Water seen in the boiler guage - Potterton Puma 100e

[Philius]

I have a Potterton Puma 100e boiler. I moved in a year ago and have not had it serviced. I am unsure of when the last owners did it.
I've noticed a small amount of water drip now and again from the front right corner of the boiler itself. Now I can see a small amount of water in the guage itself. What is likely to be the problem?
PS, I know nothing about boilers, feel more at home under the car.

 

[Steve69the69Gas]

Hi,
Prolly PRV weeping a little- the valve with the red knob

 

[twgas]

Hi,
Prolly PRV weeping a little- the valve with the red knob

so how does it get into the gauge from the PRV,

I'd be more inclined to suspect the gauge itself.

 

[OilLecky]

Most (cheap) pressure gauges are called "Bourdon Tube" Gauges. The mechanism consists of a curved tube, sealed at one end and connected to the pressure being measured at the other. The tube straightens when pressure is applied inside it and moves the instrument pointer. Fluid visible in the instrument casing is normally a sign that the tube is leaking. This will cause a slight under-reading of the gauge and, as the instrument case is rarely sealed, drops of water on the floor. (Some gauges are "oil filled" to damp out rapid movement; obviously we are not talking about those here.)

So the gauge has an internal leak. Get a new one, dump the system pressure by opening the PRV (red knob) and change the gauge. Then re-pressurise via the filling loop. You shouldn't have any problem doing this. Good luck.

 

[Agile]

I have a Potterton Puma 100e boiler. I moved in a year ago and have not had it serviced. I am unsure of when the last owners did it.
.

I always advise anyone moving into a property to get the system serviced and checked for safety within the first few days.

It seems very irresponsible to assume that its safe and working properly.

The gauges on that model often leak. If it does not result in a significant ongoing loss of system pressure then it can be ignored in the short term until the next service ( which in your case should be now! ).

Tony

 

[Philius]

Thnks for the help. I'll give it a go and get it sorted.

Agile, Irresponsible is my middle name. Seriously, I'll post a scan of my birth certificate up.