.3 to 0.5bar.
3. Asked us to isolate the boiler by cutting off the mains pressure and switching it off. When we've come down in the morning, the boiler had lost a very small amount of pressure, but usually not enough for it to trip out.
4. Filled the system with a rad-weld type solution which would (should) fill any cracks or leaks in the pipe work.
5. Isolated the boiler from the system and then filling the system manually by pumping water into a rad and leaving the system pressure at 3.0bar. After half an hour the gauge had fallen by 0.5bar and then another 0.5bar half hour after that. This last test seemed to confirm the pipework was at fault and not the boiler.
When we have to repressurise the boiler the bar rating can be as low as 0.5. Most of the time after we have repressurised to 1.5bar, the pressure rises to between 2 and 3 bar (today, the highest it's been, it read 3.5bar - almost at it's max of 4.0!). The vent/escape outlet outside is working as there's a water stain on the floor and it's wet/damp most of the time.
We have checked all the rads for leaks (and found one around a thermostat valve which we had replaced and thought would be the end of our problems) and all are dry. There are no visible leaks in ceilings, around skirting boards or under kitchen units. My wife and I (as is the engineer) are completely baffled by this.
The engineer we've had seems to know his stuff (old school engineer!) and seems very honest with his recommendation, but the latest recommendation he's made is to re-plumb all the downstairs rads so to eliminate the pipework. This is going to be a major upheaval and something we'd only do as a last resort.
What could be causing this? Do we need a new boiler? Is there a leaky pipe with water escaping into the ground (this might tie in with the leaky pipe we did have 3 years ago)? Is there a tool to detect leaking pipes? Are we missing something obvious?
Please, please, this is a call to all those who might have experienced something similar, do you have any recommendations?
