How to Reduce or Increase Boiler Pressure

If your boiler has stopped working, there might be a simple fix. Before you call a plumber, it’s worth checking the boiler pressure to see if you can easily handle this issue on your own. The water in your boiler system is pressurised to ensure that it can be forced around your central heating system. Too low, and the water won’t move around the system. Too high, and this could put additional pressure on the seals and increase the risk of leaks.

In this guide, we’re looking at simple ways to reduce or increase the boiler pressure so that it will continue working correctly. This could save you a callout fee and will also ensure that your heating is ready to fire up when you need it.

How to check your boiler pressure

First things first, look at the front or side of your boiler. Many boilers will have a pressure gauge which will tell you if the boiler pressure is within the correct range. If you have a digital display, you may have an error code. Refer to your boiler manual to see if this error code refers to low or high boiler pressure.

How to increase boiler pressure

If your boiler pressure is too low, this often means there isn’t enough water in the system. This often happens after you bleed your radiators, as this removes air from the system. You might hear a gurgling sound coming from your radiators and your boiler might fail to switch on.

Thankfully, there is a simple fix. You’ll need to locate the filling loop for your boiler. This is usually a tap located below your boiler. Turn this until you hear water running through the pipe. Keep an eye on the boiler pressure gauge so you can stop when the pressure has normalised. If your boiler has an automatic filling loop, check if this is open, as it won’t be able to function if the tap has been closed.

How to reduce boiler pressure

If the boiler pressure is too high, your system will be at risk of broken seals and valves. It could also increase the risk of leaks in your system. As the water in your boiler system heats up, this will leave nowhere for the steam expansion to go. To protect your boiler, it will automatically shut off if the boiler pressure gets dangerously high.

Your boiler pressure could become too high if there is excess air trapped in the system. The easiest way to control your boiler pressure and reduce it is to bleed your radiators. Rather than just remove the air from your radiators, you will also need to remove some of the water from the system.

This can be a messy job, so make sure you do this on a radiator that is accessible and will allow you to place a bucket underneath to catch the water. Keep going until the boiler pressure gauge is within the correct range.

What if this problem is recurring?

If you continue to have ongoing problems with your boiler pressure, this could be an issue with your valves or filling loop. Reliable boiler pressure will help to reduce wear and tear on the components and will also help to keep your boiler running efficiently.

An annual boiler service is one of the best ways to check if there is an issue with your boiler and the boiler pressure. This can help to catch small problems before they become much bigger problems and will ensure that your boiler is working at the absolute peak performance. Get in touch with our team to arrange your boiler service today.