As such a vital component in your central heating system, you should look to maintain and service your boiler.
If the boiler is running at its best, you should not worry about a lack of hot water, though if the boiler pressure drops this may prove problematic.
Thankfully, only a quick and easy fix may be required to get your boiler working as it should again.
You may need to call out a professional if the problem reoccurs, yet it may be the ideal time to consider an underfloor heating system that requires little maintenance.
If you have no hot water at all then your morning shower is no longer such a pleasant option to start the day.
In this guide, we will look at why the boiler pressure drops, whether low boiler pressure affects hot water, and how to fix low boiler pressure?
Why The Boiler Pressure Drops
A poorly maintained central heating system may be the underlying cause of a boiler with low boiler pressure.
Such issues as a leak in the pressure relief valve, trapped air in the system, leaking pipes and worn-out components may be indicators that you should consider changing the system by installing a new boiler or new radiators.
Leaking pipes may be hard to find as a lot of the pipework in a home is simply not accessible so look for drips or signs of moisture.
If you have recently been bleeding the radiators then once the trapped air escapes, it can reduce the water pressure.
Further issues may be a limescale build-up on the plumbing fixtures such as taps, sinks, and shower heads.
While you are sorting out the various problems, this may be a signal that it is high-time that you installed a smart heating control system such as WundaSmart to control the heating and pressure.
If you do decide on new radiators, you should make sure that they are the correct size yet even after that there is still the ongoing maintenance including bleeding them at least once a year.
With an underfloor heating system such as Wundatherm’s Premium+ Overfloor boards, there is only one component that needs to be maintained and that is the manifold.
Compare that to a typical radiator setup where you would have to individually maintain each and every one of those heating appliances and such a controlled system seems highly attractive.
Does Low Boiler Pressure Affect Hot Water?
Low boiler pressure may well be the reason why the hot water is not as hot as you expect it to be.
The boiler helps circulate hot water throughout the radiators and pipes in your central heating system and the pressure indicates how hard your boiler is working to pump all that hot water around.
If you do suspect that low boiler pressure is the cause of the lack of hot water then check the boiler and if the pressure is below 1.5 bar then you should look to re-pressurising it.
If this still does not change the temperature of your hot water, then you may want to consider calling in a plumber to check the central heating system.
Having low boiler pressure may not be dangerous, but it will have an adverse effect on how efficient your central heating system is and your energy bills.
Maintaining a steady pressure level should mean keeping a ready supply of hot water in your home yet once it drops too low then the heating will not function as desired.
Simply ignoring the problem is not going to help as you could shorten the lifespan of your boiler. Heating your home while the pressure is low will also make the central heating system work harder which uses up more energy and ramps up the energy bills.
Fixing Low Boiler Pressure
Should your boiler suffer from low pressure that can be quickly and easily remedied but first you need to turn your boiler off.
Simply adjust the pressure gauge which should be located on the main water supply pipe. Turn the gauge until you can hear the water flowing then check that the water pressure has hit 1.5 and close the gauge.
Now you can turn the boiler back on and the low boiler pressure should have been solved though if it has not, this may be a bigger problem that requires a plumbing and heating expert.
Final Thoughts
Your boiler may work harder and suffer from poor energy efficiency when the pressure is low. This is not considered a huge problem and it can prove easy to fix.
If the problem reoccurs, this may be the ideal moment to consider installing a smart control heating system like WundaSmart to monitor the heating and pressure effectively.
An underfloor heating system like Wundatherm’s Premium+ Overfloor boards may also work even better with your boiler than your radiators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Safe To Use A Boiler When It Has Low Pressure?
Thankfully, a boiler with low pressure is still relatively safe to use yet it will be troublesome. The low pressure will result in a lack of hot water so you will want to sort it out promptly.
Not getting the issue fixed could soon mean having to replace your boiler sooner than you want to. As soon as you notice the pressure drop on your boiler, you should try to diagnose the problem as any small leak can become a much bigger problem.
What Should The Pressure Be When My Boiler Is Working As It Should?
Ideally, the pressure gauge on your boiler should be between 1 and 2 bars. This may depend on the boiler itself yet between those two values should be just right.
You may see the gauge rise as the boiler is pumping out hot water which is normal but it should remain below the upper-pressure limit which is at 3 bars.
