Maintaining the correct pressure is essential if your boiler is going to operate safely and efficiently. Most household heating systems operate at between one and two bars, so this is what you should be reading on your boiler gauge. The best way to establish your boiler’s optimum operating pressure is by carefully reading the manual or consulting with a qualified heating engineer.

Most boiler gauges are clearly visible at the front of the device, so you should not have any trouble finding it. The gauge needle indicates the pressure.

Other gauges have two needles, which is slightly more confusing. The red needle acts as a marker, but the black needle is the actual pressure. When the pressure is correct, the two needles will be in the same place. In some boilers, there is an LCD display indicating the pressure as a number.

The importance of correct boiler pressure

According to the Gas Safe Register website, it is essential that safety checks are carried out on boilers to make sure that they are correctly set and adjusted.

Most modern central heating systems have no vents that are open to the outside, which means that they are “closed”. The system is designed to work at a certain pressure; if that pressure is not maintained, it will not work properly.

There are built-in safety systems that allow boilers to detect if the pressure is incorrect. They will stop completely if the pressure is too low, and you will be left with no heating or hot water. If the pressure is too high, there will be a strain on the whole system and it could fail completely.

What you can do about incorrect boiler pressure

If you are concerned about your boiler pressure, you can access boiler servicing in Gloucester from a supplier such as http://www.hprservicesltd.com/gloucester-boilers/boiler-servicing-gloucester/, who can advise you on what may be going wrong with your boiler and how it can be rectified.

For low pressure, you could try topping up the system. To do this, you must carefully follow the instructions in the manual. There is usually a filling link or loop that could be external or internal using a keyed filling link or a lever. If the boiler pressure is too high, you could try bleeding a few of your radiators.