Worcester greenstar 24i problem

[henke]

Hey kids, first post.

Ok here's the deal. My boiler's been in for 3 years and for the first 12 months it was fine, then the CH system started losing pressure so i'd have to top it up every few weeks. This bugged me but i couldn't for the life of me find a leak. it got worse and by last winter i was having to op it up every other day.

In january the seals on the plate-to-plate heat exchanger packed up, so i drained the system and replaced them. Would you believe it - somehow this cured the pressure problem also! God knows how.

So the boiler has been working great for 8 months up until recently when i noticed the CH pressure was right down. It's got worse again, and what with the cold recently i'm topping it up every other day.

More in hope than anything i dropped all the water out yesterday, fired some new inhibitor in and refilled. But i've had a look today and guess what it's lost half a bar.

There's no water coming out the pressure relief thing, i'm certain of this as the snow beneath it is untouched.

Any ideas? Any help would be massively appreciated.

steve

 

[Gasguru]

Set the pressure to 1 Bar with the system completely cold. Isolate the flow and return valves under the boiler. Turn it off and leave for several hours.....re-check the pressure. Occasionally system water can be lost through the primary heat exchanger to the condensate pipework so if you've the original clear rectangular trap worth noting the level. If the pressure's still ok then there's a leak on the system.

 

[picasso]

turn off the boiler , let it get cold then top up the pressure and check that there isint any water flowing in the condensate pipe, other than that if you have pipes under the floors it will be leaking there.

 

[henke]

Thanks lads, i'll give it a go when i'm off at the end of the week.

If i top it up and it losing roughly 0.5 i the first day, any idea what volume of water that is? Surely the carpet should be discoloured or something?

 

[Carlton74]

Thanks lads, i'll give it a go when i'm off at the end of the week.

If i top it up and it losing roughly 0.5 i the first day, any idea what volume of water that is? Surely the carpet should be discoloured or some
have u checked your pressure in your expansion vessel

 

[henke]

Just thought i'd bump this.

I've been fighting on with this now for ages, eventually signed up to british gas' for their service / repair thing and i'm waiting for them to come out.

I pressurised the system and closed the CH flow and return valves, the next morning the pressured had dropped right down.

So this is looking like the primary heat exchanger is bust?

This morning i undone the condensate pipe and placed a jug under it, it's dripping constantly and passed 300ml of water in an hour. Is that normal?

Is there any more checks i can do?

 

[45yearsagasman]

If the jug is filling with the boiler OFF then it is your main heat exch.300ml per hour when the boiler is running is normal condensate production.
Sorry to butt in

 

[henke]

Thanks for the input mate, it's much appreciated.

I'm planning to turn the power to the boiler off tonight, close the flow and return off, and disconnect the condensate pipe to see if anything comes out.