Boiler serviced, now losing pressure
Discussion
Annual combo boiler service (British Gas contract) done on Wednesday, with no issues reported, other than one upstairs radiator needed a little air bleeding out and thus a small amount of water added to the circuit to re-pressurise.
Since then, we’ve had 3 or 4 boiler shutdowns with E119 low pressure faults. In the past when we get, I’ve pretty much just cracked open the filling loop to re-pressurise. Over the last couple of days I’ve had to leave it open for several seconds and you can hear it rushing into the system almost like it is empty.
Bled a load of air out of the same radiator last night and again this morning we had no heating so another top up. I can’t find any evidence of a leak inside the house and the over pressure pipe outside was dry.
It’s almost like we had a huge air lock which is now moving around, but all radiators have been working fine. The service doesn’t disturb the heating system, other than to check the MagnaClean and the air he bled so I’m at a bit of a loss. Does feel like a coincidence though!
Any ideas?
Since then, we’ve had 3 or 4 boiler shutdowns with E119 low pressure faults. In the past when we get, I’ve pretty much just cracked open the filling loop to re-pressurise. Over the last couple of days I’ve had to leave it open for several seconds and you can hear it rushing into the system almost like it is empty.
Bled a load of air out of the same radiator last night and again this morning we had no heating so another top up. I can’t find any evidence of a leak inside the house and the over pressure pipe outside was dry.
It’s almost like we had a huge air lock which is now moving around, but all radiators have been working fine. The service doesn’t disturb the heating system, other than to check the MagnaClean and the air he bled so I’m at a bit of a loss. Does feel like a coincidence though!
Any ideas?
Your first issue is trusting British Gas to look after your boiler.
Get out of that contract ASAP.
Get a known local engineer to look after your boiler. It will be cheaper and service will be better in the long run
As for why its broken just now BG have probably damaged somethinv when they were servicing it. Get them back to fix the part whilst you still have the contract.
Get out of that contract ASAP.
Get a known local engineer to look after your boiler. It will be cheaper and service will be better in the long run
As for why its broken just now BG have probably damaged somethinv when they were servicing it. Get them back to fix the part whilst you still have the contract.
Just got back from a wet and very windy walk and it had dropped again.
Condensate pipe plumbed into a waste pipe so can't see any flow. Both that an the PRV pipe remain cold, and the PRV outlet was dry yesterday - bit difficult to tell today! - will tie a bag round it later to check.
We've had a new expansion tank and a couple of heat exchangers over the years, and fitted a MagnaClean about 18 months ago to catch any remaining crud - that was very clean yesterday (first time it has been checked) as I asked to see how much it had collected and watched the whole procedure.
At least it isn't cold!
EDIT: It's already dropped again, so I've booked them for tomorrow.
Condensate pipe plumbed into a waste pipe so can't see any flow. Both that an the PRV pipe remain cold, and the PRV outlet was dry yesterday - bit difficult to tell today! - will tie a bag round it later to check.
We've had a new expansion tank and a couple of heat exchangers over the years, and fitted a MagnaClean about 18 months ago to catch any remaining crud - that was very clean yesterday (first time it has been checked) as I asked to see how much it had collected and watched the whole procedure.
At least it isn't cold!
EDIT: It's already dropped again, so I've booked them for tomorrow.
Edited by 595Heaven on Saturday 7th December 12:19
sherman said:
Your first issue is trusting British Gas to look after your boiler.
Get out of that contract ASAP.
Get a known local engineer to look after your boiler. It will be cheaper and service will be better in the long run
As for why its broken just now BG have probably damaged somethinv when they were servicing it. Get them back to fix the part whilst you still have the contract.
I've always had a contract to cover it. Not always with British Gas and always been happy with the service and costs. Get out of that contract ASAP.
Get a known local engineer to look after your boiler. It will be cheaper and service will be better in the long run
As for why its broken just now BG have probably damaged somethinv when they were servicing it. Get them back to fix the part whilst you still have the contract.
I'm not sure what they can damage to cause this issue?
