HELP - Complete newbie - No Hot Water :(

[NHW]

Hi guys, as you can tell i am a complete newbie, i have no idea how plumbing works and no idea what most of the components are called except the boiler and the cylinder. At least im being honest up front eh?

Anyways i have just moved into my new house and the hot water for the past 2 days has only ever produced 2-3 cups at the most, even when ive left it for like half a day and come back there still only seems to be a tiny amount of hot water that comes through the taps, it doesnt even go cold or anything it just stops producing water.

Before i jump the gun and call a plumber who will probably charge me a whack for callout or something, i just thought id ask if maybe ive got some of the settings wrong somewhere?

Ive already tried the usual, put the HW to 24 hrs, made sure the boiler lit up and was heating (which it did) and left it for a few hours. even then it could only produce those 2-3 cups? any help would be much appreciated.

ive uploaded some pictures so if anybody is able to tell me what settings those components should be id much appreciate it. Thanks

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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
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[dcawkwell]

The immersion heater on top of the tank. Follow the cable down to the switch and switch it on. You'll have a tank of hot water in about 2 hrs.
That is if the immersion heater is working.
You might be able to hear a faint buzzing when you switch it on.

Given it's a new house to you my guess is the pump is probably
siezed. Remove the centre screw from the pump (some water will
come out so use a towel and using a screw driver see if the screw in the middle is turning. If not give it a twist left and right it might just be stuck.

 

[Tibbot]

Before i jump the gun and call a plumber who will probably charge me a whack for callout or something,]

For a forum populated by plumbers, you seem to have got off on the wrong foot. Do you expect the call out to be free?

Just to confirm do you mean the taps are dry? If so check for water in the cold loft tank, if full it may be airlocked which will need a plumber.

Unfortunately their costs, and your fear of them, are the price you pay for not knowing anything about plumbing.

 

[NHW]

Before i jump the gun and call a plumber who will probably charge me a whack for callout or something,]

For a forum populated by plumbers, you seem to have got off on the wrong foot. Do you expect the call out to be free?

Just to confirm do you mean the taps are dry? If so check for water in the cold loft tank, if full it may be airlocked which will need a plumber.

Unfortunately their costs, and your fear of them, are the price you pay for not knowing anything about plumbing.

No i am not boxing all plumbers into the same category, and i would obviously pay for a service that needs doing professionally, but i am sure you understand my intention about finding out if this issue actually needs a plumber or not because if its just a case of flicking a switch or changing a setting then surely its something i can do myself (for free) for which the purpose of this forum is surely to get free advice?

I only have a fear because you hear of all these cowboy plumbers who charge ridiculous amounts for small jobs etc, and you get that in every single industry that you work in. so im not trying to be negative about anything i just want to maybe learn something myself in the process instead of jumping the gun and calling a professional straight away, is that wrong?

 

[NHW]

dcawkwell - is the pump the object which is black and silver? Thanks

 

[NHW]

Just to confirm do you mean the taps are dry? If so check for water in the cold loft tank, if full it may be airlocked which will need a plumber.

The taps produce about 2-3 cups of hot water but then starts to sputter as it runs out and then it just runs dry

 

[dcawkwell]

dcawkwell - is the pump the object which is black and silver? Thanks

Yep.

 

[Tibbot]

You're only concerned since you have a problem. Instead of arguing your political point, wouldn't you rather reply to the question about taps running dry etc?


Oh you have!

 

[dcawkwell]

Just to confirm do you mean the taps are dry? If so check for water in the cold loft tank, if full it may be airlocked which will need a plumber.

The taps produce about 2-3 cups of hot water but then starts to sputter as it runs out and then it just runs dry

Sounds like the water has been turned off from the header tank. Open all the valves you see. Anticlockwise. That red handle near the bottom of the hot water tank would be my bet.

 

[Tibbot]

Sounds like the water has been turned off from the header tank.

Now why didn't I think of that.

 

[NHW]

Ok done, before i turned the valves anticlockwise i felt the pipes and the bottom of them were boiling hot and the top of them were basically cold, not sure if that gives any hints?

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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
• 1

Sorry about being political, im just abit angst since ive not managed to shower in 2 days haha

 

[NHW]

for some wierd reason, i just put the HW back to 24HRS so that the boiler lights up but instead my central heating has come on?

 

[Tibbot]

It's a primary heating pipe and doesn't carry washing water. If taps are dry, stop looking at the boiler, controls or anything else until checking the supply of water to the loft tank and from the loft tank to cylinder.

 

[NHW]

i just went into the loft and the loft tank is empty? theres only about 1cm worth of water in the tank

 

[mfarrow]

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• NHW
• 21 Jun 2013
• 1

Looks like it's not sat correctly. At 80+ the boiler will run continuously, set it at 60.

Heating coming on with HW means the valve (square thing with 3 pipes coming out) is probably stuck.