Problem with Baxi 130HE Combi Boiler

[arthurlee]

Hi

I'm having a problem with my Baxi 130 HE Combi. I know I have a leak (and have had for 8 months now) in the CH system somewhere as I regularly have to re-pressurise the boiler but I can't find the leak anywhere.

Six months ago I had a new diverter valve fitted because radiators were not heating even though CH system was programmed for CH & Hot Water and the engineer said that, unless I have the whole system power flushed, I'll probably need another new valve in the next year.

The latest problem is that this morning, the radiators didn't heat up although there was hot water and the display message (Ld) indicated a problem with the flow overheat thermostat. I re-set the system and the radiators are working fine again but I suspect the same thing will happen again soon. The boiler is only 18 months old and installed by a corgi registered engineer.

Any ideas about what I should do? I do hope you can help.

Thanks.

 

[Paul Barker]

Sounds like you have been advised that sludge is damaging your b oiler.

What you can do for yourself is to install a filter on the return either a Boiler Buddy or a Magnaclean. After installing that you could put some chemical such as Sentinel X400 and leave it in for the maximum time allowed, running the system as much as possible, both heating and hot water.

Then drain down, refil run until very hot, drain down, refill install a neutraliseing inhibitopr such as Sentinel X100.

Clean out the filter.

Or get it powerflushed and install one of the above filters.

 

[croydoncorgi]

How often is 'regularly repressurise'?

Assuming your expansion vessel is in good nick, each time you raise the pressure from (say) 0.25 Bar to 1.25, you're refilling your system with somewhere between 0.5 and 1 litre of fresh, aerated mains water. At the same time, you've lost the same volume of expensive, dilute inhibitor down the leak you have yet to find.

If you don't find and fix the leak, cleaning out and inhibiting your system is a waste of time. After a short while, the inhibitor will be too dilute to be effective and the air you're adding each time you top up will carry on corroding the insides of your rads. So you'll be back to a system fulll of brown sludge.

Sorry to bring bad news - but that's the way it is.

 

[arthurlee]

How often is 'regularly repressurise'?

Assuming your expansion vessel is in good nick, each time you raise the pressure from (say) 0.25 Bar to 1.25, you're refilling your system with somewhere between 0.5 and 1 litre of fresh, aerated mains water. At the same time, you've lost the same volume of expensive, dilute inhibitor down the leak you have yet to find.

If you don't find and fix the leak, cleaning out and inhibiting your system is a waste of time. After a short while, the inhibitor will be too dilute to be effective and the air you're adding each time you top up will carry on corroding the insides of your rads. So you'll be back to a system fulll of brown sludge.

Sorry to bring bad news - but that's the way it is.

Thanks.

I need to raise the pressure from 'in the red' to around 2 bars every 2 weeks, although I have to say that the CH system seems to function fine when the pressure gets really low (well into the red). I top[ it up as a matter of habit rather than necessity?

I have to say that I am not DIY orientated but any help would be appreciated. The rads came with the house which is now almost 19 years old. How to I thoroughly check the system for leaks? Do I need to take up floorboards to check pipes and things?

Just one point that may be relevant. We had a radiator re-sited when we moved in to accomodate a conservitory and we've discovered a damp patch from where the original radiator was sited. It's dried up now but the plasterboard is buckled and if I feel the surface, it's warm as if the pipe is still heating up underneath.

Your help is very much appreciated.

 

[croydoncorgi]

Well - if the rad plumbing was extended from where the damp patch is - there's your leak, in all probability!