Combi Boiler - Water Tank

[JimCrad86]

I moved into a second floor flat in a tenement building in the south side two years ago. Since I have lived here I have had serious problems with water pressure.

Basically I have 2 problems.

1. I am fed from a water tank in the attic, my flat was renovated 3 years ago and the back boiler was replaced with a combi. The boiler never reads more than 1 bar of pressure, my British Gas engineer says 1 bar is enough pressure to supply the boiler. Everytime I turn on the hot water tap very little sometimes no water comes out.

2. This leads me onto my second problem. When I try to run my mixer shower its a joke. I find myself holding off having a shower until i go to the gym. Also I have to turn my central heating on to get the hot water to work.

Note: I have tried to track where the water main enters the building but i cannot find it.

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

Unshowered Jim

 

[bengasman]

Combi's are designed to work of the mains.

 

[JimCrad86]

I know our Gas engineer said that a combi should have never been installed but atm I have to live with it. I just need some kind of remedy to fix the hot water supply, I though 1 bar of pressure was enough for the combi to turn on?

How difficult is switching to the main if the riser is not at the current location of my water feed?

Jim

 

[mickyg]

If its simply a pressure problem you could pump it if its off a tank. How high is the tank above the boiler in metres?
Nothing wrong with using a tank if you get the right pressure.

 

[bengasman]

How much is the tank above the boiler? If it is much less than 10 metres, you have a problem.
Swapping the inlet to the mains is quite easy; tee off from the mains and pipe it in 15mm copper or plastic to the boiler. The route or distance does not matter a lot.
Best to turn the mains off and empty the pipe before you cut into it.
Trust me, I know from experience.

 

[kevindgas]

If its simply a pressure problem you could pump it if its off a tank. How high is the tank above the boiler in metres?
Nothing wrong with using a tank if you get the right pressure.

think a pump would cause problems with a combi
but yes there is no reason why it shouldn't be tank fed so long as the pressure is there. (there used to be a open vented combi available - remembered now it was the Ocean FF)

 

[JimCrad86]

I would say its between 5-7 meters, well I am on the 2nd floor there is another flat above me then the tanks. Its something I am sure has been progressivly getting worse. In my 2 years I have been in the flat the water tank has never been inspected. Could it be a blockage?
Saying that my cold water pressure is ok approximatly 6.7 l/m

Jim

 

[glasgowgas]

jim,
where abouts in the southside.

the combi has 2 water circuits in it. 1 you fill yourself, through your filling loop,to fill the central heating side.the other is a cold feed which runs through your combi when you open a hot tap.

2 seperate circuits fed from one cold pipe.

this cold pipe must be from the main.

because the height of the tank in the tenement is so high, it will give enough head height pressure( which you can see on the combi`s pressure gauge) to fill your central heating side of combi. this is ok, manufacturers also give this as an alternative for filling system.

but you really need to have it connected to the mains water for your hot water side, thats why you have crappy showers/hot taps.

hope this enlightens you a bit

 

[JimCrad86]

My problem with the water main ben is that i'm in a block of 8 one side of the building has the water main in their riser at the back of the building, the other half is fed off the water tanks with the pipes at the front of the house....connecting to the mains would be a problem, not just a simpple T-piece.

Jim

 

[kevindgas]

6.7 litres a min is very poor should be more like 16.7 litres or more a minute.

 

[JimCrad86]

I live in Mount Florida. Ive kinda know that we need to switch to the mains its just going to cost me a fortune I know it lol.

Jim

 

[bengasman]

The freeholder will have to give you or your plumber access for necessary works, but they can be a pain in the ass about it.
If it is not worth the hassle, get somebody with a good freezer to make the connection to the mains.

 

[JimCrad86]

i used to be able to have a shower no problem though. This is what is confusing me. I am lucky if I can get a dribble of hot water out my shower and my kitchen and bathroom taps doesn't even release any.

Jim

 

[bengasman]

How about your cold kitchen tap?
Could well be nothing more than a blocked inlet filter.

 

[JimCrad86]

all the cold taps work fine, its just the hot water taps, i get a quick burst then nothing.

Jim