J
jrterror
Hiall.
We have anARISTON Combi A Series boiler situated in our loft. The last number of years wehave had a number of instances where it has either cut out for no apparentreason or lost pressure.
The cut outsare very infrequent and so are not at this time a concern. The pressure losshowever is.
The firsttime it lost pressure, a number of years ago, during the winter months of2012-2013, I was advised to swap out the Pressure Relief Valve and did so.Doing so, it appeared had worked.
The followingwinter of 2013-2014, it started to loose pressure again. It lost pressure slowlyat first, but as time progressed, it needed topping more frequently, until itgot to the point where it would only last a day before needing filling up.
When theboiler first started leaking I placed a tray under the boiler. Thinking back, Idon’t think there was any water on the tray. Sometimes when I needed to re-pressurisethe boiler it did leak water from the compression fitting on the inlet of thefilling loop. I was always careful to wipe up the water leaked from thecompression joint so that I could properly monitor the situation. However,there were occasions during this time when it appeared that there were damppatches on the ground outside, below the pressure relief valve discharge pipe.I decided to replace this one year old PRV with yet another one. It seemed towork at first, but sometime during the end of last winter (2013-2014) it onceagain started losing pressure.
Ever sincethe first occurrence of the pressure loss, I had noticed the ‘tell tail’ signof a leak the appeared to originate from a sensor above the pressure reliefvalve, according to the boiler manual, this is the pressure sensor. There was aline of white residue running down from the base of this sensor continuing downthe PRV housing. But, because there was never any trace of water on the traybelow, I assumed that this was a previous leak that had now been rectified.
I decided tobe brave and investigate if this could be the cause of the pressure loss. I hadto remove the metal panel casing from the boiler to access this sensor and whenI did so, it looked much more likely that this had been leaking and decided toremove it. After getting a face full of water, I realised that I had notdrained it enough. TeHe. Anyway, I finally remove the sensor and discoveredthat the ‘o ring’ seal was, well I can’t actually remember, but I do remember itwas worse for wear. I didn’t have a replacement sensor or ‘o’ ring and sowrapped it in PTFE tape and popped the sensor back in place. Admitedly I shouldnot have left it like this, but I had a very narrow window of opportunity toinvestigate and no time at that time to replace it. Days, went by, then weeks,then months. It just got forgot. SORRY
I should probablyadd at this point that during every partial drain down to replace each of thePRVs I have checked the expansion vessel. Now, the valve for the vessel is in a very awkward location and sogetting the connector of my air pump on it it is difficult. But, I am fairlyconfident (Not 100% though) that the expansion vessel is ok. There has neverbeen any water on the top of the valve and no water has discharged when deflated,releasing the pressure.
Anyway, afterwrapping the sensors ‘o ring’ I fired up the heating and all appeared to bewell. The boiler has held pressure ever since, all the way through the summer,never loosing any pressure it would seem. Until now! Today, I went into theloft to see how the pressure was, predominately because there have been a fewoccasions during September of this year (2014) that we have switched on theheating to get some washing dry. And low and behold it has lost pressure again!No sign of leaks on the tray. I have not noticed any signs of wet on the floorbeneath the PRV discharge pipe.
So, otherthan the sensor ‘o ring’ being wrapped in PTFE I am non the wiser.
BUT WHY HASTHE BOILER NOT LOSSED PRESSURE THROUGH THE ENTIRE SUMMER?
Even whenthere has been countless occurrences where the boiler has been called on togenerate hot water. i.e baths, showers, dishes.
I’ve been inthe loft many times during the summer and it has held constant at 1.5 bar.
IS THE WATERFEEDING THROUGH THE PRESSURE SENSOR HOT ANDTHEREFORE EVAPORATING INSTEAD OF DRIPPING ONTO THE TRAY BELOW?
IF THE SENSORSDODGY ‘O RING’ NEEDS REPLACING, WHICH I ADMIT IT DOES, WHY DID IT NOT LEAKDURING THE SUMER MONTHS
Can someoneplease take a little time to expain the answers to these questions and givesome sensible advise?
Many Thanksfor taking the time to read this very lengthy message.
