Really Cold and No hot water

[u08kh9]

Hi folks!

Moved in to rented flat last month and I think I have a combo boiler. There is a control point wired to it at the side with timer but only for heating, the hot water part on the other side has been disengaged.

I can only get hot water for my shower if the heating is on, but can get it out of the kitchen and bathroom tap at any point. Also just recently the system has started depressurising (I think) every morning.

Today, it when futt. It was working first thing. Then stopped. I pushed the red button and it worked again for a few hours. Now its not working again.

My questions are:

1. Is it normal to only be able to get hot water for a shower when the heating is on?
2. Is there anything I can do tonight to get some heat? Its very very cold and windy in Aberdeen. - The letting company were supposed to send someone round today when it wasn't an emergency but are shut now and have no emergency provision (I know, they're rubbish!!)

Hope some one can help and I've provided enough info. There is no name on the boiler or serial no and I have no operating instructions for it.

Thanks,

Katie

Just found scrap of paper with info on it: Boiler is a sprint V3 V3BGCG05204.

Just looked that up, apparently a sprint V3 is an emissions analyser, not a boiler! javascript:emoticon('')

 

[JohnD]

if you can get hot water out of the taps but not the shower, it might be that the shower is not drawing enough flow to switch the HW on. Try turning on the shower then running a tap just a bit at the same time, gradually increase it and see if the HW then starts. If so, check the shower head is not choked with limescale or buy a new head.

If it is losing pressure then it wants mending. It might be a leak anywhere, or it might be the pressure release valve (look for a pipe coming out of the wall outside, behind the boiler) or it might be the pressure bladder.

there ought to be a pressure gauge on the boiler, reading about "1." It might be behind a flap. What does yours read?

p.s. if you can post some photos they may help.

p.p.s. if you repressurise it yourself they might try to blame you for making it leak. Best pop down to Tescos and buy a cheap electric heater and/or electric blanket.

Or move somewhere warmer
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[u08kh9]

Hey!

Thanks for your help!

There are two hands on the guage, the skinny red one reads 1.5. The big black one reads 0.5.

I hope these photos help. http://media.diynot.com/180000_179581_40637_29973389_thumb.jpg
http://media.diynot.com/180000_179581_40638_90525296_thumb.jpg
That red light/button is now flashing instead of being constantly red.

I can't test the shower at the mo cause I don't have any hot water anywhere now. Also something I remembered about the hot water tap in the kitchen is that its always cloudy, so when it fills a bowl it looks like you've poured milk in it. That's not normal for water up here.

I've got both blanket and heater now! So all set!

Katie

 

[JohnD]

I think I can see the trouble, somebody's installed your boiler on its side and it should be upright

Untitled

• u08kh9
• 13 Dec 2011
• 1

One of the needles can usually be turned with the little knob in the centre, to show the "correct" normal pressure.

The cloudiness is usually just tiny dissolved air bubbles, which will rise to the surface and disappear in a few seconds.