Vokera Compact 29 Pressure loss

[Indespair]

Hi
I'm new and as the name says 'indespair'

I rent a new build flat; it has a 1 year old Vokera Compact 29 boiler.

It started losing pressure at the end of Oct.

The heat exchanger has been replaced; the boiler fully checked [twice] for leaks.

The pipe work has been checked twice for leaks [none found] and still the pressure keeps dropping every day.

It takes approx 18 hours for the pressure to drop from 1.5 to zero.

Another engineer is coming out to the boiler tomorrow.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what may be causing this drop in pressure?

Many Thanks

 

[AlexGas]

A cracked component within the boiler. Your GS engineer should be able to sort it out for you.

 

[DirksPlumbing]

Hi
Does anyone have any ideas as to what may be causing this drop in pressure?

Many Thanks

Many ideas. The very first is: lack of service! And that means your guarantee will be void (soon). As a hint ask your engineer to look at the back of the boiler and get that back working.

 

[Indespair]

Many Thanks for the replies.
I rent so I don't know what the landlord's arrangements are regarding the warranty.

Vokera have been out twice and they're sending someone back tomorrow;
'who will sort the problem' they said

Everyone keeps promising they will sort the problem, I just wish someone could.
Will update tomorrow hopefully with some good news

Thanks Again

 

[Indespair]

Well
Another new heat exchanger was fitted and the boiler fully serviced, all checked out and everything was fine.
Pressure reset to 1.6 at 6pm tonight.

11pm tonight and the pressure reading was 1.

Any ideas what might be causing this?

Thanks for reading
Totally "Indespair"

 

[dancinplumba]

set pressure to 1.5, isolate boiler and do not use heating or hot water for 24hrs. if pressure has dropped then its prob with boiler. if no drop then its a leak on your system

 

[DirksPlumbing]

Well
Another new heat exchanger was fitted and the boiler fully serviced, all checked out and everything was fine.
Pressure reset to 1.6 at 6pm tonight.

11pm tonight and the pressure reading was 1.

Any ideas what might be causing this?

Thanks for reading
Totally "Indespair"

Well, I am still standing to my suspicion. As long as that does not get ruled out it is a waste of time to check pipes and heat exchangers and the lot.

 

[DirksPlumbing]

By the way, do you have to bleed radiators quite often?

 

[Indespair]

set pressure to 1.5, isolate boiler and do not use heating or hot water for 24hrs. if pressure has dropped then its prob with boiler. if no drop then its a leak on your system

Twice the boiler has been isolated for approx 3-4 hours each time and the pressure did not drop. The engineer then stated that there must be a leak in the pipework.

So a 2nd leak test was performed. The guy used a manifold and individually checked the pipework to each radiator and the capped off pipes where a radiator was never installed and no leaks were found.

A thermal imaging camera has been suggested as the next step to locate 'the leak that must be somewhere in the pipework'

Any thoughts?

 

[Indespair]

Many ideas. The very first is: lack of service! And that means your guarantee will be void (soon). As a hint ask your engineer to look at the back of the boiler and get that back working.

Can you be more precise, what exactly should they be looking at or for?

 

[dancinplumba]

Twice the boiler has been isolated for approx 3-4 hours each time and the pressure did not drop. The engineer then stated that there must be a leak in the pipework.

So a 2nd leak test was performed. The guy used a manifold and individually checked the pipework to each radiator and the capped off pipes where a radiator was never installed and no leaks were found.

A thermal imaging camera has been suggested as the next step to locate 'the leak that must be somewhere in the pipework'

Any thoughts?

thermal imaging maybe the best idea as leaks can occur when system hot because of expansion,
hope you get it sorted

 

[Indespair]

By the way, do you have to bleed radiators quite often?

No, they have only needed to be bled after checks for leaks were done & the various engineers saw to it.

 

[Indespair]

Well, I am still standing to my suspicion. As long as that does not get ruled out it is a waste of time to check pipes and heat exchangers and the lot.

The expansion vessel has also been checked twice

 

[DirksPlumbing]

The expansion vessel has also been checked twice

Did they bag the blow off? And most important, did they lower the pressure to check the vessel?
How was the pressure in the vessel? High, low or optimal?

 

[Indespair]

Did they bag the blow off? And most important, did they lower the pressure to check the vessel?
How was the pressure in the vessel? High, low or optimal?

Sorry, I don't have the answers, all I know is that 2 different engineers checked and reported that the component was not faulty.

 

[Indespair]

Update

Well the boiler was isolated again and the pressure was fine, as soon as isolation finished the pressure dropped.

My landlord has now decided to fit a
'device that will automatically re-pressurise the boiler'
They do not intend to investigate further.
It is a ground floor flat with concrete floors.

I'm worried.
Where is all the water going?
Will it lead to rising damp and mould?

Any thoughts?

 

[Dotty]

So basically he's going to crack the filling loop open......

Time to move my friend.

 

[Indespair]

The landlord is actually a housing association

 

[Dotty]

The landlord is actually a housing association

Who, as you said, are giving up looking for a leak, allowing fresh oxygenated water into a heating system and are being irresonsible by allowing the system keep itself topped up!

Heads will roll at that HA when radiators start bursting and they find nothings been done! And I can guarantee they'd try to find some way of blaming you! You'd better off well out of it mate. I honestly would consider moving as soon as you can.

 

[Indespair]

Finding a ground floor flat with disabled access is very very difficult.
I am trying to get as much info on what all could possibly go wrong with their 'solution'

I intend to email them with these possible scenarios,
make them aware of my reservations
and see what they say.

I'm sure if they were living in this flat they would not settle for this 'solution'

 

[dancinplumba]

think they maybe breaking the water regs by having a 'permanent' connection unless its got the correct backflow prevention

 

[CES]

Write to the HA and the Chairman of the HA involved. Make as much noise as you possibly can as they are ignoring an issue that wont solve itself. As you say, the water is going somewhere.
Not very professional of the HA IMO.

 

[neily01]

Had same problem it turned out the heat exchanger had and internal leak that was being taken away by the condensate pipework so couldnt be easily tracked

 

[CES]

Not the same problem as the op has said it was fine with the boiler isolated,so the leak is external to the boiler on the heating circuit.

 

[neily01]

Has the boiler been run while isolated incase it only leaks under heating? Hw mode.