Plumbing Emergency!!!

[wayno]

I'm experiencing a really confusing problem with the hot water in our house following some work that was done this weekend. Being a "lurker" on these forums, I thought maybe someone could help me out.

Following the breakdown of our old shower in the Ensuite, we decided that it was time to completely gut the room and start again. I am doing most of the work myself (tiles, tray and enclosure) but have needed some help with the plumbing. My other half knows a plumber that didn't mind helping us out so he has done most of the work for me.

At the weekend he removed a radiator and moved the t joints futher down the wall where I will be installing a heated towel rail. We live in a old house that has many "unique" features to the pipe work and he couldn't find a drain valve on any of the radiators or the boiler (I wasn't in at this point) He decided that using a push fit baldafix valve (spelling??) he could cut the radiatior pipe that is under the floor and stop the flow by quickly pushing on the valve. He has then connected new T joints in the correct position for the towel rail and capped them off.

He then turned the water flow back on and tested the taps, hot water was running through the taps and we assumed this was then working. HOWEVER.. over the weekend the hot tank has been emptied as we've used the water and now we only have cold water. I am getting huge grief from the missus as everytime we want to have a bath we have to ship many kettles of hot water upstairs.. The plumber now seems to have gone AWOL, and is not answering calls, I'm assuming its some kind of airlock but don't know how to get rid of it..

One more note.. the radiators upstairs seem to work from the Hot water circuit not the Central Heating switch..

Sorry for the really lengthly message but I'm not sure how to try and sort this out without an expensive vist from another plumber.

thanks in advance

 

[breezer]

i am not a plumber or heating wngineer but you coud try putting a hose onthe hot tap put the other end on the cold tap and turn them both on. tis forces air out of the system into the expansion tank. Trouble is it also sends a lot of water up there too, so you need some one up in the loft to tell (or shout) when the tank is getting too full, oterwise new ceiling required too

 

[wayno]

Breezer

Thanks for the prompt response, the "plumber" has now called back and has told me that he reckons that the element has gone in the hot water cylinder. He has told me that it needs replacing.

I can't quite understand why the water is not getting hot.. the water is still running out of the hot tap at the normal pressure but is not getting hot. When you use the water it sounds like the hot cylinder is filling back up but it just doesn't get hot..

I don't want to pay out for a replacement element if the old one is not broken...

thanks for the help so far, really apprecaited

 

[breezer]

so you are saying you have an imersion heater? you can check if the element is working with a multi meter (don't 'spose you have one?) an element for am immersion heater is less than a tenner see this you will lso need a spanner see here

 

[wayno]

Breezer

Thanks for the replies. The plumber returned early this morning and decided it was an airlock in the pipe to the boiler. (This meant the boiler wouldn't light) he has now fixed this.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply

 

[breezer]