New Flat, No Hot Water

[nickt1988]

Hi Guys,

Brought a flat on friday and i have heating but no hot water.

The current set up is:

Pottertons Kingfisher MF
Landis and GYR panel (Picture Attached)
Immersion tank (Not plugged in, been told its used for backup)
Salamander CT50 Twin Pump

So if i turn the heating on, the boiler turns on.
If i turn the water on at the same time, the water doesn't heat up.
If i turn the heating off, wait for the boiler to go out and then turn the water on, the boiler doesn't turn on.

I've tried resetting the boiler and it still doesn't turn on.

Obviously its hard to tell without seeing it but i was wondering if any had any ideas what could be wrong, several people have said different things. One thinks it the panel, the other thinks a valve is gone, another thinks i should get the whole system replaced with a small combi boiler.

any help on this would be amazing.

Also the pump's pressure is way too high, Its really loud and the hot tap in the kitchen is way to fast and is unusable because it sprays water everywhere.
Is it possible to turn this down?

Thanks

Nick

 

[dontknowitall]

Immersion tank (Not plugged in, been told its used for backup)

This is how you can get your hot water, until you're sorted out.

I'm assuming you have a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard? In the top of this is a round contraption about 4" in diameter. This has a cable coming out of it and finishes up on the wall closeby. Turn the switch on and in around 1/2 hour or so you'll have hot water.

By way of explanation, the cylinder is your hot water tank. Inside is a copper pipe coil (top joins about halfway up the cylinder, bottom is near bottom of cylinder.) When the boiler heats the hot water this pipe and coil get hot and transfer the heat to the water in the cylinder making it hot. The immersion heater is like an enlongated kettle element. When this is turned on (heating via electricity instead of gas) this warms up the water in the cylinder.

The two other tappings in the cylinder are the cold feed (from tank in the loft) going into the bottom of the cylinder, frequently around the back, and a pipe coming out of the top of the cylinder, which supplies your hot water. As hot water comes out of the tap it comes out of this pipe and cold water pushes down from the loft giving the hot water some pressure.

If you don't have a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard ignore the last two paragraphs as you probably have a combination boiler, which heats water via the mains water supply.

This pressure from the kitchen tap is a different problem (I'm scratching my head).

I'll await a response to see what sort of system you have before tackling why the hot water won't work and why the pressure is high.

 

[nickt1988]

i'll go down to the flat and take a picture of the cupboard. it will probs make more sense.

Nick

 

[mfgs]

Sounds like an external control problem to me. Timer, zone valve or stat.

As for the water pressure, you cant adjust that on the salamander pump.

 

[kay-jay]

port valve sticking or a loose wire not sending demand signal from cylinder stat imo.

 

[nickt1988]

As for the water pressure, you cant adjust that on the salamander pump.

Is there anyway to slow the water from the tap?

 

[Millsy 82]

If you have a 3 port valve fitted then it will be a stat or programmer. If you have 2 seperate valves it could be a valve.

If you are handy with a multimeter it doesnt take long to find out

 

[dontknowitall]

Where's the cold water storage cistern in relation to your flat?

 

[nickt1988]

Hey Guys,

Just got back from the flat, still not luck. spoke to the previous owner and they said just put the switch to on out the hot water comes...

I've attached a pic of the current set-up. the control panel is of the left out of shot.

Cheers guys

 

[dontknowitall]

Is the hot water cylinder fed from the mains or the cistern above?

 

[mountainman]

Pukka looking job that.
Not much sign of controls on my phone screen. Looks to me you've got a boiler doing the heating and an electric immersion for hot water.
If I'm right then you need to find out whether the immersion has power and go from there.

 

[nickt1988]

from the cistern above. i dont think its a hot water cylinder tho, the previous owner told me its a immersion thats rarely been used.

 

[mountainman]

You have a cold water tank for the cylinder and a Feed & expansion tank for the boiler.
There may be motorised valves and a pump fitted behind the cylinder.

 

[nickt1988]

so i've called BG out and they quoted me 4k to replace it with a Combi, cant afford that even with their payment plan so i've got a plumber coming in who said if its a zone valve or electrics to the control panel he could have it fixed in less than a hour and will only charge me for parts and 20quid labour. Hes not coming until Tuesday so i'll let you know how i get on.

 

[Whn1]

so i've called BG out and they quoted me 4k to replace it with a Combi, cant afford that even with their payment plan so i've got a plumber coming in who said if its a zone valve or electrics to the control panel he could have it fixed in less than a hour and will only charge me for parts and 20quid labour. Hes not coming until Tuesday so i'll let you know how i get on.

20£ labour!

 

[nickt1988]

yeah, thats if it takes him less than 1/2 hour, i expect to pay more if it takes longer. he cant come till tuesday as hes fully booked. im not surprised if hes doing it cheap.

 

[Whn1]

Is it a friend?

 

[nickt1988]

No, hes a friend of a friend who i contacted on facebook. never met him.

 

[nickt1988]

ive worked out how to slow the kitchen tap, i got a free aerator from thames water, the only problem is my tap is unthreaded. does anyone know where i can get a rubber adapter? i've found them in the states but i need a uk supplier.

Adaptor, 3/4" Male x 9/16" # SF0021 by BrassCraft

 

[Whn1]

Ask him for a quote for a combi!!

 

[stevetheplumber]

im not sure what this friend of a friend is but if he comes out for 20 quid in london he definately isnt a plumber or heating engineer of electrician that only leaves bodger chancer or i can do that gis a job

 

[kay-jay]

im not sure what this friend of a friend is but if he comes out for 20 quid in london he definately isnt a plumber or heating engineer of electrician that only leaves bodger chancer or i can do that gis a job

Either that or its £20labour and £300 for a £50 PART

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[E4gas]

so i've called BG out and they quoted me 4k to replace it with a Combi, cant afford that even with their payment plan so i've got a plumber coming in who said if its a zone valve or electrics to the control panel he could have it fixed in less than a hour and will only charge me for parts and 20quid labour. Hes not coming until Tuesday so i'll let you know how i get on.

If the guy ( £20 ) , can't fix it , PM I'm based in London ,

 

[Whn1]

Can you match he's rates e4?

 

[Hardy1]

wow £20..definitely sumone thats undercutting everyone to get jobs...ladz we have another cowboyy!!