I'm an idiot and need some Help! (Boiler pressure)

[Helen]

Hi all.
Having only ever lived in rented accommodation before and all the boilers being older that Moses I've finally bought my own house and now I have nobody to run to!

I did ask my Boiler Man to come out and he assured me he'd be here at 3pm but alas here I am freezing to death.

The pressure on my Boiler is practically zilch and I have no idea how to top it up.

Typically in the other houses it's been one flat head screwdriver job but I've tried that (see little yellow arrows) and incidentally I can't get the screws to line up perfectly so I've now got little drops from the highlighted places.

Basically, I'm an idiot, I'm freezing and I would rather not have to play the 'Im a girl woe is me' card (but I will). Can somebody please give me a clue? Thanks

Boiler is an i-mini 24 combi btw.

 

[Best]

Hello Helen.
I think you just have to turn both of those white headed valves on (anti-clockwise) until the pressure is correct. I am not gas qualified, but think that's correct. Some of the gas guys on here hopefully will advise you.
Make sure you turn both off again.
The slotted screw type cheap isolating valves you touched tend to leak and also shouldn't be fitted on heating systems hot pipework, so get your plumber sometime to replace them with something better.

 

[Helen]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I just tried the white valves and unfortunately no woosh of water or pressure increase. Grateful for you time though

 

[ShaunCorbs]

might sound silly but the water stop tap is turned on eg you got water in your kitchen sink?

 

[Best]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I just tried the white valves and unfortunately no woosh of water or pressure increase. Grateful for you time though

Okay, time for some of the gas folks here to view your post. Hard to understand the photos. Does look like some sort of filling loop though.

 

[Helen]

might sound silly but the water stop tap is turned on eg you got water in your kitchen sink?

Yep, I've got water

 

[Helen]

Okay, time for some of the gas folks here to view your post. Hard to understand the photos. Does look like some sort of filling loop though.

That's the most infuriating thing about it, I'm sure it's the filling loop I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong! Hopefully somebody will come along and put me out of my misery.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

disconnect the left hand braided (white tap) and open the the valve have you got water there?

dont take the whole tap off just the braided hose

 

[Stigster]

The slotted screw valves are not part of the filling loop on this system. They look like they were put in so that another rad could be added to the system with the grey plastic 10mm pipes we can see there, adding another circuit.

Do what Shaun suggests to determine if you have a live feed for the filling loop and it will confirm that the white handled valve is opening properly. I have found this type of valve to have worn out (or been overtightened) so that whilst the plastic head turns, the spindle underneath isn't so the valve won't open properly.

 

[Helen]

Hey Shaun I'm sorry to be thick could you explain in more detail? The left hand white tap doesn't turn very far, quarter circle if I'm lucky whereas the right hand one turns round and round. I'm just a bit worried that I think I know what you mean but I don't do it properly and make things worse.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Keep going should turn the same as the other one

 

[Best]

Maybe head is stripped inside if it just keeps turning.

 

[Helen]

The tap has deffo been over tightened which is why I can't any water. Nightmare! Off to buy some tools in the morning to loosen it up

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You got a set of pliers and a flat headed screwdriver?

 

[Helen]

I own precisly one electric screwdriver and a hammer haha (I did warn you I was an idiot!)

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I own precisly one electric screwdriver and a hammer haha (I did warn you I was am idiot!)

sorry can't work with them I'm good but not that good

 

[Helen]

Hahaha ok off to b and q I go in the morning! Wish me luck

 

[London Gas]

I would get someone to come and change those isolation valves, the left one leaking is a part of the central heating pipework and although its a very small leak that may be why you're losing pressure in the first place and at the same time he could put a better filling loop on there, the heads on these always round off they're not the best valves, as the others have said remove the white caps and open it with a spanner anti-clockwise until you hear water going in and watch the pressure gauge!