Boiler help/advice

[mole81]

Hi - Looking for some advice, got a valiant ecotec plus. Lately when heating has been on for a day it will display f22 by the following morning. No visible leaks after inspecting all visible pipework though alot of pipe is in concrete floor. Have scanned with a thermal camera and that appears normal. No leaks from prv so can only assume something internal like heat exchanger that's going down condensate pipe. Boiler I guess is over 12 year old. Any suggestions how could diagnose further? My plumber has suggested isolating flow and return for a few days to check if loses pressure but don't think using hot water alone would trigger this as if I don't use heating the pressure maintains. Thanks in advance

 

[sujy]

Isolate the flow and return. If there is no pressure drop has to be a leak in the central heating side.

get your plumber to look inside the heat exchanger. If there is a leak you can see it.

 

[Stuckinarut]

get your plumber to look inside the heat exchanger. If there is a leak you can see it.

Wow, a magic plumber.

 

[Stuckinarut]

My plumber has suggested isolating flow and return for a few days to check if loses pressure

Yes, best advice

but don't think using hot water alone would trigger this as if I don't use heating the pressure maintains. Thanks in advance

It usually shows if it’s the boiler or system

 

[mole81]

Would it leak regardless or need to be providing hot water or heating just wondering if occasional use of hot water would be enough to reproduce?

 

[Stuckinarut]

Would it leak regardless or need to be providing hot water or heating just wondering if occasional use of hot water would be enough to reproduce?

No it should show regardless. What happens is: you isolate the boiler from cold at say 1.5 bar and if it doesn’t drop but then you open the valves back up and it drops, then it’s the system. If it drops whilst isolated, then it’s the boiler. The heat exchanger is an easy enough test and your plumber should have done this whilst there.

 

[mole81]

Will go back to him and ask about isolating flow and return. Might wait for some warmer weather first though. But I guess if I'm topping up daily ik running without inhibitor too now which probably isn't wise. What check can be done on the heat exchanger he should of done so I can drop into the conversation?

 

[Stuckinarut]

What check can be done on the heat exchanger he should of done so I can drop into the conversation?

I can’t divulge what check but just ask him if it was checked (when you mentioned going down the condensate pipe). When the heating is on what does the pressure rise to?

 

[mole81]

Ok sounds secretive! The pressure doesn't really rise when heating is on that I've noticed? Though I can check this tomorrow if it should?

 

[Stuckinarut]

Ok sounds secretive!

Just unable to give out gas related advice on the forum unless in the gas section (which is private)

The pressure doesn't really rise when heating is on that I've noticed? Though I can check this tomorrow if it should?

Naturally when you heat water it expands, so yes I would check it when you next have the heating on. If you top up to about 1.2 bar shouldn’t really expand above 1.6 (the pump should add approx 0.3 bar).

 

[mole81]

Fair enough, that makes sense.
Will check pressure tomorrow and post with an updatem
Thanks for your help

 

[mole81]

Oh how long of heating on would you expect pressure to go up?

 

[Stuckinarut]

Oh how long of heating on would you expect pressure to go up?

About 10 minutes, depending on how soon it ramps up.

 

[mole81]

Ok great, thanks again

 

[sujy]

picture of a leaking heat exchanger in vailant ecotec.

Eventually he will have to open to confirm if it's leaking or not.