URGENT My ideal logic Combi 35 boiler loosing pressure

[Dondons85]

Hi I have a ideal logic 35 combi boiler is just little over 4 years old in a new build property was great for first few years but since about 2 years maybe it keeps loosing pressure what I top up. Once it lost it but then the filling loop wouldn't fill back up had someone out they said it may be the pressure gauge sorted and fitted but still it lost pressure every couple months till 4 days ago where now it's every day I'm having to refill and more so yesterday about 5 times maybe more I had to fill I did have someone out again he said it may be the balloon or what that is that needs replacing he said he blew it back up and then went was only here what 15 mins if that soon as he went guess what yep the pressure went so back out he came and said sounds like deffo that part my heating just kicked in and pressure mostly gone again today. There's no visible leaks on walls or radiator my pipes go into the wall not floor and no visable water damage on walls or ceilings so no idea does anyone know what it could be th gas engineer didn't stay long so I don't think it was looked at properly. There is also now air in the system as radiator banged earlier when heating did kick in plus IV had to let air out of radiators last year due to air lock etc help please EDIT also in the summer weeks the boiler was just on hot water from june-sept and it still lost pressure just not as fast as the past 4 days

 

[John.g]

Switch off the CH & the HW off and the power to the boiler.
Can you just top it up and note the pressure, then shut the CH Flow and CH Return isolating valves, leave it for a hour or so (or enough time in your estimation to cause a pressure drop "normally") and note the pressure.

 

[Dondons85]

Switch off the CH & the HW off and the power to the boiler.
Can you just top it up and note the pressure, then shut the CH Flow and CH Return isolating valves, leave it for a hour or so (or enough time in your estimation to cause a pressure drop "normally") and note the pressure.


View attachment 65979

IV no idea that to IV turned off though and refilled to 1.2 and just switched to he and still lost pressure the gas engineer is supposed to be ordering a part the balloon thing though but won't be done or back out till at least Monday/tues. Thank you my pipes are like this image but knowing me I'll do it wrong I only know how to refill and bleed radiators being a woman thanks again. It's social housing but like the engeenirs don't stay long enough to have a good look

 

[John.g]

Very good that he's coming back.
The balloon is the expansion vessel and if that's gone then the pressure will rise to 3 bar while the boiler is heating up or if its loosing pressure while still cold then you might see water coming from a pipe on the outside wall, anyway you plumber should sort it out.

 

[Dondons85]

Ok thank you he says it sounds like the balloon but then the pressure isn't rising it's dropping IV not noticed water coming out from the pipe outside but in the summer there was wasps flying around my neighbours pipe and getting in so maybe they have snook into mine to without knowing

 

[John.g]

That water is coming from the boiler PRV (safety valve) but shouldn't if the pressure is less than 3 bar, if it is then its leaking and a new expansion vessel won't cure it, it will need a new PRV, your plumber is/should be aware of this, just in case he isn't you might mention it to him in a polite fashion.

 

[Dondons85]

I will do he was only here 15 mins tops this was at 4 company closes at 5 so he was rushing but he had to come back at 5 bring heaters with the pressure dropped after leaving. Not sure where leak would be if it was as no visible water on floors or walls and ceilings my pipes go into the wall in the middle of radiators etc

 

[cjg]

ask him to remove the condence plate at the base of the boiler , shine a light in and wait see if water is driping down,or top your boiler up leave it turned off and see if your condence trap slowly starts to fill up then empty, had one with this fault a while ago it was a cracked heat exchanger in side. spend a full day looking for a leak that was not there!!!!

 

[Dondons85]

Is the middle pic the condenser thing

 

[cjg]

yes . but you can not tell looking at that from the out side thats why i said ask your engineeer as you have to remove the boiler cover which you are not really allowed to do. sorry.

 

[Dondons85]

ask him to remove the condence plate at the base of the boiler , shine a light in and wait see if water is driping down,or top your boiler up leave it turned off and see if your condence trap slowly starts to fill up then empty, had one with this fault a while ago it was a cracked heat exchanger in side. spend a full day looking for a leak that was not there!!!!

Hi IV just repressured just so I could wash up etc once sink filled with hot water I waited for boiler to knock off once tap stopped and I watched the pressure go down slowly I could also hear dripping from inside the boiler as pressure was slowly goin so is the plumber right for the exchanger/expansion thing the balloon thing fault

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If you can hear water dripping that’s a bad sign best to get him out as he will be able to tell how bad as there’s a physical leak

 

[Dondons85]

If you can hear water dripping that’s a bad sign best to get him out as he will be able to tell how bad as there’s a physical l

A leak inside the boiler it's self not the pipe works they won't be able to come out until tomorrow at latest he has orderd a part but not sure what part it's either a new expansion thing or something else

 

[Dondons85]

A leak inside the boiler it's self not the pipe works they won't be able to come out until tomorrow at latest he has orderd a part but not sure what part it's either a new expansion thing or something else

I mean there no leak within the pipe work on my ceiling or walls etc the dripping is inside the boiler that's now stopped once the pressure gone

 

[ShaunCorbs]

He must know what’s leaking as he’s order parts won’t be the main hex as this is expensive eg £300 plus

 

[Dondons85]

I'm in housing association home it's a new build all other people on the estate mostly private houses have all had problems with these boilers. Mines been slow over past couple years where pressure dropped etc just past few days it's not holding he only looked at it for 10 mins Friday befor going then having to come back with heaters as. As soon as he went pressure went IV had them out a good few times for the pressure and still not solved just got Worse till now the dripping now stopped the boiler is empty displaying F1

 

[cjg]

as stated above ask him to check, i may be wrong but told today when i was out another engineer has had the same fault,
took him one and a half days before he found it, he was well peeeeeeeeeeed off!!!!

 

[Dondons85]

Update housing plumber came back out he emptied and refilled and emptied the condenser box thing he then went to put stuff back in van and came back to check and it was nearly no pressure again he said it looks like the heat exchanger so needs to get hold of housing to get hold of ideal to see if under warranty still as it's only just over 4 years old when installing it was installed 9/3/2017 I moved in in may 2017

 

[cjg]

so its an other one thats gone, glad you can now get it sorted, as stated before it had me baffled for a while.
all the best.

 

[Dondons85]

so its an other one thats gone, glad you can now get it sorted, as stated before it had me baffled for a while.
all the best.

Ahh yes still waiting for it to be fixed now as the fella who came out Monday hadn't let them know what had gone on so they don't know if part is orderd or anything so still waiting nearly 5 days with out heat or hot water i just had to put bit of pressure in just to run a little bath so my son could have one, then soon as it was quarter full and turned Taos off pressure gone. Then reading about the heat exchanger faults and carbon monoxide IV crapped it a little so turned dial to boiler off but not switched off at wall. I do have a Honeywell carbon monoxide alarm but no alarm has gone off to say leak it just blinks green now n again

 

[cjg]

thats normal for your c m to do,

 

[Dondons85]

Well a week today since boiler played up 5 days without hardly heating or hot water went to re pressure just b4 just so my son can get a bath and it's not even reaching 1, my housing association systems been down all week so no-one can see if a job is booked or anything they have emailed the plumbing company they use and nothing back from them I even tried but still no answer on the phones how long can you be left with out it as it's appalling my son's also just been diagnosed with mild asthma aswell