Boiler dropping 3/4 bar pressure every 24hours

[AidanGee93]

Got a 23/4 year old combi boiler (vokera) runs good and no issues with heating but I am expecting to change sooner rather than later.

 

I've been topping my pressure up every other night as I notice it drops 0.5. - 0.75 bar of pressure every 24 hours... wondered why?

 

Recently fitted new radiators and one of them at the tail Valve has the smallest drip (I wrapped 20 times in ptfe)...it's so small I only noticed a few drips on the laminate and I've since put a cup under it, every couple of days I'll throw the water away but it's no more than a few drops of water.

 

Another existing rad had similar, but drops were from the thermostat rad Valve so I just closed that off and no leaks. (Closed just as I'm not using that radiator)

 

Could this pressure drop from boiler be caused by the leaky rad tail Valve?...just find it mad for the pressure to be dropping from a few drops of water.

There's no other leaks anywhere, no signs of water stains on ceilings etc from pipes...mabey a leak under the house in crawl space? 

 

Any ideas, appreciated 👍 

[Nickfromwales]

Probably blowing out of the PRV (pressure relief valve). 
 

Check to see if the blow off pipe, the 15mm copper pipe poked out through the wall, is letting water out. 
 

Zip tie a sandwich bag over it, making sure rain can’t collect in it and give you a false reading, and report back.

 

A few smallness leaks will defo have an impact, but maybe not as much as you’re seeing. Possible cause is the expansion vessel has snuffed it, or needs re-pressurising. 

[Andeh]

We had a pressure drop similar to that, and it was a failed expansion vessel. Some damage had allowed it to rust through. 

[AidanGee93]

21 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Probably blowing out of the PRV (pressure relief valve). 
 

Check to see if the blow off pipe, the 15mm copper pipe poked out through the wall, is letting water out. 
 

Zip tie a sandwich bag over it, making sure rain can’t collect in it and give you a false reading, and report back.

 

A few smallness leaks will defo have an impact, but maybe not as much as you’re seeing. Possible cause is the expansion vessel has snuffed it, or needs re-pressurising. 

Thanks mate, I think I'll check the blow out pipe and do what you recommend to see if any water gathering...only issue is my boiler is located in the central of the house upper floor, so not against a gable end wall with the blow out pipe heading through that wall ..any idea where the blow out pipe will lead to?

There's an bathroom in room next to boiler cupboard so thinking it mabey attached onto the drainage pipe from sink/bath?

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, AidanGee93 said:

Thanks mate, I think I'll check the blow out pipe and do what you recommend to see if any water gathering...only issue is my boiler is located in the central of the house upper floor, so not against a gable end wall with the blow out pipe heading through that wall ..any idea where the blow out pipe will lead to?

There's a bathroom in room next to boiler cupboard so thinking it maybe attached onto the drainage pipe from sink/bath?

Can you post a pic of the pipework under the boiler and another stood back a bit, so we can see if maybe it goes into a trap or a pump unit etc?

[AidanGee93]

17 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

Can you post a pic of the pipework under the boiler and another stood back a bit, so we can see if maybe it goes into a trap or a pump unit etc?

Yes mate, bare with me I'll post a picture of the boiler with pics of the pipes running up...later tonight 

[AidanGee93]

[AidanGee93]

So picture with tumble dryer in it is the bottom floor where pipes run up to next floor for the boiler. There's a T piece on the 15mm copper...mabey this is the pressure relief valve pipe leading to a drain pipe? (Where that T piece leads to is the en suite).

[Nickfromwales]

22 minutes ago, AidanGee93 said:

So picture with tumble dryer in it is the bottom floor where pipes run up to next floor for the boiler. There's a T piece on the 15mm copper...mabey this is the pressure relief valve pipe leading to a drain pipe? (Where that T piece leads to is the en suite).

Nope, doubt it. The PRV discharge wouldn't T off. Combi needs 5 pipes, flow/return/gas/cold/hot. I see 5 pipes, so we're looking for pipe #6. Look directly up under the boiler, do you see another 15mm pipe heading off? Can you see this appear on an outside wall?

[AidanGee93]

Here's better pic with 6 pipes...

Cicrles the pipes outside, green is central heating drain valve. So the red must be the Trv discharge?

What I can do is tie a sandwich bag to this (preferably on a dry 24hours) then if it's wet inside it means?

[Nickfromwales]

A bag on the red one should be the kiddy.