Post by magicmanalex on Jan 18, 2016 18:46:19 GMT -5
Great website! Real eye-opener when it comes to these boilers!
We moved into a house about 18 months ago. More and more recently (almost on a daily basis) we're having to refill the boiler via the filling loop. I'm guessing it's a problem with the expansion vessel. Sometimes when I get up in the morning, it will have locked out and I switch it off, fill it up to 1.5 and switch it on again (and reset).
When the boiler's fired up, sometimes the pressure goes up to about 3.0 - 3.4. It's an eleven-radiator house. All except one upstairs radiator (probably switched off long-term) work perfectly. The others get very hot and it's very reliable. We always have hot water. (Both valves on the non-working radiator are open and I have checked the TRV pin. The rad or pipe might be blocked with limescale).
Boiler is in an upstairs cupboard, with white (secondary?) expansion vessel and flues are directly above in the attic.
Tested the shrader valve on this expansion vessel and it came back at 26 psi where I believe the manual says it should be 36-40 psi. No water came out.
Boiler was installed in 2007 (new-build house).
I called Potterton who said that they don't have this boiler / property registered so it has probably never been serviced.
They quoted:
£345 for ad-hoc repair. 12 months parts, 3 months labour.
or
£369 per year for a repair-and-protect plan.
£147 for a service.
(all prices including VAT). The fixed price repair (£345) does not include a service so that would be an additional £147 charge.
Couple of questions:
- Does anyone know the manufacturing dates of Powermax HE models that had to be recalled / repaired?
- Is it OK to try to pump up the expansion vessel in the loft with a foot pump up to 36 - 40 psi, or must this be left to a professional? (I'm reasonably good at DIY and work on my own motorcycle).
- I plan to drain the central heating as I don't know if it's been done before. I'm going to add some Fernox 3 for a week to clear out any rust / gunk / sludge. Then I'll flush twice and add inhibitor. Aside from switching the boiler off at the wall, do I have to isolate or turn off any other boiler valves before I open the downstairs radiator to drain the entire system? Can I just switch off the power to the boiler, open all of the rad valves and start draining out from the lowest point?
Alex