We have anARISTON Combi A Series boiler situated in our loft. The last number of years wehave had a number of instances where it has either cut out for no apparentreason or lost pressure.
The cut outsare very infrequent and so are not at this time a concern. The pressure losshowever is.
The firsttime it lost pressure, a number of years ago, during the winter months of2012-2013, I was advised to swap out the Pressure Relief Valve and did so.Doing so, it appeared had worked.
The followingwinter of 2013-2014, it started to loose pressure again. It lost pressure slowlyat first, but as time progressed, it needed topping more frequently, until itgot to the point where it would only last a day before needing filling up.
When theboiler first started leaking I placed a tray under the boiler. Thinking back, Idon’t think there was any water on the tray. Sometimes when I needed to re-pressurisethe boiler it did leak water from the compression fitting on the inlet of thefilling loop. I was always careful to wipe up the water leaked from thecompression joint so that I could properly monitor the situation. However,there were occasions during this time when it appeared that there were damppatches on the ground outside, below the pressure relief valve discharge pipe.I decided to replace this one year old PRV with yet another one. It seemed towork at first, but sometime during the end of last winter (2013-2014) it onceagain started losing pressure.
Ever sincethe first occurrence of the pressure loss, I had noticed the ‘tell tail’ signof a leak the appeared to originate from a sensor above the pressure reliefvalve, according to the boiler manual, this is the pressure sensor. There was aline of white residue running down from the base of this sensor continuing downthe PRV housing. But, because there was never any trace of water on the traybelow, I assumed that this was a previous leak that had now been rectified.
I decided tobe brave and investigate if this could be the cause of the pressure loss. I hadto remove the metal panel casing from the boiler to access this sensor and whenI did so, it looked much more likely that this had been leaking and decided toremove it. After getting a face full of water, I realised that I had notdrained it enough. TeHe. Anyway, I finally remove the sensor and discoveredthat the ‘o ring’ seal was, well I can’t actually remember, but I do remember itwas worse for wear. I didn’t have a replacement sensor or ‘o’ ring and sowrapped it in PTFE tape and popped the sensor back in place. Admitedly I shouldnot have left it like this, but I had a very narrow window of opportunity toinvestigate and no time at that time to replace it. Days, went by, then weeks,then months. It just got forgot. SORRY
I should probablyadd at this point that during every partial drain down to replace each of thePRVs I have checked the expansion vessel. Now, the valve for the vessel is in a very awkward location and sogetting the connector of my air pump on it it is difficult. But, I am fairlyconfident (Not 100% though) that the expansion vessel is ok. There has neverbeen any water on the top of the valve and no water has discharged when deflated,releasing the pressure.
Anyway, afterwrapping the sensors ‘o ring’ I fired up the heating and all appeared to bewell. The boiler has held pressure ever since, all the way through the summer,never loosing any pressure it would seem. Until now! Today, I went into theloft to see how the pressure was, predominately because there have been a fewoccasions during September of this year (2014) that we have switched on theheating to get some washing dry. And low and behold it has lost pressure again!No sign of leaks on the tray. I have not noticed any signs of wet on the floorbeneath the PRV discharge pipe.
So, otherthan the sensor ‘o ring’ being wrapped in PTFE I am non the wiser.
BUT WHY HASTHE BOILER NOT LOSSED PRESSURE THROUGH THE ENTIRE SUMMER?
Even whenthere has been countless occurrences where the boiler has been called on togenerate hot water. i.e baths, showers, dishes.
I’ve been inthe loft many times during the summer and it has held constant at 1.5 bar.
IS THE WATERFEEDING THROUGH THE PRESSURE SENSOR HOT ANDTHEREFORE EVAPORATING INSTEAD OF DRIPPING ONTO THE TRAY BELOW?
IF THE SENSORSDODGY ‘O RING’ NEEDS REPLACING, WHICH I ADMIT IT DOES, WHY DID IT NOT LEAKDURING THE SUMER MONTHS
Can someoneplease take a little time to expain the answers to these questions and givesome sensible advise?
Many Thanksfor taking the time to read this very lengthy message.
