Condensate when the boiler is not running

[Anj]

Yes, about 0.5litres/0.05bar from that 35 litre EV. so looks like a fairly serious leak, its a pity if it turns out to be a stupid drain valve but must be fixed so time to call in the professionals I think.

Yesterday afternoon about 6:45pm boiler switched off electrically.
Jug filled up around 10:30pm.
So this morning (boiler cover on by the way) the pipes shuddered when the valves to the boiler were opened and pressure down by 0.1.
Repressurised to 1.5 and the water started coming out of the condensate line... dripping.

Had a minor brainwave and tested the ph of the “condensate” and found it to be little less than 8 so definitely not acidic as condensate should be. [stupidly never tested the ph of the condensate when the boiler was on so don’t have an accurate reference but am sure it needs to be 6 or less].

there is one more thing I could do and that’s add a dye into the central heating but I’m sure that would blow my warranty. But once out of warranty if this happened again I might go that route. Oddly enough doesn’t seem to be CH dye on the market - other than drain dye.

Anyway thanks all. On the phone to Worcester.

 

[Anj]

Just to close of this thread (I hate reading old threads that never have the resolution in them).

I switched the boiler off for 4 days while waiting for the Worcester engineer. Condensate was still coming out when he arrived.
He asked if I had shut in the boiler (as SJB, DrEvil and others had suggested), I had and cos I could articulate what happened (thanks all) he had no real choice but to change the heat exchanger.

Now 4 days later and the pressure is holding fine.
Thanks to all who replied John.G, Dr Evil SJB and Shaun.

Now I can pull the system apart and introduce a third zone/two port valve and a three zone controller... wait for the next post !! 🙂

 

[moonlight]

Don't change the gate valves connected to the pump, inline isolation valves have a tendency to leak if they have been in awhile and used.

 

[Anj]

Don't change the gate valves connected to the pump, inline isolation valves have a tendency to leak if they have been in awhile and used.

Thanks... wasn’t planning to change the gate valves near the pump. As I’m breaking the flow line in any case to introduce a T connection to the upstairs (with a 2 port valve) I figured I might as well change the gate valves that are isolating the upstairs and downstairs circuits to 1/4 turn ball valves. you are 100% right though when I was doing the previous tests there was a slight weep at the pump gate valve - nipped the packing nut to stop the weep but really don’t want to touch those valves again - ever!
thanks for the advice..