What to do if your boiler pressure is low

What is boiler pressure?

As your boiler heats cold water that runs through a circuit of pipework and radiators throughout your home, boiler water pressure either your boiler losing pressure or getting high is critical to maintain it. If you have a combinational boiler, a ‘filling loop’ that links to your water line will keep the pressure up. Your water pressure must be stable as the pipes expand and contract with the heat for your boiler to perform as safely and efficiently as possible. This ensures that no difficulties develop when your home is being heated.

What Pressure Should My Boiler be?

There are so many different boiler models, the proper pressure won’t be the same for each one. In general, the pressure should be between one and two bars. If this is the case for your system, you should examine your boiler handbook.

 

The pressure of your boiler can be determined by glancing at the built-in pressure gauge, which is usually located on the front of the boiler. It’s a small needle in a semi-circle that points to numbers and occasionally small green and red parts.

How Often Should I Check My Boiler Pressure?

• Just after summer check your boiler pressure before turning on your heating for the winter to avoid any complications when the weather turns colder and you want to turn on your heating.
• After you’ve bled your radiators, you’re ready to go. You should check your boiler pressure after bleeding your radiators because this can cause the pressure in your boiler to drop.
• Check your boiler pressure if you have cold radiators or cold water, as this could be the source of the problem.
• If your boiler is making a strange noise, it could be the consequence of a pressure issue, so check your gauge.

What causes low boiler pressure?

Water leaks and bleeding radiators are two of the most typical reasons for boiler losing pressure.

Water leaks

A leak from your pipes, boiler, or radiators can be difficult to detect but look for wet areas and water around your home. However, you should never try to find leaks inside your boiler yourself; instead, contact a Gas Safe licensed professional.

Bleeding of radiators

When you bleed a radiator, you’re releasing air, which lowers the pressure in your system and can result in a drop in water pressure.

These aren’t the only reasons why your boiler pressure is low; if you can’t detect a leak and haven’t recently bled your radiators, call a certified engineer.

How Do I Check the Boiler Pressure?

• You’ll need to locate the pressure gauge on your boiler to check the pressure.
• The needle will be situated between 1 and 2 bars if the pressure is correct.

Most boilers detect when the pressure is incorrect and shut down if the pressure drops too low. If the pressure in your boiler drops below one, the boiler will shut down, leaving you without hot water. Furthermore, if your boiler pressure is too high (needle above 2), it may cause your system to fail.

Boiler pressure should be between 1 and 2, however, it’s recommended to double-check with your manual. Green is commonly observed in the area between 1 and 2 on the gauge. When pressure exceeds 2, the load put on your system, including pipework, radiators, and components, increases, potentially causing problems.

 

What causes low boiler pressure

Following are the most common causes for low boiler pressure;

 

Leaking in the system

A leak in your heating system can be difficult to detect. The leak could be anywhere in your home’s piping, potentially affecting a huge region. A leaking pipe within a wall or beneath a floorboard could be the source of the problem.

How do you find out whether your system leaks?

If possible, follow the plumbing throughout your home, looking for any evidence of leakage. Check the joints and bends of the pipes in particular — here is where seals are most likely to deteriorate over time and enable water to escape, resulting in the annoying pressure loss that has you chasing pipes like a madman.

What to do if your system leaks?

Leaks in your system, especially those that are tougher to reach, should be left to the professionals. If your system needs to be resealed or re-piped, you’ll require a Gas Safe engineer.

Leak in your boiler

The most typical cause of leaks is from your system, but components within the boiler leaking – usually owing to age and corrosion is not far behind.

How to identify the boiler leak

If you’re feeling confident, you can remove the cover from your boiler and inspect it for evidence of water. However, we urge that you delegate this task to a Gas Safe engineer.

How to fix it?

This, too, will necessitate the assistance of competent heating professional. They’ll need to figure out which part of your boiler is leaking, as numerous of them could be the source of the problem.

Faulty parts or the safety device in the boiler

Identifying the breaking point

Certain gifted persons descended from a long line of witches and wizards can detect problems with their boiler’s internal components. Others will rely on fault codes displayed on the boiler’s monitor, while the rest of us will have to call a professional heating engineer. Whether you have a fault code or not, you’ll probably need to perform this.

