Hi, we've just moved in to a new build and are getting a bit frustrated with how long its taking for hot water to appear from the taps. We're probably going through about 30 - 40 litres of water before it starts to heat up at any tap so we're wasting loads of water which isn't good and will end up costing us lots of money. It's a combi boiler. Anything I can do before I get the plumber out?
Taking ages to get hot water from taps
- Thread starter saint7dave
- Start date
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What make model of boiler?
If it has pre-heat mode, try that.
If it has pre-heat mode, try that.
Its an Ideal logic 26. The radiators heat up straight away when the central heatings turned on and the blue light on the boiler turns on to show its firing. It doesn't fire up when the hot taps are switched on though, I'm assuming it should?
It should fire up, are you getting any hot water at all?
If it's new build, I expect boiler still under warranty, contact manufacturer and installer. Name should be on the benchmark.
If it's new build, I expect boiler still under warranty, contact manufacturer and installer. Name should be on the benchmark.
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It's only firing up when I've got the dhw temperature dial on the boiler set to its maximum. The water starts off cold for ages, gets a bit hot then goes cold again before running warm at best. Tonight we had the central heating on and the boiler lost its pressure completely throwing up an error code. I've no idea whats going on.
If it's lost its pressure completely, it suggests the Pressure Relief Valve has activated, which it supposed to do at 3bar pressure. Of course it's not supposed to reach 3bar.
There is a expansion vessel supposed to be full of 'air'. It is separated from the water by rubber diaphragm. When heating is on the volume of the water increases and the excess has to go somewhere, so it goes into the expansion vessel. The air gets compressed so the pressure of both 'air' and 'water' goes up. Its suggested the vessel has lost some of its 'air' charge which results in insufficient air volume which in turn results in a much higher water .pressure so the PRV operates.
You can connect the filling loop and add water to correct the pressure again, but it won't do much good till the expansion vessel has been attended to.
The rubber diaphragm could be holed or split, meaning it would need replacing or it might just need the 'air' pressure correcting.
The charge pressure is usually about 0.8bar but just as important the vessel must be empty of water to give the max amount of air for compression.
Also be aware PRVs once opened may not seal correctly, leaving you with a very small leak, so you lose pressure but over a much longer period of time.
There is a expansion vessel supposed to be full of 'air'. It is separated from the water by rubber diaphragm. When heating is on the volume of the water increases and the excess has to go somewhere, so it goes into the expansion vessel. The air gets compressed so the pressure of both 'air' and 'water' goes up. Its suggested the vessel has lost some of its 'air' charge which results in insufficient air volume which in turn results in a much higher water .pressure so the PRV operates.
You can connect the filling loop and add water to correct the pressure again, but it won't do much good till the expansion vessel has been attended to.
The rubber diaphragm could be holed or split, meaning it would need replacing or it might just need the 'air' pressure correcting.
The charge pressure is usually about 0.8bar but just as important the vessel must be empty of water to give the max amount of air for compression.
Also be aware PRVs once opened may not seal correctly, leaving you with a very small leak, so you lose pressure but over a much longer period of time.
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