Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill GCH)

[Hackneyed]

Hi all,


Was hoping that someone might be able to help here - have spent a good few hours researching this today and you'd think that it'd be pretty straight forward as plenty of good instructions on the web, but the set-up i've got seems to be missing something.


So, I have the above boiler. It was installed in 2008, in a new-build. over the weekend I had to remove one radiator in order to do some decorating. This went fine, I followed common instructions, and removed it. This afternoon I put it back and connected it again and opened the valves. So far so good, I got the F22 error and it said that the pressure was down to 0.3 bar so it shut itself off.


Now in order to refill it, as per instructions, you connect a bridge between the 'cold water in' to the GCH out and turn the dials. The problem is that on my boiler, there is no bridge hose, and what's worse is, the valves on it are missing facilities to connect a hose should I go out and buy one.

I've attached two pictures below, describing what I see and the logic (or lack thereof, as it may be, haha).



I'd be most grateful if someone would be able to help - I'd rather not call the plumber out (trying to set up my own business so pennies count) for this one, it should really be pretty straight forward!

Thanks!!

Oh, and as for the possibility of having the bridge further down on the pipes - nope, after they leave the boiler, they bend to go down and then disappear behind the kitchen unit with zero access.

 

[dave1]

Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refil

That is a drain off to drain water from the boiler do not open that one. Take another pic slightly further away under the boiler and post it.
Do you have a "filling loop" anywhere? It's a metal flexi pipe connected to 2 pipes with valves on either end?

 

[CES]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

You are researching the wrong model of boiler, The ecotec plus models have the filling loop built in, the ecotec pros do not. You will have a filling loop installed elsewhere on the system as Dave1 has said. Its a case of finding that I'm afraid, probably tucked behind a washing machine or the like.

 

[Hackneyed]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

Thanks for replying.

It's the lack of loop (I called it bridge - seem to have read it was called that somewhere) that's confounding me. Below I've attached another couple of images - the pipes disappear behind the units, where there is absolutely no access. I've also looked under the sink (to the right in the image) and behind the washing machine, which is to the right of the sink, and nothing.



Could it be that the loop is installed in a completely different location? Seems madness but I guess not impossible right?

Or could it be that they've forgotten to install it? Unlikely as they woud have had to fill the system after installing it.

Cheers!

 

[dancinplumba]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

if you carnt find it you need to install one

 

[Hackneyed]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

if you carnt find it you need to install one

Well, if there isn't one, how did they fill up the system in the first place, when the boiler was installed?

Also, as I mentioned in my original post, I'm looking to avoid calling a plumber out. Cutting copper pipes and installing a loop hardly sounds like a diy project (although I'm sure it's been attempted before).

 

[PlumbBobBob]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

what about in the loft where the f&e used to be? sounds daft but one of my customers has their's up there

 

[Hackneyed]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

Hi Steve,

Thanks for responding.

I live in a flat in a purpose built block, on the top floor. There's just the roof above me.

The more I look at it the more convinced I get that they've installed the kitchen on top of this fairly important bit of kit. Now I can't of course know whether the loop is there without thrashing the units but let's call it a hunch.

Has any of you heard of GCH engineers installing similar systems without fitting a loop? And in that case how did they fill the system in the first place?

 

[Hackneyed]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

Also, is there any other way of refilling the system than through a loop?

It's getting pretty cold... BRRRR

 

[yo1]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

look in the cupboard under the boiler?

 

[dave1]

Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refil

Under the kitchen sink?

 

[wards]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

trace the cold feed,you will then find the filling loop.

 

[Hackneyed]

Re: Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refill

Haha, ok I found it. Dave was right, it was under the kitchen sink but you needed to remove a panel which is why I missed it previously.

Thanks all for your input, much appreciated!

 

[dave1]

Vaillant Ecotec Pro 28 - dodgy install or am I missing something obvious (Refil

Glad to be of help and pleased you've found it. You'll never forget where it is now!