Hi,
I have a non-condensing combi (Ariston Microgenus) from which there is a slow but constant drip from the 15mm pipe sticking through the wall to the outside (which I think is for emergency pressure relief?). The pressure gauge on the boiler is at 2 bar, which is within its tolerance range. So why is it dripping and what should I do to stop it?
Cheers!
Martin
It will eventually lose pressure. In my experience, once they start leaking they can't be cured. But, it might be worth twiddling the knob on the valve (usually a green ridged plastic cone) which will release some pressure and might flush debris away from the seat. They start leaking for one of three reasons. 1, someone has twiddled the valve and let debris into the seat. 2, the system has been overpressurised during topping up. 3, the expansion vessel isn't functioning correctly which in turn means either the diaphragm has gone, or it needs topping up with air: see the Wiki.
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Martin Pentreath saying something like:
If the pressure relief valve is the spring-onna-wotsit-wivva-red-cap type, try quickly rotating the cap so it reseats. Often a bit of system shit will clag the seat. If that doesn't work just replace it, they're cheap enough. Dripping from these is quite a common fault.
If the relief valve is leaking, the system pressure should gradually drop. Once a volume of water equal to that of the expansion vessel has left the system, which at a steady drop should be a matter of hours or days, the pressure should have gone to zero.
That the system is nevertheless still at pressure (the OP said 2 bar) would, I suggest, seem to indicate that there is a leak in the manually operated (and normally fully shut) mains water top-up valve.
Come to think of it, isn't 2 bar a bit on the high side? Could it be that the relief valve is actually doing its job perfectly, and that the real problem lies *only* with the top-up valve?
Thanks to all. I think Ronald could have hit the nail on the head. The system has been dripping for weeks without being topped up, but is still at full pressure, so I guess is must be the top-up valve.letting through. I shall make further investigations ...
More to the point does boiler dripping taste as good as beef dripping?
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