Is it a Baxi with the E119 fault? Every time I had mine serviced while it was in warranty it picked up a fault. Since I stopped having it serviced by ‘professionals’ it’s been totally fine (13 years now) - other than a diverter valve and expansion vessel that I replaced myself.
I’m in the don’t mess with it if it ain’t broke camp.
I’m in the don’t mess with it if it ain’t broke camp.
Crumpet said:
Is it a Baxi with the E119 fault? Every time I had mine serviced while it was in warranty it picked up a fault. Since I stopped having it serviced by ‘professionals’ it’s been totally fine (13 years now) - other than a diverter valve and expansion vessel that I replaced myself.
I’m in the don’t mess with it if it ain’t broke camp.
It’s a Potterton who are owned by Baxi so the same controls. I’m in the don’t mess with it if it ain’t broke camp.
Yes, continual E119 low pressure errors, with the pressure dropping to zero. That water is going somewhere… I can fill it and we get an hour or so of heating before it trips out again.
British Gas were booked between 8 and 1, but then called to say 12 - 6…
I just know they’ll arrive just as the Grand Prix gets interesting
Well, this sounds like a bit of a bugger.
Engineer couldn't find any issue with the boiler - no leaks from PRV or condensate pipe, and the system was empty below the boiler (which is on first floor) so his best guess is a leak in the pipework under the concrete ground floor. I've been checking all the radiators since this happened and we've not seen any sign of damp anywhere.
Was going to isolate the heating section to rule out the hot water side of things but one of the isolators won't budge. He's left it pressured up for now as we can get an hour or so of heating out of it before it trips.
He'll be back on Tuesday to change the isolator and then then fun of leak detection can begin...
Engineer couldn't find any issue with the boiler - no leaks from PRV or condensate pipe, and the system was empty below the boiler (which is on first floor) so his best guess is a leak in the pipework under the concrete ground floor. I've been checking all the radiators since this happened and we've not seen any sign of damp anywhere.
Was going to isolate the heating section to rule out the hot water side of things but one of the isolators won't budge. He's left it pressured up for now as we can get an hour or so of heating out of it before it trips.
He'll be back on Tuesday to change the isolator and then then fun of leak detection can begin...
Maybe he put his gauge on shraeder valve to test pressure and discharged it ,ask him to check the vessel, and make sure it’s charged to about 1 bar , done 1 today Baxi duo tec , needed topping up every morning, gave it good service also, Burner out , clean heat ex , adjusted gas vale on min and max back to MI’s figures ,
Also on th subject of BG
I had to fix a gas leak on a boiler last Saturday for a mates mother as British Gas couldn’t get there till Monday meaning 2 days with no heating or cooking as the gas emergency service capped meter,
Also on th subject of BG
I had to fix a gas leak on a boiler last Saturday for a mates mother as British Gas couldn’t get there till Monday meaning 2 days with no heating or cooking as the gas emergency service capped meter,
I've had this exact problem on a Vaillant ecotec 624 plus system boiler, albeit not after a service. I've finally got it figured out and the problem was the pressure relief valve inside the boiler that is supposed to let water out of the system above 3 bar. Well it was actually leaking water into the bottom of the boiler itself, and also leaking water into the drain pipe despite the pressure being nowhere near 3 bar. The part is available at Screwfix for £18 and after replacement the boiler is working correctly and not dropping pressure. It's probably something very similar in your boiler. If the system was flushed and bits of crud have got into the valve preventing it sealing properly, this will be the result.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/vaillant-178985-3bar-pr...
https://www.screwfix.com/p/vaillant-178985-3bar-pr...
Edited by LunarOne on Sunday 8th December 19:48
98elise said:
Simpo Two said:
Crumpet said:
Since I stopped having it serviced by ‘professionals’ it’s been totally fine (13 years now)
Pah. Your target to beat is 36 years![/whrn quote]My boiler is coming up on 60 years old. Never serviced, and only had one breakdown in the 25 years we've been here.
This advice has served me well.
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