heatline system boiler (I think Solaris) cold water inlet question

[neil73]

Hi, thanks for taking the time...I'm a confessed dunce and numpty when it comes to plumbing, but I'm a Tech Support bod for a living, so I'm used to gethering information and whatnot, so anything I miss out, or anything you need to know, just ask...

After a good scouring of google, I think what I have is a heatline solaris system boiler. It doesn't have a temperature control on the panel for regulating DHW. It has one for controlling central heating, and the power/main control knob. There's nothing else, apart from the LCD display.

The problem I have is that we have a constant drip from something that appears to be an overflow pipe. the water coming from the pipe is never hot.

I've downloaded the manual for the very similar combi boiler and I can see that two of the three inlet valves on the bottom of the boiler are closed. The coldwater inlet pipe valve is very slightly open.

I can supply photos if need be.

Do you have enough info to be able to tell me if the open cold water inlet valve is causing this constant drip? If so, should I close the valve, and what effect will this have on the performance of the boiler?

Thanks. I'd really rather not call an engineer out to deal with this if the solution is as simple as closing a valve.

 

[tackleburger]

Is it a white plastic pipe? If so it is the condensate pipe and should be going to a suitable drain and is normal. I am not sure about cold water inlet pipe being open a system boiler doesn't have a cold inlet pipe just a mains supply nearby to fill the system usually a flexible connection which should be closed and disconnected once system is pressurised to 1-1,5 bar.

 

[neil73]

nope, I see the one you mean and that's not dripped, ever.

It's possible that it's not a system boiler, but I'm sure that's what the installing plumber called it. 100% sure. We were given a choice of replacing the old system boiler or having a combi boiler which would necessitate a huge job, redirecting pipes and changing radiators and whatnot, so I'm pretty sure it's a system boiler.

Looking at the piping below my boiler, I have a pipe with a red valve (open) which goes to the hot water tank, a pipe with a yellow valve (open) which is the gas inlet, the plastic pipe going to the outside wall, a pipe connected to the coldwater mains with a blue valve (slightly open), a copper pipe leading outside (this is the one that's constantly dripping), and a pipe leading to the cold water tank upstairs with another blue valve. I can't tell if this is open or closed.

There is a flexible connection between the cold water mains pipe and the pipe leading to the cold water tank. There's also a connection between the two pipes further up which has an adjustable screw which I think is rated in bars. currently it's set to 0.5 and has markers from 0.5 to 0.1.

I don't pretend to know what any of this is for, but I hope there's enough info here.

(edited to add - can't tell where the dripping pipe comes from as it's within the body of the boiler. can't confirm 100% that the pipe I say leads to the coldwater tank upstairs actually DOES go there. If it should actually lead to the radiator pipes for example, then it's more than possible that's actually where it does lead. The LED display reads 2.4-2.6 bar)

 

[tackleburger]

It sounds to me like you have a combi that is feeding a cylinder although I cant be 100% sure, it depends how the biolers are set up. Is there a pipe capped off under the boiler? Your problem is the boiler is over pressurising either one of these issues below could be causing the problem most likely first:

Check filling loop is closed (flexi connection)

Expasion vessel charge is lost (gas fitter's job)

It is a combi and the fact the hw outlet is capped may be caused the problem.

Have you touched the valve with the indicators on it?

 

[neil73]

It sounds to me like you have a combi that is feeding a cylinder although I cant be 100% sure, it depends how the biolers are set up. Is there a pipe capped off under the boiler? Your problem is the boiler is over pressurising either one of these issues below could be causing the problem most likely first:

Check filling loop is closed (flexi connection)

I think it is. the flexi connection is detatched, but the valve leading to the underside of the boiler is definitely open

Expasion vessel charge is lost (gas fitter's job)

It is a combi and the fact the hw outlet is capped may be caused the problem.

Have you touched the valve with the indicators on it?

Afraid you've lost me on the last two. What am I looking for when you say "valve with the indicators"?

There don't appear to be any capped pipes under the boiler.

 

[tackleburger]

The one with the screw and the markers you described it's a bypass and should be left. I think the red and blue pipes are flow and return and both should be open try that. If it doesn't work get the fitter back. I am thinking your return is nearly off and the system is maybe over expanding. I still think you should get it checked even if this works.

 

[neil73]

OK, I moved the valve which I said may go to the cold water tank. This appeared to open it, as water began to flow. This pipe was indicated as the return pipe in the manual i've looked at. water is now clearly flowing through the blue and red pipes, both of which lead upstairs where the hot and cold water tanks are. The boiler is below them, in a cupboard in the kitchen.

Could do with some reassurance the house isn't about to blow up!