Expanssion Vessel - water coming out

[neeiro]

Hi,

I've got a Ideal Logic 30 - I was cleaning out the trap as it sometimes gets clogged up and tried the pressure on the expansion vessel and only water came out (boiler was switched off but not drained) is this normal or do I need to call out a plumber to change the Expansion Vessel?

edit: the boiler seems to be working ok but sometimes the pressure drops to 0 if it hasn't been used for a long period. If its in regular use its fine.

Thanks

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Shouldn’t be messing with a boiler unless your qualified

 

[king of pipes]

Needs attention please don't mess with it get a service call .

 

[neeiro]

Thanks will get someone out to look at it

On a side note we get it serviced every year by the same guy, due about Oct/Nov time, should he be checking the water in the radiators as he has never suggested inhibitor or a flushing them? (We have a couple of quite old radiators on the system).

Also we have a magnetic device attached - does that need cleaning too?

Our is it a case of if its working just leave it?

 

[king of pipes]

A full service is a strip down as below draining the boiler re pressurise the expansion vessel throughly clean the heat exchanger, electrodes, and the condense trap, the magnetic filter needs cleaning every year , if its longer than 5 years I would be draining the system flushing it and refilling the system adding a quality inhibitor . Regards Kop

 

[WC1]

A service of the boiler is generally defined in the manufacturer's instructions which will be available online.
A service of the heating system is as above.
When some customers request a service they want the bare minimum and wouldn't pay for any more. Some want a 5 star service as above. It's often a tricky issue of how far to go beyond the mi's.
Some customers request a service when actually there's a fault so make sure you mention the vessel to the engineer.

 

[neeiro]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Sounds like we have been getting the bare minimun service - pay about £45, I'm guessing that he just checks if the boiler is working correctly and spots faults. We had a part changed about 3 years ago - pressure was rising and dumping water outside - not sure the part but I think it was a difficult part to replace as the technician kept telling me how he hated Ideal Boilers 🙂 (we got it fitted under a government scheme so had no choice)

So I think my plan of action is to get the fault fixed asap then try and get a better service next time.

I fitted some Evohome valves and replaced a radiator recently and put some inhibitor in the system after putting cleaning fluided in for a few weeks (thinks thats the first time its had it - the boiler is about 6-7 years old) so I don't mind doing that every year. We actually took the old radiator off and flushed it outside, there was alot of gunk in it so I flushed the rest of the system out - again lots of gunk.

The only thing I've touched on the boiler is the siphon trap (we called ideal out within the first year as the pressure was dropping and he showed me how to do it) as it gets clogged up about every 6 months but this time the pipe to it was fully clogged.

 

[king of pipes]

Lack of maintenance then ? the engineer is just doing a safety check 😕 , the Syphon should be removed and clean every year it's very important on a ideal aluminium heat exchanger as you can see 👍. Kop

 

[WC1]

Depending where you are 45 for a safety check might be dirt cheap. Some guys could pay 20 - 30 in parking congestion charge etc just to turn up. Never mind other overheads.

 

[neeiro]

Lack of maintenance then ? the engineer is just doing a safety check 😕 , the Syphon should be removed and clean every year it's very important on a ideal aluminium heat exchanger as you can see 👍. Kop

Sounds like it - I think the part he was replaced was the heat exchanger which would tie in with what you said.

He's rings up every year and says its time for the boiler to be serviced so we thought thats all we needed, sounds like we are just getting a safety check, as I've looked into changing a radiator I only found out about keeping the pipes clean.

 

[neeiro]

Depending where you are 45 for a safety check might be dirt cheap. Some guys could pay 20 - 30 in parking congestion charge etc just to turn up. Never mind other overheads.

We are in the North East so I think ours will be on the lower end of the scale.

 

[neeiro]

Just an update if anyone searches.

We called out a Ideal accredited engineer. He came round and said it sounds like th PCB or Pump - when he came round it was working fine so he said its a tricky one as there was no obvoius fault at the time. It had been leaking water out of the grey cap at the back right of the boiler.

The L1 fault came up today - no hot water, water was going to the radiators but without heat. So he came around again and said it was either the pump or the PCB but said it could be either after his diagnostic. so he left us with the options

1. Replace the PCB (he thinks about £250 fitted) but warned the pump might need replacing after
2. Replace the Pump (about £100) but warned it could need the PCB changing after.
3. As the boiler was 7 years old look at getting a new boiler - recommended the Ideal Vogue which he could do at around £2400 with 12 year garentee. (he didn't push this I just asked)

He didn't rate the earlier Ideal boilers but says the new ones are very well built.

So we are going to think about it and see whats best for us - any input would be appreciated.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Was there pressure in the system when it faulted ?

 

[cjg]

I would not fit ideal, and at that PRICE no way. unless there is two ton of pipe work which i think not.

 

[neeiro]

Was there pressure in the system when it faulted ?

Not sure. The pressure gauge underneath was normal at 1 bar. There was no water outside from the overflows.

 

[neeiro]

I would not fit ideal, and at that PRICE no way. unless there is two ton of pipe work which i think not.

Any reason why? I mentioned installing a Worcester Boiler and he said it doesn't work well with the evohome system we have.

 

[king of pipes]

Get a proper engineer out or get ideal to do a fixed price repair and come to you , the boiler needs a full strip down cleaning and flushing through , if I had to make a educated guess your diverter valve needs attention, PCB I very much doubt , pump hmmm possible but I bet the systems grubby and would benefit from a drain and flush and new inhibitor added ???

 

[neeiro]

Get a proper engineer out or get ideal to do a fixed price repair and come to you , the boiler needs a full strip down cleaning and flushing through , if I had to make a educated guess your diverter valve needs attention, PCB I very much doubt , pump hmmm possible but I bet the systems grubby and would benefit from a drain and flush and new inhibitor added ???

I'll have a look at the fixed option - tell you the truth we are not happy that its only lasted 7 years.

Do we just ask for the Maintanance and support plan from Ideal and then say we have a fault. Out of Warranty Boiler Protection | Repairs | Ideal Heating - https://idealheating.com/support/out-of-warranty-protection

edit: I've just rang and they are going to come back with our options

Are the repair plans any good - do they cover most things? just wondering if they are worth getting with the boiler getting older

 

[king of pipes]

I wouldn't get a repair plan, just a one off fix and usually a years warranty ? , and of course a good service should be around £350 ish , gives you time to plan for a new boiler in a year or 2 rather than being forced into it now . Kop

 

[cjg]

as king of pipes says.