Pressure valve left open for 4 hours after my air to water machine service..any potential damage?

Clickclickboom · 08-11-2024 09:16AM #1

Hello all,

I have a house built in 2020. It came equipped with an air to water system with a Hitachi Yutaki heat pump. I never really had any problems with it but warranty dictates that it needs to be serviced every year. Wednesday was the day where servicing took place.

I wasn’t home but family was. They called me in the morning to tell me that my “boiler machine and pipes were doing a very strange noise” after the servicing guy left. I texted him and he said he would come to check by end of the day. That still got me a bit worried so I arranged to leave my work earlier.

This is what I saw when I came home : https://streamable.com/yu3d62 . The boiler was indeed doing a weird noise but the most alarming thing was my pressure gauge indicator going crazy. I noticed that the pressure valve on the side pipe had been left open. I closed it, and it stopped the noise and pressure indicator stabilised.

Later on, the servicing guy came, had a look, and confirmed that he forgot to close the valve and that we saw and heard was the failsafe mechanism. My concern is that the pressure valve being open for that long may have damaged some pipes / joints. I also know that my underfloor heating was “on” during the day, so concerned it may have damaged under floor pipes too. He said that it should be OK and that pipes are built to resist pressure of 12 bars.

Still, can’t really say his answer was reassuring to me. Is it worth calling another plumber to come or is it me overreacting? Is there anything I could do to verify if there is an impact on my pipes ?

Wearb · 08-11-2024 10:57AM

Probably OK. Your pressure/temperature relief valve is there to cater for over pressure.

It usually acts as a safety when expansion vessel goes faulty but will also have done its job in this case.

Clickclickboom · 08-11-2024 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122815209#Comment_122815209

Thank you. Anything I should monitor to make sure all is OK? I havent seen any leaks or pressure drop as of now. Rang the plumber of the construction company and they also said its OK as mechanism is there to protect over pressurization.

Wearb · 08-11-2024 11:07AM

I'd monitor the tundish for a while, but you shouldn't have any costly problems.

Clickclickboom · 08-11-2024 11:16AM

Thanks. Tundish looks okay. My main concern were pipes, especially the underfloor one as there is no way to tell if there is a leak :D

Wearb · 08-11-2024 11:30AM

They will have been pressure tested before covering, so should be OK.

Lenar3556 · 08-11-2024 12:00PM

As above, I concur it is highly unlikely to have done any damage. Pipework is designed to withstand much higher pressures than what the relief operates at.

However it will likely have dumped much of the inhibitor (and antifreeze if present) out of the system, so that should be replaced. There may also be a small build up of air in the system which may need to be vented from any high points.

Pressure valve left open for 4 hours after my air to water machine service..any potential damage?

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