No Hot pressure

[wet-one]

Hi, any ideas. Having living in our new build house for 12yrs, and tried various plumbers, and pumps..we still have almost no hot water pressure. We have a tank which we moved on one plumbers advice, and put a pump on the hot feed, and still we nothing more than a dribble on all our taps. The cold feed it very pressurised..we live very near a pumping station for the mains..so why is the hot so naff? We no longer use hot water in our house. We don't bother heating the tank it takes so long before the hot reaches the tap. I have a brand new bath, and it remains unused after 4 years! One plumber suggested flux might be blocking pipes?? Therefore changing all the pipework??? Would we do better changing to a combi boiler..blocked pipes would still be a problem though! How expensive is all this..considering our builders refused to do anything saying it was the water boards problem..yet neighbours are all OK!

 

[Plamber]

And it has been like this for 12 years? is your hot water cylinder mains fed?

 

[wet-one]

Thanks for your replies, I am grateful for your advice. Yes, the hot water has been no more than a dribble since we moved in. I gave up asking the builder for help, they kept blaming the pump at severn trent pump house, which is bull. I eventually hired a plumber who moved the cylinder. The cylinder IS mains fed, which is why..when we have great mains pressure (so good I can't have the feed fully open)...he suggested moving the tank away from the bathroom and adding the pump. No idea what he fitted, it starts up when both or either of hot and cold taps are open, but the hot remains a dribble. My plumber 4 years ago was stumped, and said maybe it was a blockage?? I did see another thread with someone who has a problem with a pump..I tried flushing toilets and opening taps..but nothing changed.

 

[REDSAW]

restriction in pipes, isso half shut somewhere.

 

[wet-one]

The mains stop-tap is not open all the way around 3/4 open, apparently the pressure is too high for the toilets, makes them fill up and squeal. But the cold pressure through the taps is extremely good..just not with hot! Would a combi-condensing boiler be better for us..if I have to spend more money, maybe its better to spend it on the boiler and lose the tank?

 

[Plamber]

if the cylinder is mains fed, and your cold water pressure is fine, also you have moved your cylinder, was it a new one? this suggests that there is a blockage in the system somewhere, maybe a kinked pipe under the floor?

A combi boiler would have the same pressure as a mains fed cylinder. does the cylinder have an expansion vessel?

 

[coonster]

Sounds to me like there could be a kink in the hot water supply pipes? Can't think of any other reason?

Try getting a plumber to take a temporary feed from the the hot supply on top of water cylinder with some flexi and see what the pressure is like into a bucket, if the pressure is fine then its on the hot supply further down the line.

Good Luck

 

[WHPES]

Before you do that.........simple task - check the strainer on the feed to the cylinder. May be clogged.

Otherwise sounds like a kink, blockage, clogged strainer or partially closed valve. Try Coonster's method first, then gradually narrow it down.

BTW partially shutting a stopcock is not a satisfactory remedy - should have a Presure Reducing Valve fitted instead.