Hot water from Valliant Boiler

[Margaret T]

A brand new valliant ecotec 618 boiler was installed less than 6 months old. We started experiencing no hot water from the 4th month. The only way to have hot water is by having both the heating and hot water switched on together. Given hot weather in the UK last week, we switched off the heating but then found there to be no hot water. Or the alternative way to have hot water is leaving the immersion switch on constantly.

My questions are:
1. Is this correct?
2. Should the immersion switch be on constantly?
3. Must both heater and hot water be switched on together in order to get hot water? We don't need the heater on especially in the summer months.
4. What could be the problem?

Any ideas, please?

Thanks a lot

Margaret

Background
The Valliant boiler located kitchen ground floor is connected to a blue hot water cylinder on the first-floor air cupboard. A new hive system controller.
On installation, whole house new radiators were installed and power flushed, 2 new zone valves plus magnetic filter installed. Both the valiant and hive is brand new. The boiler was installed first. Then the hive was set up afterwards and runs on schedule (e.g. morning 0645am - 0800am) and evening - as not needed during day time as not at home).

From September 2018 to December 2018 - everything was working fine.
January 2019 - there was an airlock
February 2019 - the person replaced a syncron motor on the heating valve
March 2019 - says to keep the immersion on constant
- we switched off heating but then hot water stopped

19/04/2019 - Called British Gas and they replaced the valliant PCB board
23/04/2019 - Valliant attended and looked at Boiler and says no issue with the boiler
24/04/2019 - Still no hot water when heater switched off - British Gas came and can't diagnose the issue.

I wish I kept the existing boiler rather than change to this new valiant with the hive. Everything before was working perfectly until the above.

 

[Scott_D]

Three port valve

 

[AMGasServices]

Welcome just a few things I’d like to ask before What kind of system do you have ?
Please can you also add some pictures.

Thankyou

AMG

 

[Aire]

Agree with Scott, possibly your 3 or 2 port zone valve at fault. The boiler is new but chances are the external controls/valves wasn't changed at the same time

 

[Burger]

Agree with Scott, possibly your 3 or 3 port zone valve at fault. The boiler is new but chances are the external controls/valves wasn't changed at the same time

Think he means 2 or 3 port valve(s)?

 

[Burger]

A brand new valliant ecotec 618 boiler was installed less than 6 months old. We started experiencing no hot water from the 4th month. The only way to have hot water is by having both the heating and hot water switched on together. Given hot weather in the UK last week, we switched off the heating but then found there to be no hot water. Or the alternative way to have hot water is leaving the immersion switch on constantly.

My questions are:
1. Is this correct?
2. Should the immersion switch be on constantly?
3. Must both heater and hot water be switched on together in order to get hot water? We don't need the heater on especially in the summer months.
4. What could be the problem?

Any ideas please?

Thanks a lot

Margaret

Answers to your questions.
1. This is not correct, but an underlying fault.
2. Immersion needs to be switched on for as long as you need hot water and it’s heated.
3. They will be needed to be on if you don’t want to use your immersion heater, but do require hot water.
4. A good few replies already, probably a 3 port mid position valve, if this wasn’t changed at the same time as new boiler.

My questions to you are the same as AMG

 

[Margaret T]

The Valliant boiler located kitchen ground floor is connected to a blue hot water cylinder on the first-floor air cupboard. A new hive system controller.
On installation, whole house new radiators were installed and power flushed, 2 new zone valves plus magnetic filter installed.

 

[Old Account]

The Valliant boiler located kitchen ground floor is connected to a blue hot water cylinder on the first-floor air cupboard. A new hive system controller.
On installation, whole house new radiators were installed and power flushed, 2 new zone valves plus magnetic filter installed.

Have got a couple of pictures for us ?

 

[Aire]

If youve had everything new, then as everything is only 6 months old i would call the engineer back who installed it as it's still under warranty.

 

[Burger]

Have got a couple of pictures for us ?

I think she’s edited the OP and now there’s pics.

 

[AMGasServices]

I’d say the hot water valve is causing the problem.

Replace the valve with a honeywell (they are very robust).

 

[Burger]

It won’t be the cause, but there Should be a strap on the cylinder thermostat.

