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Water dripping from valve at back of boiler

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  • 21-05-2019 12:08am
    #1
    kaji
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭


    Hi. So I bought a house that's old enough and needs doing up. It has an old Firebird boiler for the central heating. I noticed that the boiler has a valve at the back on one of the pipes and it starts dripping water when the heating is on and for a good few hours after the heating has been turned off. I got a plumber to service the boiler and fix the valve and to be honest, he was completely useless- he came 3 times and each time "discovered" the real reason for the dripping water and pretending to fix it each time.

    So I went with another plumber and he changed some stuff around and I turned on the heating again today and the drip has started again. It's so disheartening.

    Anyway, my question is- should I investigate further or just cut my loses and get a quote for a new boiler (I'd like an outside one) or would I be just throwing money away? The Firebird boiler in the house at the moment looks old enough, I'd say at least 15 years old. Thanks for reading this, any help appreciated.


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    #2
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,474 ✭✭✭John.G


    Can you post a photo?.


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    #3
    kaji
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭kaji


    The water is coming out of the 2nd red thing on the top


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    #4
    kaji
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭kaji


    Pic


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    #5
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Do you know if you have a pressurised or open system? Looks like a pressurised, in which case you probably have a discharged or damaged expansion tank.
    Was that pic taken with the system hot?

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



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    #6
    JamesM
    Registered Users Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭JamesM


    The second one from the left is the safety valve. The pressure on the gauge is way up, so it looks as if the diaphragm has gone in the pressure vessel - needs a new vessel - unless the fill is from the mains and it has been left on. Also I would have thought that an on/off valve should not have been fitted before the safety valve.


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    #7
    kaji
    Registered Users Posts: 646 ✭✭✭kaji


    Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like both plumbers didn't know what they were doing so. Do you think I should cut my loses and just get a new boiler installed?


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    #8
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,474 ✭✭✭John.G


    Pressure gauge appears to be reading 2.0 bar, this should change depending on boiler/contents cold/hot, give the base of the pressure gauge (NOT the gauge itself) a "judicious" tap of something to see if it is stuck, the PRV (safety valve) is set at 3 bar so should not lift until this pressure is reached but maybe just leaking, you should also have a (Red) expansion vessel installed somewhere. Ideally, the pressure should be 1 to 1.5 bar with cold boiler & ~ 2.0 to a max of 2.5 bar when hot.
    No, there shouldn't be a isolation v/v fitted before the safety valve.


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    #9
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,474 ✭✭✭John.G


    kaji wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like both plumbers didn't know what they were doing so. Do you think I should cut my loses and just get a new boiler installed?

    NO, I would not change the boiler, a competent plumber should be able to deal easily with your problem, if you post your location I'm sure someone on here can suggest one.


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