Heatline Compact Boiler - Bar meter in red zone.

Dinarius

I have two issues with my Heatline compact boiler.

1. Occasionally, about once every three to four weeks, the pressure falls so low that the boiler won't start from cold. A quick twist of the valve at the bottom of the boiler to bring it up to 1.0 > 1.5 bar solves the problem.

However, I assume that this is due to a leak somewhere, albeit a very small one. A plumber did try and fix the leak by pouring a bottle of sealer(?) into the system a few weeks ago, but it didn't work.

2. Occasionally, when the boiler is working hard, the need on the bar meter goes well into the red zone. e.g. last night I went out for a walk. When I returned 30 minutes later, the house was roasting! All the rads were very hot and the meter was well into the red. Why is this? Is it OK?

Is it possible, if the boiler in becoming highly pressurised occasionally, that this could account for the tiny loss of water in the system?

Any suggestions?

If I was to replace the boiler, is it a big deal? Any idea of cost? (Three bed, extended, semi-d, with 11 rads and a large hot water tank)

The boiler is from this range.......

http://www.heatline.co.uk/assets/boilers/products/manuals/Compact%20S24%20and%20S30%20manual.pdf

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks.

D.

andy2die4

You won't need to replace your boiler, just to regulate it. At a guess i'd say your blowoff/safty valve is faulty. Check the blowoff pipe outside to see if water has been throught it. Your boiler stat might also be the problem, letting the boiler heat up till your blowoff valve goes. Get a second opinion from a different plumber.

Dinarius

Andy, thanks for the reply.

If I understand you correctly, it is possible for a system to lose a small quantity of water other than through a leak? If so, that's a relief, because I'd been told the opposite.

So, in you're right (and I accept you're only surmising) will "regulating" the system both prevent the bar needle entering the red zone, and stop the leak?

Thanks again.

D.

andy2die4

if the blowoff valve is faulty, this might be your leak. If you could turn off the flow and return pipes to your boiler and watch the pressure for 24/48 hours. If it holds, its not the boiler. If it falls, it is the boiler. And the same is true of the system.

Nice dog Andy:)

You would have to look at the expansion vessel as well

Dinarius

andy2die4 wrote: »

if the blowoff valve is faulty, this might be your leak. If you could turn off the flow and return pipes to your boiler and watch the pressure for 24/48 hours. If it holds, its not the boiler. If it falls, it is the boiler. And the same is true of the system.

Andy,

Thanks again.

The above might as well be in Mandarin. :rolleyes:

Is one of those valves the one I use to top it up when the pressure drops? If so, it's always off between those top-ups.

I've got a guy calling next week (hopefully!) so, we'll see then.

BUt, thanks for talking me down off the ledge!

Have family coming from Germany for Christmas and don't want any problems.

D.

Dinarius

Dinarius wrote: »

2. Occasionally, when the boiler is working hard, the need on the bar meter goes well into the red zone. e.g. last night I went out for a walk. When I returned 30 minutes later, the house was roasting! All the rads were very hot and the meter was well into the red. Why is this? Is it OK?.

Do you mean the gauge has moved clockwise from your starting pressure up to a higher number ie 3 bar?

Dinarius wrote: »

Is it possible, if the boiler in becoming highly pressurised occasionally, that this could account for the tiny loss of water in the system?
.

if a boiler starts at say 1.5 bar and during normal operation moves around to 3 bar the boiler can get very hot and the discharge valve will open to release the pressure as the discharge valve is set to be fully open at 3 bar, this valve will close it's self once the pressure has dropped(if it's not dirty), this is a fault with the expansion vessel which is designed to take up the extra pressure generated by the heating system as it heats up. With a system operating properly you would expect to see very little movement on the gauge maybe 0.5bar, even if the stat failed and caused the boiler to boil the overheat/limit stat will shut the boiler down before the discharge valve would lift, if this accured the boiler would require resetting once it cooled down.
If the boiler isn't creeping up to 3 bar then please ignore the above;)

Put a bottle on your discharge pipe outside or push some tissue paper up inside to help monitor any water discharge to outside. A safety valve is a indication you have a problem as they never go wrong on their own.

Dinarius

gary71 wrote: »

Do you mean the gauge has moved clockwise from your starting pressure up to a higher number ie 3 bar?

Gary, yes, starting at 1.5, the needle on the bar meter does move comfortably into the red zone, after the boiler has been on for a while. It reaches 3.5>3.75. Then, when the thermostats on the rads force the boiler to turn off, it falls all the way back and the cycle starts again.

This has been happening for a long time - at least two years. In that time, the boiler has been "serviced" (I use the word VERY advisedly) by at least four different "heating engineers". I have to say, I'm pretty staggered by the level of what's on offer. In the last two weeks I've made calls to two engineers who, when they heard there might be something wrong with my boiler, didn't want to know about coming out to look at it. One of them serviced my next door neighbour's last week. In short, if they're not rattling a few spanners and taking the dosh, they're not interested.

As you wrote above, "they never go wrong on their own". True. So, the average Joe only wants to tell their client once a year that that's the case and take the dosh. Very poor form.

Anyway, I've got a guy calling on Friday who knows there's a problem and is happy to deal with it.

Thanks for the reply!

D.

Dinarius

Fixed! (I hope!)

I phone Heatline UK. They would only recommend one guy to look at it.

I described the fault over the phone. He arrived with a box of tools and a pump you'd use to pump a bicycle tyre.

Twenty minutes later he was gone and it's been running like a trainer since. We've had to turn down the temperature gauge.

Also, he was by some margin the cheapest. Funny how that is sometimes, the guy who knows what he's at costing the least.

Thanks to all.

D.

Dinarius

Dinarius wrote: »

I described the fault over the phone. He arrived with a box of tools and a pump you'd use to pump a bicycle tyre.


Also, he was by some margin the cheapest. Funny how that is sometimes, the guy who knows what he's at costing the least.

That would be your expansion vessel he re charged and if his name was Noel then he would know the most about your boiler.

Dinarius

[/QUOTE]
....and if his name was Noel then he would know the most about your boiler.[/Quote]

It was!

D.

john1963

Hi there,could you tell me how much the repair cost and give me details of the plumber.thanks

DGOBS

good ole Noel!
***** as usual

ryanjcdub

Hi there, I live in Dublin and am having hassle with my Heatline Boiler, I've been told I need a new safety valve, would anyone know any good gas engineers that are familiar with Heat Line?
Thanks in advance

Dtp1979

ryanjcdub wrote: »

Hi there, I live in Dublin and am having hassle with my Heatline Boiler, I've been told I need a new safety valve, would anyone know any good gas engineers that are familiar with Heat Line?
Thanks in advance

Try johnniek, shane0007 or dgobs on here

stadtlerwa

Hi
Same problem here but i'm based in Galway.
Any advice on how to solve it.
Thanks