Saunier Duval Pressure problem..

[rmh1981]

Hi All,

I am having problems with my SD f23e boiler - the pressure has dropped to about 0.5 and we are now not getting hot water (or at very best intermittently hot/cold every 30secs).

Now i have searched online for advice and a manual for the machine and havent learnt much other than its a piece of rubbish boiler and noone likes it! ...but it came with the house so we are trying to make do for the moment.


I have read teh FAQ about filling loops but am not having much joy, there are no braided pipes coming out of the boiler, they are all solid, and having looked under the boiler there are three taps, one looks like a normal stop-tap and the other two are circular red taps (both open).

The stop tap is jammed pretty tight, but i managed to open it about 90degrees, but that did nothing (no noise/change in pressure).


So i was hoping for some advice, am i looking in the wrong place here? does the stoptap sound like the thing i need to open to re-pressurise? anyone familiar with these boilers - is there something i need to do?


Thanks in advance,
rob

 

[adlplumbing]

post a pic of pipe work under the boiler

 

[rmh1981]

hi adlplumbing, thanks for the quick reply,


unfortunately this may be where i get beyond help ...as the after coming out of the boiler the pipes disappear in to the wall and then reappear below the kitchen counter. I have taken photos of the pipes directly at the bottom of the boiler and then again the pipes from below the worksurface (with the stoptap and two red taps i mentioned earlier)


hopefully this isnt too cryptic for you folks to be able to shed some light on!


Thanks again!
Rob

pipes coming out of bottom of boiler

• rmh1981
• 13 Jun 2010
• 1

the five pipes emerging from the bottom of the boiler

pipes below the work surface

• rmh1981
• 13 Jun 2010
• 1

pipes re-emerge from below the work surface (from right of image) - stoptap to left

all taps found

• rmh1981
• 13 Jun 2010
• 1

the stop tap and then two circular red taps on the pipes below the work surface

 

[rmh1981]

ok, there has been a development - We have been able to open/check the stop-tap, and it turns out that the tap was broken so no matter if we turned it the tap wasnt opening.

We have now replaced that tap, and on turning it (once putting the water back on) there was a short noise of water but stopped, and there is no change in pressure on the boiler..

is anyone familiar with this boiler? is there anything else that should be opened on the boiler to re-pressurise this?

any ideas appreciated!

 

[holty]

open the other stop tap.looking at the pics think theres one hiding behind the pipes.basically it sounds as if your half way there, yet you need to open another tap to let the water into the ch side.bit like what is supposed to be there with back flow prevention.tut tut.

 

[rmh1981]

Thanks for the reply Holty, just to clarify, which tap do you think i should turn on? There are three taps, the stoptap(which has now been replaced with a new tap and a silver braided pipe) and the two round red taps.


The stoptap/new braided pipe is now open (that made the initial sound that stopped) and the other two taps are open, but dont seem to make any difference (they seem as though they might be isolation for the bathroom?!)


You think I should check the red taps or is there something else im missing?

Thanks again!

 

[holty]

hmmm maybe its the way im looking at the pics but on the 2 and 3rd pic it looks like a stop tap hiding,but looking closely at least some sort of coupling blending in to look like the body of a stop tap. .anyway you need to trace a link between the cold mains and your CH pipe as this is the only means of topping up.the compression im looking at is unusually longer than a standard compression coupling. so im rather thinking you have a check valve or more than likely you have a service valve.which is evident with a slot on that can be turned by.........a screwdriver.or in case of panic a kitchen knife

 

[holty]

oh by the way im on about the compression on the 3rd pic, from the right of the compression T.were theres a soldered T, to the left of it.

 

[rmh1981]

Thanks again Holty,

unfortunately i really am clueless about boilers (and plumbing in general ) and this is my first encounter with a boiler. What exactly is a compression?


Also, i have been checking in the manual and i think (hope) i might have found something that may be relevant (the attached manual snippet and the first attached photo in my above post)... It looks like the second pipe from the left coming out hte bottom of the boiler (B in the manual) has an isolator valve below it(P in the manual) - would that be something worth opening? Should it even be the cold water inlet pipe that im looking for?


Thanks!

Untitled

• rmh1981
• 16 Jun 2010
• 1

 

[rmh1981]

Well, we had an engineer come out and we have managed to increase the pressure, but the warning lights are still on and the gas still doesnt seem to be igniting (so still no hot water )

With this coupled with the slow leak from the bottom of the boiler we are thinking about just replacing the thing.

Can anyone give any guidance of a good small boiler? and what kind of quote would be reasonable? (We have a small 2up-2down terraced place with 3 radiators downstairs, 2 upstairs)

Thanks again folks!