 

[Aire]

It won’t be the cause, but there Should be a strap on the cylinder thermostat.

Temperatures also set wrong and it's installed in the wrong location

 

[Burger]

That zone valve could be stuck, I’m not keen on those Drayton ones.

 

[Burger]

Temperatures also set wrong and it's installed in the wrong location

Hadn’t seen that in first pic, but mysteriously the strap is on?

 

[Margaret T]

Temperatures also set wrong and it's installed in the wrong location

Thanks, Craig, should the temperature on the boiler be changed? or the thermostat attached to the blue cylinder. If so, what should this read? What's in the wrong location? Thanks a lot.

 

[Margaret T]

If youve had everything new, then as everything is only 6 months old i would call the engineer back who installed it as it's still under warranty.

Yes, everything new, 6 months old, boiler, hive + controls in air-cupboard, zone valves, magnetic filter. I have tried calling the engineer back but not getting any luck and yes the issues occurred from January 2019.

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Sounds to me like there's a wiring issue somewhere. I doubt there is anything wrong with the boiler if the heating is working fine, plus the HW works when the CH is on. It's a controls issue such as wiring or fault zone valves.

 

[Aire]

Thanks, Craig, should the temperature on the boiler be changed? or the thermostat attached to the blue cylinder. If so, what should this read? What's in the wrong location? Thanks a lot.

The thermostat attached to the cylinder should be set between 60 and 65°c, and the location of the thermostat should be 1/3 from the base of the cylinder, current it is too close to the base. These minor issues though won't be causing your issues with the hot water.

 

[king of pipes]

Not the best install but nothing obvious from your pictures apart from no auto bypass ? You need a route for the pump overun to circulate and displace the heat in the boiler when the 2 port valves close , you definitely should not need to have the immersion heater on 24 - 7 they are more for a back up should something fail , if I had to diagnose the fault I would start with checking the 2 port valve on the hot water system , check it is motoring open when the cylinder stat temperature is turned up and then down when the hive is in a hotwater call mode ? , next I see on the cylinder primary return has a balancing type valve this may need adjusting or even removing as it maybe the problem better to fit a lockshield type gate valve for balancing ? Few thing there for you to consider Margret . Please post your findings regards. kop

 

[Burger]

Automatic bypass in the boiler according to instructions

 

[Sharp Point]

Automatic bypass in the boiler according to instructions

That block up after a while in a dirty system

 

[Brambles]

Margaret,

It is almost certainly a control issue and not a boiler related problem. Was the Hive system installed at the time the boiler was commissioned, or was it added later? I have seen a number of issues where Hive has been added and not wired in correctly, impacting hot water supply (or lack of it).

In my view, the fact that you can get hot water when the heating is on means that it is unlikely to be a valve problem. You have an S plan with two two port valves. To get hot water and heating together (as you describe) both valves must be opening.

My conclusion, is that the control wiring has been inadvertently changed resulting in the two control valves operating in tandem when Central Heating is called, with no operation when only Hot Water is called.

I assume that when you set the system (the boiler) to deliver hot water only the boiler does not fire up. Is that correct?

It is probably a very easy fix - one wire in the the wrong terminal.

 

[Margaret T]

Margaret,

It is almost certainly a control issue and not a boiler related problem. Was the Hive system installed at the time the boiler was commissioned, or was it added later? I have seen a number of issues where Hive has been added and not wired in correctly, impacting hot water supply (or lack of it).

In my view, the fact that you can get hot water when the heating is on means that it is unlikely to be a valve problem. You have an S plan with two two port valves. To get hot water and heating together (as you describe) both valves must be opening.

My conclusion, is that the control wiring has been inadvertently changed resulting in the two control valves operating in tandem when Central Heating is called, with no operation when only Hot Water is called.

I assume that when you set the system (the boiler) to deliver hot water only the boiler does not fire up. Is that correct?

It is probably a very easy fix - one wire in the the wrong terminal.

Hello, i may recall if correctly, the engineer installed the hive after it was commissioned (im not 100% certain). The hot water schedule runs set time 0645 - 0800; then 1630-2130. Due to no hot water (luke warm), the engineer says to us leave the immersion on constant

 

[SimonG]

Probably a wiring issue from day one but winter masked it.
Nice easy fix for a competent heating guy.