Boiler pressure at 0 bar. Help!

[serpico]

Hi everyone,

My hot water and central heating stopped working three days ago. Given the recent weather I thought it might be related to frozen pipes and assumed it would thaw out naturally within a couple of days. Today I looked at the boiler and noticed that the pressure guage reading was at zero. I tried opening the valves for the filling loop and that does very slowly increase the pressure (after a minute) to 0.6 bar but as soon as I turn the valves off it quickly reduces to zero again.

Just one more thing. When I open the filling loop valves I can hear water gushing out below my floorboards when I go downstairs. This got me very worried, however, I saw that the water was leaving my property via an outside drain which I had not noticed before.

Does anyone have any ideas about what I need to do to get my water pressure back to normal again? I tried contacting British Gas but they said they are only catering for their own paid-up customers presently because of the high call-out demand.

I have three young kids so I am keen to get this resolved asap. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

sounds like some things burst on the central heating

 

[so-solar]

as above,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, you need a plumber asap!

PH Plumbing and Heating | Northampton Plumbers | Central Heating | Boiler Replacement

 

[serpico]

Thank you, Gas Man and So-Solar. Yes, I do want to get a good plumber asap and that is why I tried calling British Gas first. As they are only currently catering for those customers who have taken out a Home Care contract, do you have any recommendations for good and reliable plumbers in the Luton area? Also, I don't suppose they will come out before Dec 27th now?

 

[mikegas]

I saw that the water was leaving my property via an outside drain which I had not noticed before.

By drain do you mean a copper pipe coming out of your wall?

 

[oldplumber]

sounds like a prv blowing off

 

[serpico]

sounds like a prv blowing off

What is a prv?

Also, by 'drain' I meant a grid built into the outside wall. There is a copper pipe above the grid but no water was flowing out of it.

 

[oldplumber]

now that sounds more like a burst pipe leaking via an airbrick I'm afraid to say

 

[REDSAW]

get the floorboards up and find the leak.

post back for how to fix. with pic of findings.

 

[serpico]

I am hopeless with DIY so I think I should still go down the 'call an emergency plumber' route rather than pull up floorboards and make things worse (which I will!).

The one thing that puzzles me is that I have read that if this problem is the result of a burst pipe then water would be flowing constantly and I would have to turn off the main stopcock. However, in my case, I can only hear the water gushing under the floorboard (where it meets the outside wall and the otside airbrick) when I open the filling loop valves. When the valves are shut (as they normally should be) there is no gushing water. So, I have not switched the main stopcock off and we are otherwise still using (very cold) water in the house.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

no this would be correct because the filling loop only fills the heating side of the system, the domestic water side is not affected by the filling loop. sounds like you have a burst on the heating under the floor.

 

[serpico]

Thanks, steveb. I have contacted an emergency plumbers company and am waiting for them to call me back. They say they work 365 days a year so I am (wishfully) hoping that they mean Xmas day too! I know it might cost quite a bit but I am presuming I can claim this back from the home and building insurance. Many thanks to all the above contributors for their advice and pointers.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

might be worhtwile contacting your insurers before the plumbers turn up to get their ok

 

[serpico]

Hi steveb. Well, the plumbers that promised on their website that they are available 24/7 365 days a year said that the earliest they can make it is Wednesday morning. I guess that will have to do as I don't think anyone else will be able to do it quicker as Monday and Tuesday are Bank holidays. And, yes, you are right, I will call the insurers asap but again they are unlikely to be open till Wednesday too...meanwhile, it is back to boiling water via the kettle! I just hope to God that the water leakage beneath the floorboard downstairs has not done any long term damage.