new Baxi duotec2 pressure loss

[baxterjones]

Please help....losing confidence with plumber, he keeps telling me that there is nothing wrong with my baxi duotec2 because its brand new and that the pressure loss is due to leaking!

The plumber and I have checked under all floorboards (including now broken engineered wooden floor etc )and found few dripping joints under floorboard in various rooms including one very soggy wet area....these have been fixed now, but the pressure is still being lost at the same rate. We have to refill twice a day. There is no more evidence of water.

I isolated the boiler last night whilst it was cold for 12 hours and the pressure had dropped a little this morning (from the top of the typed number '1' to the bottom of typed number '1' on the gauge. So I suspect something wrong with the boiler. However when opening the valves it dropped the same amount again - so that also confirms a leak somewhere I expect.

Oh when I now top up the boiler gurgles, but the plumber has bled the radiators!

There was also nearly half pint water that had come out of condensation pipe during 18 hours.

Any ideas? I need to throw them at the plumber when he comes next!

Thanks soooo much.

Oh just had an idea, could it be a faulty pressure gauge and its telling me the pressure is lower than it actually is? B

 

[Heating one2one LIVE]

Turn the valves off under the boiler(flow and return).You cant use the heating for this test.leave for a couple of days and if it drops then it's def the boiler.If it don't drop then the problem is elsewhere(leak on pipework or rads).
Most likely it's the expansion vessel needs pumping up.Will be covered on your warranty anyway..

 

[ChrisOxford]

Isn't that what the OP says he's done already? Seems to imply he's got problems with the boiler and the pipework/rads.

Or do you reckon the valves aren't isolating completely?

 

[baxterjones]

One of the flow and return valves doesnt open/close smoothly (the one on the right!!) It seems to stick at a point and needs an extra push to open it.

Yes....I did isolate the system for 12 hours and there was a little drop on gauge.. with an equal drop when they were opened.

Been going on for 4 weeks now, and no further forward!

 

[lightning]

What i do is raise pressure to 2.5 bar and see if that helps you find the leak, you must have a joint weaping, have you checked all rad valves etc

 

[barkie1]

if there was leak on this boiler when isolated the water would be easy to see?? check the prv isnt chucking out water use a milk bottle or container to catch water over a period of time when heating is running. also just a thought and this is a huge maybe unlikely but have seen it done. is there a draw off point ie tap been conected to the heating runs by mistake??? was this a combi for combi swap?
or was there a hot water cylinder?

 

[baxterjones]

This was a combi for hot water cylinder swap.

Will it be ok to take pressure to 2.5, Im very wary of PRV opening and making issue worse?

Not sure about the draw off, cant imagine that that would be the case.

Thanks for your help

 

[Phill Peck]

this is a bit confusing really if your topping up twice a day there will be a fairly substantial leak somewhere.

have you checked all pipe runs?

if there are no signs of leaks then i would suspect a faulty expansion vessel or PRV letting by.

both of these would be covered by your warranty but if you call baxi out and its not to do with the boiler they will charge you.

fill your system to around 1.5 bar and ensure the isolators are OPEN turn your heating on to maximum (you may have to open doors to keep it on) and watch the pressure gauge if your pressure rises too much (approx 3 bar) then the pressure will be discharged through the PRV and you will need a replacement expansion vessel under warranty. if the pressure does not rise excessively then your PRV could be letting by or you have a leak you havnt found.

also as suggest find the PRV discharge point outside and put a plastic bottle underneath it if it collects water without the boiler being on or the pressure rising then it is letting by and will aslo be covered by your warranty

 

[baxterjones]

We did find a substantial leak when we broke the engineered wooden floor. But it was still losing pressure for a few more days.

So I have lowered the pressure to just 1 and the pressure seems to be holding (or at least losing a tiny amount in comparison), so suspect air was in the system following repair...and took a few days to go through system. (I did this on the idea that perhaps the pressure dial was giving wrong reading and it was showing pressure higher than actually was!)

I will test the system as suggested when I feel braver at a later date, and let you know how we go..

Thanks for your help

 

[baxterjones]

sorry having a dodgy boiler moment myself then....I meant 'I suspected that the pressure gauge was reading LOWER than it actually was', Apologies

 

[bengasman]

I will test the system as suggested when I feel braver at a later date...

That is a bit like delaying a visit to the dentist because it doesn't hurt so much today.
You have a leak, it won't go away by itself and it needs sorting out. When we get the first cold spell in a month or so, every plumber worth his salt will be very busy. Higher demand = longer waiting times and higher cost.

 

[baxterjones]

Ok, the pressure had held well for weeks (or so thought) then I had a new radiator put in and bled radiators/increased pressure!! Thought all was going well for two weeks then but I have now found that half of my house radiators are half full of air!!! Have bled radiators and increased pressure.

Pressure keeps decreasing again! Have looked everywhere for a leak and there isnt another one to be found. All pipes are easy to follow around the house, under floorboards etc.

One thing I was a little worried about... when outside I peered up at the ventilation chimney and there was loads of steam coming out ( and it was a fairly warm day!) so much so that it was condensing on the chimney and dripping onto the roof.....is this what should be happening?

Oh and the other day, the hot water kept trying to get hot, got to 30c then reduced and repeated whilst tap was on.......10 mins later all was ok again......got gremlins I reckon!

Any ideas?
Thanks for all your help

 

[bengasman]

.. when outside I peered up at the ventilation chimney and there was loads of steam coming out ( and it was a fairly warm day!) so much so that it was condensing on the chimney and dripping onto the roof.....

What's a ventialtion chimney?
Why was the boiler on, on a hot day?
Photo.

 

[baxterjones]

A ventilation chimney is the flue - apologies - im not technical you know.

Im puzzled as to why im being asked why my heating was on on a hot day!, /....firstly its my perogative and secondly was asked to test heating at a higher pressure, thirdly I actually said ' fairly warm' day!

Feel like Im being mocked a little!

Thanks very much to all that responded, there is no need to respond to this question further.

Regards

 

[gas112]

You still have a leak somewhere under your floor. Leak sealer may work