Valiant Combi repressurise

[bwillsher]

Hi, I've got a Valiant Combi boiler and the pressure meter on the front has dropped to zero.

How do I go about repressurising? I haven't got a manual or any experience, but if you give me some directions I might be able to sort it out!

On the sticker on the inside of the door of the boiler it shows the cold water source on a little picture, but i've opened this and nothing happens. In fact I think it was already open.

I've turned it off for now, but I really need to get it going asap.

Thanks for any help!

Edit: Might be also of note that it shut down (possible due to low pressure) and thats when I noticed it.

 

[bwillsher]

OK. Just saw FAQ. Am looking through...

 

[bwillsher]

Below are some pics of the setup

 

[Gasguru]

Your boiler clearly needs some tlc
Nice to have some pics

The safety valve (the white splined cap on the right just under the boiler) has been leaking. This is not plumbed in to an external release pipe and hence the rusty water marks below it.

The stainless braided hose is the filling loop. Behind the pipe insulation you will find a valve (where it joins onto the 15mm cold feed pipe).

Bring the boiler pressure up to 0.5 bar ie. just enough to get the boiler working for now. Any higher and you may find it leaks every where.

Get the boiler serviced by someone experienced on this model.
In particular you need to replace the auto air vent, re-charge the expansion vessel, clean out or replace the safety valve as well as the usual safety checks.

If you turn on the heating watch the pressure qauge - if it hits 3 bar the boiler will dump water from the safety valve.

 

[ollski]

Got your answer while I was working on it:

 

[bwillsher]

Thanks a lot! I've filled it up to 0.5 bar and it went up to 0.65 when I turned it on again.

So far working ok, and have contacted the landlady to have the boiler serviced.

The pressure has been below zero on the scale for as long as i can remember. Is it possible that it's been running for more than a year on such low pressure?

 

[ChrisR]

Nah. In fact if it has been working for a year without any attention it can't have been leaking much at all.