Boiler is making an awful racket these days. I bled the radiators but I’m fairly sure the issue is down to low pressure in the system. (<1bar). I can’t for the life of me find the valve that adds pressure into the system.
I live in an apartment and the gas boiler is in the bedroom. The water is pumped around using a Stewart turner pump which is in the hotpress beside the tank.
Anyone have any ideas? Would rather not have to get somebody into look at it if it’s a simple fix.
Can’t help myself but you might find an answer on r/diyuk if yok can’t get one here.
If you google make and model of boiler you should be able to download the manual. There you’ll find drawings and instructions to adjust the pressure / location of valves.
My current system and in my old house, the valve to add water to the system was in the hot press
It’s probably a valve in the hot press. Finding the right one might end up being trial and error, though, unless your landlord can tell you. Mine doesn’t even have a handle or knob; it’s a little screw that requires a flat-head screwdriver to turn.
It’s old replace it. Couple of decent viessmann second had boiler’s on adverts.
It does sound like low pressure . I had it myself the other day but could fill via filler valve . You could find the highest rad in your place and fill through that . If it is an open vent system with the black tank in the hot press it could just be that there is not enough of an elevation to generate the correct head . 1 bar is requires 30 feet of elevation difference.
Any more photos? It’s not in your first photos anyway.
Can you see anything like a braided flexible hose (silver) or a pressure gauge?
Stop touching safety valves, it’s more than likely not a pressure issue. I’d say your heat exchanger is fecked.
If you have more than half a bar you are fine pressure wise. When was the last time it was serviced?
Turn the red lever to the opposite direction that it’s in now, leave it in that position and then turn the nearest hot water tap on. This should top up your pressure.
Run down to the pressure valve on the boiler and watch it just to make sure it’s topping up.
Run back up to that hot water tap and do it again until the pressure hits between 2 and 2.5bar then stop. Helps if you’ve another person with you at either end, saves you running up and down.
Turn the valve back to the position it was in once the pressure is sorted.
Bigger problem is that if the pressure keeps dropping then it’s a good sign there’s a leak somewhere.
If that’s not the valve/lever for topping up the pressure, it’ll be either a small black lever that you turn one way or the other or a small screw that seems pointless being there, that does the same, turning it horizontal or vertical and then turning the nearest hot water tap on, then flipping the screw or lever back the way it was.
Can’t tell from anywhere else on the pic of the pipes you gave but the red lever seems the most obvious.
Not a plumber btw, I’ve just had so many fucking problems with my own plumbing in the house so know a little.
12 comments
Boiler is making an awful racket these days. I bled the radiators but I’m fairly sure the issue is down to low pressure in the system. (<1bar). I can’t for the life of me find the valve that adds pressure into the system.
I live in an apartment and the gas boiler is in the bedroom. The water is pumped around using a Stewart turner pump which is in the hotpress beside the tank.
Anyone have any ideas? Would rather not have to get somebody into look at it if it’s a simple fix.
Can’t help myself but you might find an answer on r/diyuk if yok can’t get one here.
If you google make and model of boiler you should be able to download the manual. There you’ll find drawings and instructions to adjust the pressure / location of valves.
My current system and in my old house, the valve to add water to the system was in the hot press
It’s probably a valve in the hot press. Finding the right one might end up being trial and error, though, unless your landlord can tell you. Mine doesn’t even have a handle or knob; it’s a little screw that requires a flat-head screwdriver to turn.
It’s old replace it. Couple of decent viessmann second had boiler’s on adverts.
It does sound like low pressure . I had it myself the other day but could fill via filler valve . You could find the highest rad in your place and fill through that . If it is an open vent system with the black tank in the hot press it could just be that there is not enough of an elevation to generate the correct head . 1 bar is requires 30 feet of elevation difference.
Any more photos? It’s not in your first photos anyway.
Can you see anything like a braided flexible hose (silver) or a pressure gauge?
This looks like the manuals for your boiler. If so then I think this isn’t a pressurised system. https://www.freeboilermanuals.com/assets/pdf/ideal/111751-2.pdf
There’s a helpline number on the second picture
Stop touching safety valves, it’s more than likely not a pressure issue. I’d say your heat exchanger is fecked.
If you have more than half a bar you are fine pressure wise. When was the last time it was serviced?
Turn the red lever to the opposite direction that it’s in now, leave it in that position and then turn the nearest hot water tap on. This should top up your pressure.
Run down to the pressure valve on the boiler and watch it just to make sure it’s topping up.
Run back up to that hot water tap and do it again until the pressure hits between 2 and 2.5bar then stop. Helps if you’ve another person with you at either end, saves you running up and down.
Turn the valve back to the position it was in once the pressure is sorted.
Bigger problem is that if the pressure keeps dropping then it’s a good sign there’s a leak somewhere.
If that’s not the valve/lever for topping up the pressure, it’ll be either a small black lever that you turn one way or the other or a small screw that seems pointless being there, that does the same, turning it horizontal or vertical and then turning the nearest hot water tap on, then flipping the screw or lever back the way it was.
Can’t tell from anywhere else on the pic of the pipes you gave but the red lever seems the most obvious.
Not a plumber btw, I’ve just had so many fucking problems with my own plumbing in the house so know a little.
https://imgur.com/gRgCAGg.jpg