"Did anyone else experience pressure inconsistencies after sorting out air issues, or was that just my luck...?"
Pretty common actually. When you bleed air out, you're also dropping system pressure slightly, so topping up afterward can cause fluctuations if you overfill or don't balance it right. Next time, try bleeding radiators slowly and keep an eye on the gauge—top up gradually. Usually settles down after a day or two. If it keeps fluctuating, might wanna check your expansion vessel pressure too.
Yep, totally normal—been there myself a few times. Couple extra tips from my own boiler battles:
- Don't obsess over tiny fluctuations; boilers can be moody beasts, especially older ones.
- If pressure keeps dropping noticeably after a few days, double-check for sneaky leaks around valves or radiator fittings.
- Expansion vessel is a good shout, but also peek at your pressure relief valve—sometimes they drip quietly and sabotage your efforts.
Welcome to the joys of DIY plumbing...
Glad you got it sorted, boilers can definitely test your patience... I spent hours chasing a phantom leak once, turned out to be a tiny drip behind a radiator. Your tips are spot-on, wish I'd read this earlier.
Glad you finally nailed it down—boiler plumbing can feel like detective work sometimes. A couple years back, I had a similar headache:
- Pressure kept dropping slightly every few days.
- Checked all visible pipes and fittings multiple times—nothing obvious.
- Eventually found a tiny hairline crack in a solder joint hidden behind insulation. Barely noticeable, but enough to slowly lose pressure.
Your phantom leak behind the radiator sounds equally sneaky... these issues really test your patience and troubleshooting skills. Good job sticking with it and sharing your tips; they'll definitely save someone else a headache down the line.
Had a similar issue last winter, but honestly, I don't think boiler plumbing always has to be detective work. Most leaks I've dealt with were actually pretty straightforward—usually valves or fittings that just needed tightening or replacing. One time, though, I chased a slow pressure drop for weeks... turned out it wasn't even a plumbing issue but the expansion tank losing its charge slowly. Totally threw me off because I was convinced it had to be a hidden leak somewhere.
I guess what I'm saying is, sometimes it's easy to get tunnel vision looking for tiny cracks or leaks when the culprit might be something else entirely. Glad you found yours, though—it's definitely satisfying when you finally pin it down.