How to fix it?

In the majority of cases, your hearing professional will need to remove and repair the malfunctioning component of your boiler. The cost will vary based on the age of your boiler, the availability of new components, and the nature of the broken item.

Is Low Boiler Pressure Dangerous

Low boiler pressure is rarely a cause for concern, but if you have any doubts, you should always seek the counsel of a licensed Gas Safe Engineer. Low boiler pressure typically indicates that water cannot be circulated throughout your system or provided to your faucets and showers. As a result, the boiler will normally shut down and display an error code to notify you that there is a problem causing low pressure.

Any boiler, even the most ‘popular’ brands, can experience pressure loss. The most prevalent ones are listed below (with error codes).

What Should The Pressure Be On A Combi Boiler?

The pressure of your combi boiler may vary between 1 and 1.5 bar. If your pressure is reading less than 1 bar it may be possible that you have lost the water from the system through a leak. If the pressure is 2.75 bar or above, you may need to bleed a radiator to relieve the pressure and return it to a safe level. If you try to bleed a radiator, make sure you have a mechanism to catch the water so the walls and floor don’t get destroyed. Take care when doing this task because the water can be extremely hot. It’s a good idea to call an engineer for assistance if you’re unsure about anything.

If you discover a leak or suspect that you have one, you should contact a plumber who can inspect and resolve the issue.

Error codes for losing boiler pressure

Error codes are used in some electronic boiler models to alert you to severe issues, such as a leak or a sudden increase in the amount of air in the system.

These codes can assist you in identifying problems before they become more serious, and they may even assist you in repairing the system before it enters a lockdown or shutdown mode. Keep in mind that not all codes will apply to all boiler types, and others may only display in specific situations. Always check your handbook for this information to avoid making a mistake and attempting to tackle the wrong problem.

Viessman Boiler Codes

Fault Code C1 = Differential air pressure.

Fault Codes B9, ED, F0, F-ED, F-EE, F-E5, F-EC, F-EF, F-FD, F-FF = Maximum pressure limiter fault.

Fault Code F5 = Faulty gas pressure.

Fault Codes EE and EF = Faulty air pressure.

Fault Code 0F = Service required.

 

Fault Code E9 = Safety limiter.

Fault Code A1 = Dry pump.

Fault Code F0 = Major internal error.

Fault Code CE 207 = Low water pressure present.

Fault Code H07 = Low water pressure that is impacting performance.

Fault Code 1065 B = Pressure sensor is defective.

Fault Code 1970 B = Sudden, rapid pressure drop.

Read More: List Of Worcester Bosch Boiler Error Codes / Fault Codes With Effective Solutions

 

Error Codes:

Fault Code F1 = low water pressure.

 

Read More: List Of Ideal Boiler Fault Codes & Error Codes with Solutions

Should I try to fix the boiler on my own?

If your boiler is having pressure problems, you may need to hire an expert or a specialist to come out and fix it. There are dozens of reasons why a boiler loses pressure, and not all of them are evident without disassembling the boiler unit. Of course, taking it apart exposes you to the danger of losing pieces or harming something.

You can normally fix things like a tiny leaking pipe yourself, but an engineer might be able to figure out why that line was broken in particular. Outside causes of leaks, such as corrosion-causing leaks or a bending pipe that is more prone to wear down faster, can sometimes go undetected.

Extreme damage should be left to a qualified professional, and you should never attempt to repair something you don’t understand or have the instructions for.

Still, Having Trouble?

If your boiler is still making trouble, then you should not further tackle around your boiler pressure and immediately book a safe gas engineer to have a look and repair your system to avoid any unforeseen consequences.

If you are a 24/7 Home Rescue customer, you can reach us anytime on 0345 0774 177 to get immediate help over the call or book a professional repair appointment.

Our technical team will run through some simple troubleshooting to see if they can resolve your problem on the phone, or they can book one of their friendly and knowledgeable Gas Safe registered engineers. To get you back up and running as soon as possible.

You can always avail of our one-off repair service at a fixed rate if you are not a 24/7 Home Rescue customer.