Exploding Boilers

Well, that was an interesting week not in the way that I would have liked but I learnt a lot! We have a solar system which when the sun shines provides us with hot water and heating and when it doesn't shine we have an automatic switch to a boiler. At least that's the theory, so far since connecting the boiler up and bringing it on line its been a bit erratic as I am having trouble purging the air out of the system. The boiler has a safety valve which kicks in at 2.5 bars and releases pressure (for which read fluid) at about 3 bars. This is so that the system doesn't damage itself if the pressure gets to high. Well, I came back in the other night from a soiree and poked my head into the cellar to see if the cat was in there as she likes to sit on the boiler and saw a lake of fluid on the floor ( no cat though) and the system indicating by way of a big red light that it had a problem with the pressure. It didn't have any!!!!!!! merde! Its pitch black outside the light in the cellar ain't very bright and its bloody freezing. I closed off all the valves, unplugged the boiler and went to bed. It could wait 'til morning.
Morning and after a cup of tea and a croissant for breakfast I set about a repair. I put pressure back into the system and turned it back on, the relief valve kicks in at less 1 bar and it is jammed open fluid going everywhere. Everything off, drain the system and take the valve off to strip it down. Found small bits of something in it so cleaned it all re-assembled it and put it back on the boiler. Refilled system added pressure again and turned it on. Loads of gurgling and whirring but it worked! Spent the rest of the day purging air out of 8 radiators, underfloor heating and the solar panels. So far so good but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Ohh, I forgot to say, I have never taken a boiler to pieces in my life before!!!!