Ideal Combi Logic+ C24 Losing pressure

[alex859]

Hello guys!

I had an Ideal Combi Logic+ C24 fitted in August 2021 in my mid terraced house and I started noticing that it was losing pressure during winter 2021.

I had the first engineer sent by Ideal in March 2022 when the pressure was going down very fast, I could see the gauge going down. He said the boiler was OK, he changed some parts (there was also a whistling sound coming from the flue which was solved) and suggested that the boiler was OK and there must be a leak somewhere in the system. The advice was to wait 6 months and I would see some water escape sign. From the next day the pressure was still going down but way slower (did the leak get smaller? strange)

After that I haven't used the heating much until now, and I had to refill every 2 weeks, waiting for the leak to show up, but nothing yet.

Now I've started using the central heating again and the pressure starts going down again, e.g. from 1bar yesterday morning to 0.6bar now (flow and return temperature ~20C).

It should be a lot of water lost, I struggle to see how I still can't see it anywhere in the house?

I read yesterday that it could be that the PRV is faulty and the water goes outside. I checked and there is water going out.
I called Ideal and they say that it is normal that condensation water goes out and that they are not sending another engineer.

The issue is that both the condensation and PRV relief go into the same pipe outside as you can see from the picture, so I cannot tell if the water going out is from condensation or from the PRV.

Any ways to tell if the water comes out from the PRV? Do you guys have any advice to find the leak?

Thanks and have a great day!

Alessandro

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Yes, that’s a combined prv/condensate setup, not sure it’s acceptable though. As for finding out if it’s leaking from the prv, for a homeowner I would suggest not using the boiler all day and then check the pipe outside. You could isolate the flow and return valves and note the pressure, again not using the boiler all day, if the pressure holds it’s not on the boiler side.

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Apologies, just re-read what I put, the pressure loss won’t be on the boiler whilst isolated, but can be via the prv whilst in use.

 

[alex859]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for replying!

So what I can do is fill the system let's say to 1.5bar, shut down the boiler, isolate it and wait one day.

The pressure read on the gauge should stay still. Reopen the flow and return valves, if the pressure gauge goes down there must be a leak somewhere in the system.

Is that right?

Thanks!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Correct

 

[alex859]

I tried the experiment, pressurised to 1.5bar, kept the boiler disconnected from the system for about 12h.

The pressure went down to 1.3bar with the boiler disconnected, I guess because water got colder.

When I reopened the central heating valves nothing changed on the pressure gauge.

Do you guys have any suggestion on what to do next?

I'd like to find a way of checking if some water is coming out of the PRV. I heard one option could be to put some kind of perfume in the system via the tower rail and try to sniff it?

Thanks!

 

[oz-plumber]

See if you can remove the PRV pipe from the plastic pipe, if not cut the plastic pipe to expose the end of the PRV pipe.

Put a plastic bag over the end of the PRV pipe and see if anything is leaking through that pipe.

 

[alex859]

See if you can remove the PRV pipe from the plastic pipe, if not cut the plastic pipe to expose the end of the PRV pipe.

Put a plastic bag over the end of the PRV pipe and see if anything is leaking through that pipe.

I guess that's the only way to really check it. I'll have to cut the pipe.
After checking, can I put the pipe back using some kind of connector? (I don't know the technical term and I'm a complete beginner).

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 120897]

Yes, it’s called a coupling.

 

[cjg]

im going for another cracked hx.