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Heating on or off when topping up??

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  • 06-01-2011 9:57am
    #1
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭


    We have a Ferroli Tempra 18 Boiler which is giving trouble at the moment. I think it needs to be topped up but can anyone tell me should the heating be on or off to do this?? Thanks
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    #2
    kscobie
    Registered Users Posts: 257 ✭✭kscobie


    Turn the heating off, the system vents easier when the pump isnt running also


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    #3
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    Thanks for that! I know it needs to be at 1bar when it's off but wasn't sure where to start!


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    #4
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    kscobie wrote: »
    Turn the heating off, the system vents easier when the pump isnt running also

    We topped up with the heating off until the pressure reached 1bar. Then we turned the heating on. The pressure never went above 1.3bar and when we turned the heating off it dropped to almost .5bar. We topped up again and turned the heating on again. Now the rads are hardly getting hot even though the pressure is staying up at 1.3bar! Anyone know what we've done wrong? The bolier was only serviced about 5 weeks ago.


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    #5
    Sparkpea
    Registered Users Posts: 1,118 ✭✭✭Sparkpea


    Its actually best topping the heating system up when off and cold. When the system is cold you should have about 1 bar pressure for an accurate reading. It will rise when its on but when its cold again it should sit about 1 bar, if its down to the .5 bar then you've got a leak somewhere. Check accurate readings first


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    #6
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    THank you for that. we topped up a second time and the pressure is behaving itself now and staying at 1 bar with the heating off but the rads are not getting hot when we turn on the heating! We checked them all to see if they needed bleeding and they're all fine.


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    #7
    Sparkpea
    Registered Users Posts: 1,118 ✭✭✭Sparkpea


    ellie1511 wrote: »
    THank you for that. we topped up a second time and the pressure is behaving itself now and staying at 1 bar with the heating off but the rads are not getting hot when we turn on the heating! We checked them all to see if they needed bleeding and they're all fine.

    none of them?

    when you say not getting hot.. are they warming but just not to the full heat you expect or are they cold as if the heating is not one?


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    #8
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    Sparkpea wrote: »
    none of them?

    when you say not getting hot.. are they warming but just not to the full heat you expect or are they cold as if the heating is not one?

    Hi, they were all just barely luke warm! We left the heating on for ages. The pressure still seems to be holding this morning.


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    #9
    greenasgrass
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭greenasgrass


    ellie1511 wrote: »
    Hi, they were all just barely luke warm! We left the heating on for ages. The pressure still seems to be holding this morning.

    I assume you bled any air out of the radiators also?


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    #10
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    greenasgrass wrote: »
    I assume you bled any air out of the radiators also?

    We checked all the radiators to see if they needed bleeding. On all of them as soon as we opened the bleed valve water came out so we assumed they didn't need bleeding??


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    #11
    greenasgrass
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭greenasgrass


    ellie1511 wrote: »
    We checked all the radiators to see if they needed bleeding. On all of them as soon as we opened the bleed valve water came out so we assumed they didn't need bleeding??

    Sounds like the system is full and at pressure which points to a boiler problem or a blockage (very unlikely). If you can check the outlet pipe from the boiler to see is it at correct temperature (i.e. very hot). If this is also cold/lukewarm then there could be an issue with either the boiler controller/thermostat or something else within the boiler. Is the boiler coming on/off intermittantly (say every 5 mins) or is it constantly firing? i.e. does it think it's reaching the correct temperature. Also what setting is your room thermostat(s) and the boiler thermostat at?


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    #12
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    greenasgrass wrote: »
    Sounds like the system is full and at pressure which points to a boiler problem or a blockage (very unlikely). If you can check the outlet pipe from the boiler to see is it at correct temperature (i.e. very hot). If this is also cold/lukewarm then there could be an issue with either the boiler controller/thermostat or something else within the boiler. Is the boiler coming on/off intermittantly (say every 5 mins) or is it constantly firing? i.e. does it think it's reaching the correct temperature. Also what setting is your room thermostat(s) and the boiler thermostat at?

    The boiler seems to be coming on and off intermittantly. The room Thermostat is at around 22degC and the boiler one seems to be at around 70degC - if I'm looking at the correct one! There's a little diagram of what looks like a Radiator under the one on the boiler. I have no idea how hot the outlet pipe is. I can check that later when I get home.


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    #13
    greenasgrass
    Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭greenasgrass


    ellie1511 wrote: »
    The boiler seems to be coming on and off intermittantly. The room Thermostat is at around 22degC and the boiler one seems to be at around 70degC - if I'm looking at the correct one! There's a little diagram of what looks like a Radiator under the one on the boiler. I have no idea how hot the outlet pipe is. I can check that later when I get home.

    Both those stat setting right Ellie. It sounds like the boiler thinks it's reaching the correct temperature and then cutting out (hence the intermittant operation) so the internal thermostat may be faulty. That's just a guess but try to see what temperature the outlet pipe gets up to. If that is lukewarm then I suspect you need a RGI engineer to look at it. If it's hot then it's a problem in the water circuit. Do not attempt a repair yourself unless qualified as this is a gas appliance. If it was serviced a number of weeks ago the same engineer should cut you a deal and fix it for a lower cost. Worth a try anyway! Best of luck.


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    #14
    ellie1511
    Registered Users Posts: 50 ✭✭ellie1511


    greenasgrass wrote: »
    Both those stat setting right Ellie. It sounds like the boiler thinks it's reaching the correct temperature and then cutting out (hence the intermittant operation) so the internal thermostat may be faulty. That's just a guess but try to see what temperature the outlet pipe gets up to. If that is lukewarm then I suspect you need a RGI engineer to look at it. If it's hot then it's a problem in the water circuit. Do not attempt a repair yourself unless qualified as this is a gas appliance. If it was serviced a number of weeks ago the same engineer should cut you a deal and fix it for a lower cost. Worth a try anyway! Best of luck.

    Will do, thank you!


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