Pressurized HW cyl problem - help!

[silentbrown]

Help ! Just found we've got a wet patch under the cylinder and water dripping consistently from an outlet on the side into the white plastic pipe:



Any suggestions before I call out a plumber on the weekend...?

[Huzzah]

A bucket.

[Greenmantle]

do you know the process to re- pressurise the cylinder?
it’s not difficult and is part of normal maintenance and should need no tools.
i do this with my heatrae sadia cylinder.
once the water is shut off and you have drained the cylinder then the final part is to turn the black valve above the tun dish.

Edited by Greenmantle on Sunday 25th May 12:34

[finlo]

Your vessel most likely needs repressurising.

[bltamil1]

That’s the pressure relief valve, and probably means you’ve had/got a bit too much pressure in your heating loop. Have you got a pressure gauge in there somewhere? Probably on the boiler itself.

If it’s dripping continuously chances are the valve has got a bit of grit in it preventing it closing properly.

[Colonel Cupcake]

Where does the copper pipe that exits on the right lead to?

[silentbrown]

Colonel Cupcake said:

Where does the copper pipe that exits on the right lead to?

Expansion vessel.

[Greenmantle]

Colonel Cupcake said:

Where does the copper pipe that exits on the right lead to?

it’s another overflow coming from the right

[Colonel Cupcake]

silentbrown said:

Colonel Cupcake said:

Where does the copper pipe that exits on the right lead to?

Expansion vessel.

I may be missing something but wouldn't the expansion vessel never get any pressure as it is connected to the tundish that is open to the atmosphere?

[silentbrown]

Colonel Cupcake said:

I may be missing something but wouldn't the expansion vessel never get any pressure as it is connected to the tundish that is open to the atmosphere?

Yes. D'oh. It's spurred off the the connection to the expansion vessel via - I presume - a pressure limiting valve or similar.

[Huzzah]

silentbrown said:

Colonel Cupcake said:

I may be missing something but wouldn't the expansion vessel never get any pressure as it is connected to the tundish that is open to the atmosphere?

Yes. D'oh. It's spurred off the the connection to the expansion vessel via - I presume - a pressure limiting valve or similar.

Once a PRV has been triggered they often don't reseal properly.

If you're losing loads then depressurise and do without HW, if it's a drip then bucket. Either way it's likely you'll need a plumber.

[essayer]

Is it hot water or cold water?

Is it only happening when the boiler is heating the hot water?

Is the hot water pipework connected to an expansion vessel? (NOT the pipework connecting to the boiler)

Edited by essayer on Sunday 25th May 13:15

[WrekinCrew]

Not in focus but it looks to me like the pressure gauge on the left is reading 0. Should be 1.5 bar.

Edited by WrekinCrew on Sunday 25th May 13:22

[Greenmantle]

Colonel Cupcake said:

Where does the copper pipe that exits on the right lead to?

it’s another overflow coming from the right

[The Three D Mucketeer]

finlo said:

Your vessel most likely needs repressurising.

Yep ... get it serviced... not a major issue
I'll bet if you run off Hot Water it stops

Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Sunday 25th May 14:11

[gangzoom]

silentbrown said:

Help ! Just found we've got a wet patch under the cylinder and water dripping consistently from an outlet on the side into the white plastic pipe:

Is it an unvented setup you have? If so get plumber out ASAP, but you need who works with unvented cylinders.

We had an issues with a shower valve failure in a different end of house that meant water was constantly been feed into the cylinder as a result it was constantly over pressure and the pressure release valve was running constantly.

It took 3 different HomeServe engineers to work out what was going on, they even had to turn off the stop valve at one point to stop the drip, but that obviously meant no water to the rest of the house.

Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 25th May 14:47

[silentbrown]

Thanks all!

Boiler tuned off and inlet to the tank shut down. Mrs SB's panic level reduced...

Spoke to our plumber who's coming out on Tuesday.

[miroku1]

That may be temperature and pressure relief valve . You need someone competent to check the expansion vessel and the valve , I’d probably change both

[The Three D Mucketeer]

The vent pipe should be fed into an overflow , so you shouldn't have a wet patch ... Incorrect installation ???
Mine

Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Monday 26th May 15:32

[essayer]

They can let go at a reasonable pressure so not all the water goes down the drain, some escapes out the side of the tundish

Also (not this time of year, but..) a slow drip can freeze up and block the pipe which overflows into the cupboard