Your boiler has to have the correct amount of pressure for the water to heat and circulate properly all across your home. Moreover, the radiators installed in your home will disperse heat evenly in a space if the boiler keeps pumping heat like its supposed to. However, boiler pressure has to be just right for these functions to take place.
If the boiler pressure isn’t set correctly, the central heating system of your home won’t distribute the correct levels of hot water to effectively heat a space and provide hot water for use.
In this guide, we will give you the A-Z of the ideal boiler pressure so that your heating systems perform well at all times!
The Correct Boiler Pressure
There are many boiler models meaning that they each come with their own unique pressure settings. Because of this, there’s no one fixed pressure setting that’ll fit all models. That said, the ideal boiler pressure lies between 1 and 2 bars as almost all homes install a low-pressure boiler. Towards the front of the boiler you’ll find the boiler pressure gauge. You’ll see a small needle pointing towards the pressure setting on either the green or the red sections to keep you informed of the level of risk, if any, at all times.
In case of high boiler pressure, the needle will tip towards the red section of the gauge which means that the pressure has exceeded over 2 bars. Boilers operating at high pressure can cause boiler breakdowns and might lead to pipe bursts and damage your home. If the needle on the pressure gauge drops below 1 bar, it means that your boiler pressure is too low. In this case, your central heating system will shut down and you’ll have no means to heat your home or get hot water.
Re-pressurising a Boiler
Generally, the go-to option to lower the pressure of your boiler is to bleed your radiators. If you see that your radiator isn’t heating up properly and has cold spots, it means that there’s air trapped within the system and it needs to be let out.
Once you’ve bled the radiators and the pressure gauge still reflects high pressure, you’ll have to call in a Gas Safe Engineer and get your system checked.
On the contrary, if the pressure gauge shows low pressure, it means that the system needs to be topped up. To do this, you simply have to open up the filling taps and let out enough pressure into the system before closing it.
Why Does My Boiler Pressure Keep Dropping?
At times you must’ve wondered why the boiler pressure read lower at certain times in the day. The simplest answer to this is that the boiler is not working. If the boiler is up and running providing heat and hot water, the pressure is likely to be closer to 2 bars. This means that the water within the pipes is expanding as it heats up. So, when the boiler isn’t working, the pipes will remain cool which results in the drop in the pressure. As this is quite normal, there’s no reason for you to worry.
Boiler Pressure Checks
There’s no hard and fast rule to check the boiler pressure on a daily basis however, there are few times when you should make it a point to check-in:
· Post-summer – As autumn and winter inch closer, your boiler will start working harder than it did in the warmer months. You need to ensure that it is in top-notch working condition to meet up with the upcoming heating requirements of the colder months. And the best way to start is by checking the pressure!
· After bleeding a radiator – After you’re done bleeding the radiator(s) in your home, you need to check the boiler pressure to see that it hasn’t dropped too low. If it did, you’ll have to top it up.
· Boiler Pressure Drops – If the pressure keeps dropping below 1 bar every now and then, you’ll have to speak to a Heating Engineer. Constant drop in pressure is a sign of leak within the system so it is best to get it checked by professionals. Addressing this issue early on will help you to avoid more expensive issues in the future.
If you have any concerns regarding the boiler pressure or any other issue, contact Hunsbury Heating on 07919 008441 today and our Gas Safe registered Engineers will help you out!
We’ll assist you every step of the way and provide safe solutions to all your heating woes!
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