Leaking Boiler

[Grecian]

I have a rather clapped out boiler which now has decided to leak, well I should say leak more, as there is always a leak of about half a bucket full of water a week which comes out the overflow pipe, but now I have a more sinister leak dripping out of the big brass thing on top of the boiler, sorry to be so technical!

The big brass thing is about 2 inches in diameter and about 2 and half inches high, it would appear to connect the input cold water pipe to the boiler, up until now it has never leaked.

Anyone any ideas please. I had intended replacing the boiler, when I had plucked up enough courage to make contact with a French plumber, but now it would seem my hand has been forced.

[Le Plombier]

From what you say I would think your system is over pressure

You should check the pressure gauge which should be around 1,5bar

The safety valve will discharge at 3bar to protect the boiler

If the pressure is too high open the drain valve for the system and draw off a small amount of water to reduce the pressure

If the system is not over pressure you will have to provide better information for a diagnosis

Le Plombier

[Grecian]

Thanks for the reply Le Plombier.

When you say check the pressure gauge which one do you mean? There are two on top of the boiler, one I guess for the domestic hot water, and one for the central heating. The one I think is for domestic hot water has a range from 1-6 bar, and the central heating has a range of 1-4 bar. The domestic hot water gauge is reading about 3 bar at the moment, and the central heating one about 1 and three quarters.

If indeed the pressure is too high, which one is the drain valve please, I have tried turning the one with a red cap on it, anti-clockwise, and have run off some water, but alas I still have the leak.

I am afraid I am not very technical when it comes to all things mechanical, so please forgive me if my ramblings do not make sense.

[La Guerriere]

If you could load up a couple of photos it might well help

[BIG MAC]

I wonder if this is a sealed appliance with a creeping mains connection.

[Grecian]

Well it has taken me nearly all morning to work out how to post an image within this forum, and after asking for assistance from other forum members, I have finally managed to post an image of the offending 'leaky' part. As I mentioned the water is dripping out of the big brass bit on the left of the photo, does this make sense to anybody out there?

[IMG]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/Pauline7/Boiler1-1.jpg[/IMG]

[La Guerriere]

Well done. Big brass thing looks like a pressure reducing valve to me.

[Le Plombier]

The big brass thing is indeed a pressure reducing valve, they are normally preset to supply water at 3 bar to the house or the appliance in your case

Most of them are adjustable

System pressures are - heating around 1 to 2 bar, the safety valve will discharge at 3 bar - hot water 3 bar, the groupe de security will discharge at 7 bar

The safety pressure release devices are there to protect the equipment

If water is leaking from the body of the prv and not just a joint it would probably be best just to replace it with a new one

You say you have two pressure gauges, the normal places they are installed are

On the sealed heating circuit so you can monitor and top up the sealed system pressure

On the water main on or immediately after the pressure reducing valve

You do not normally have one fitted on the hot water supply

Looking at your picture I would guess the blue pipe with the prv is the cold water feed for the hot water supply, the red pipe with no valve is the actual hot water supply and the red pipe with the gauge at the back is the cold water make up for the heating circuit ( if so this would be the gauge with the lower pressure you describe )

A better description or picture of the other pressure gauge would help to establish what it is there for

Le Plombier

[Grecian]

Your wish is my command Le Plombier, below is a view of the other gauge, and rear view of the already flagged up gauge.

I am really trying to ascertain if the problem I have could be quite expensive to put right, and if it is the case I will limp on with it dripping, until I can be brave and make that phone call to a French plumber to give me a devis for a new boiler. At the moment my French is really only up to face to face conversations with an element of pointing, and use of a dictionary, but I guess I will have to be brave and try and splutter my way through on the telephone if needs be.

[IMG]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/Pauline7/Boiler2.jpg[/IMG]

[BIG MAC]

It looks as though your boiler is a little box with a red cross on it.....surely not? [:$]

[Le Plombier]

This gauge is mounted on the prv and if it reads 3 bar then the valve is working properly as it is reducing the mains water pressure to the correct pressure

You might just have a leak or it maybe a bigger problem but I do think you need to get someone to take a look

Le Plombier

[Grecian]

Thanks Le Plombier for all your advice, the drip is containable if I put a container under the valve, and empty the container regularly, so we are going to limp on with the boiler, and investigate our options for a new boiler of some description as soon as possible.