Help - no hot water!

[nigelw]

We're visiting London from abroad, and are staying in a friend's house. Yesterday morning we found the hot water had run out (eg runs cold from the hot taps). We thought we had just used up the hot water in the cylinder by doing our washing. But a day later, still no hot water.
Any ideas on what might be wrong and how we can fix it?
Any suggestions gratefully received!

 

[diamondgas]

Tried calling your friend?

Some more information needed nigelw ... Do you know how the water is heated, gas or electric? Does it have a timer and is it on ... Is the gas and/or electric on .... ??

 

[nigelw]

Hi Steve, thanks for you reply. I'm a novice on this stuff, so forgive me.... here's what I can work out...
There's a Potterton Promax HE Plus boiler (which I think just does the central heating?)
The oven is gas (but I haven't used it).
There's a hot water cylinder in the bathroom which feels decidedly cold. It says Grundfos on one of the boxes attached to it, and Honeywell on the thermostat. There's a plug going into a power socket, so does that mean it's electric rather than gas?
All other electrics are working.
Hope that helps (?)

 

[diamondgas]

nigelw ... Any timed controls anywhere for the hot water and heating? \if you drop down the flap on the fron of the boiler you'll see a line of indicators, a thermostat knob and a reset switch ... If the light on the left is on red try pressing the re-set ...

 

[nigelw]

hmmm... looking again at the potterton boiler, I'm thinking maybe this does do hot water too (given there's a'n 'HW' control). There's an LCD screen but nothing is showing. Does this suggest no power is reaching the system? There's a fuse nearby next to a switch - maybe that has shorted (I'm such an amateur, I wouldn't no how to check!).

 

[nigelw]

There's a reset switch, which I tried pressing, but nothing happens. No lights visible at all. There's a little 'sight glass window' on the boiler but I can't see any signs of life in there.

 

[diamondgas]

LCD screen on a seporate control next to the Pott Promax nigelw? Sounds like the a programmer ... can you take pictures to upload? Does sound like no power? may be a triped fuse at your electric consumer control box also?

 

[nigelw]

I can't take photos unfortunately - didn't bring my cord to connect camera to pc.
LCD screen is on a separate control panel underneath the main unit. It has a slider to choose 'on, timed, once or off' and a flap that opens to allow advanced programming (clock, set and run slider plus some buttons).
There's a switch (with a fise thing) next to the whole system, the switch is down but no light (I think a light is meant to come on when the switch is pressed down).
Should i try opening that fuse bit? (or am I likely to get myself killed)

 

[diamondgas]

nigelw .. check the main electric fuse box first. There may be one of the trip switches down, if it's a new consumer unit. Failing that turn the switch mentioned off, remove and replace the fuse, turn back on and observe what happens next! You'll not kill yourself replacing a fuse!

 

[nigelw]

thanks for all your help mate (and your patience!). Main fuse box all fine. So maybe an issue with 'local' fuse. I'll need to buy a new fuse then work out how to change it! We'll give that a go this afternoon.

 

[diamondgas]

3 amp is the norm ... The spur fuse will either have a pop out draw that's either achieved by unscrewing a small screw or levering out the fuse holder ... good luck!

 

[stevetheplumber]

nt be tempted to put a larger rated fuse in it could do hundreds of pounds damage

 

[nigelw]

I've levered out the existing fuse and see that it's a 3amp one. I'm assuming I can pick up a new one (or a packet of them) at tescos?

 

[GQuigley67]

try yer local hardware store

 

[diamondgas]

Let us know what happens next as you may be in need of one of the guy's/girls on here

 

[nigelw]

new fuse in. lcd now has text appearing, and lights have lit up next to HW and CH. in theory, i'm guessing the water will heat now? (as long as the fuse doesn't blow again - we don't know what caused it to blow in the first place!)

 

[nigelw]

Okay, so we have power getting to the unit... I pressed the 'reset' button but nothing happens. No flame showing in the sight glass window thing. No gas getting to the unit?

 

[diamondgas]

Back to the programmer Nigel ... flip down the front. Does it have a selection switch for manual? Or a button that moves a little curser in the display to 'ON' or 'timed'? It may even have some instructions printed on the inside of the flap. Does it have any identifying name and number?

 

[nigelw]

The unit is a Potterton, model EP2002.
Under the flap, there is slider for run / clock / set options.
There are buttons for 'step' '-' '+' and 'day'
Beside the flap bit are more options - buttons for 'adv' and 'ext' and a slider for off / timed / once /on options (these options are htere for both HW and CH).

 

[nigelw]

currently, the lcd says Thursday 4.44am

 

[diamondgas]

try moving the slider off/timed/once/on, to "on"

 

[nigelw]

yep - i put both sliders on 'on' a while back. that made the red lights appear next to 'hw' and 'ch'. the reset still doesn't do anything.

 

[diamondgas]

only images i could find ... is one of these?

 

[diamondgas]

Well nigel this is where you may need someone to take a look ... Is there any indicator lights on the boiler? It is possible that the fan has siezed?

 

[kay-jay]

yep - i put both sliders on 'on' a while back. that made the red lights appear next to 'hw' and 'ch'. the reset still doesn't do anything.

well you don't expect instant hot water do you?

if you slide the hw to on and the light lights up did you wait a minute to see if the boiler fires up??