Over 3 mins to get hot water in kitchen - is this normal?

[LCV]

Hi,

My family have just moved back in from a house renovation just before the Easter bank holiday. When I turned on the tap in the kitchen to wash up and it takes over 3 mins before the water was hot enough to wash up. I had a large kitchen sink put in and I managed to fill that up with cold water which I had to then drain away to replace it with the hot water. It would have been faster (and used less water) if I had boiled the kettle for the hot water. I now wash my hands with cold water after I have used the toilet because it takes so long and as a family so much water is wasted while we wait for it to be hot enough to bathe and shower.

I feel concerned. Is this normal? Before the renovation I did not have to wait long to get hot water to all my taps.

We had a Vaillant system boiler with a 250L indirect hot water cylinder put in. The previous combi boiler was moved from the kitchen to the Utility room. The kitchen is at the front of the house while the Utility room is at the back of the house on the same floor. The previous house was over 3 floors with 2 bathrooms and a loft conversion has taken it to 4 floors and 3 bathrooms. We were told that we would have to wait up to a minute to get hot water in the loft which we said we were fine with but it is actually a lot longer than that and we certainly did not expect the rest of the house to be affected in this way.

I will go back to the plumber to discuss but wanted to get your views and advice first. I am really hoping the problem is to do with a setting on the boiler.

Thanks!

 

[ShaunCorbs]

and the port valve right at the back

 

[SimonG]

Combi valve half way up the cylinder. That'll be fun to change.

 

[SimonG]

Obviously done by somebody with no intention of ever coming back to it. Got your certs from building control yet?

 

[Riley]

Am I imagining it or does the prv not join D1 prior to tundish?

 

[Best]

Am I imagining it or does the prv not join D1 prior to tundish?

I think the pressure relief valve (from combination valve) just joins straight into a tee on the D1.
Photo is poor, but if that is the way it is done, then it is sort of okay.
Would have been so much easier and been more proper to have the combination valve high and the relief valve piped with a fall down to D1.
That unvented cylinder is going to need castors on its base to aid removing it for any maintainence or replacing parts. :smile:

 

[LCV]

Oh, I feel concerned by your comments. Are there any recommendations on what I should do at this point? Particularly to aid my hot water situation.

I haven't received any paperwork from him. What does he need to provide to me?

 

[Best]

He is supposed to have filled a detailed form in for building control to have and for the units warranty which is often 25 years.

 

[Howsie]

Get another plumber in. I did smile a little when I saw that blanked off of secondary return.

 

[oz-plumber]

To put it mildly, unless your kitchen sink is over 100 metres away from your cylinder, it would be deemed acceptable for that lag time.

Either there is a major malfunction with a mixer tap - easy fix, or a catastrophic malfunction with the Plumbing design.

Hopefully, for you, mixer tap malfunction

 

[Tjdservices]

I don't think the plumber will be answering,

 

[spanner]

As Tammy says according to the layout of the job. Also you've been away for a while ago from your domain. So hopefully the piping up is well lagged and the need for a speedy water recovery could get faster.
If there is an obvious long pipe run. The lagged pipework should be twice the lag closer to the hot cylinder for heat conservation reasons.

 

[chris watkins]

[DLMURL]https://www.traceheatinguk.co.uk/commercial-hot-water-maintenance-trace-h[/DLMURL]

I was going to suggest using this until I saw the cylinder pipework un-lagged (Not Part L compliant) so chances are none of the supply pipes are insulated.

Insulation would help on its own but if you want to use this heat tape to maintain the hot water temp in the pipes they must be well insulated. The pipe routes need to be located to work out if it is possible / cost effective to install a secondary return or self regulating heat tape but either way insulation of pipes is going to be required.

Get a good plumber in, unfortunately it is your responsibility to ensure that the installation is notified to Building Control (hot water cylinder AD Part G & L1b & heating appliance Part L1b
sounds like bathrooms as well Part H, electrical Part P etc)

Was there planning involved ?

 

[LCV]

Oh my gosh, the plumber has replied and all he said is nothing can be done about it now. I just have to live with it.

I cannot accept this. I have paid thousands for a new heating system and I am in a worse position than when I had my little combi boiler. I never had an issue with the time it took to get hot water only sufficient supply.

I instructed private building control from the start of the project. Before we moved back in the Surveyor came by and did a final inspection. Should he have picked this up?

 

[LCV]

After a new heating system is installed, is it normal practise for the plumber to carry out a test to see how long it takes for hot water to come through?

 

[Scott_D]

Who employed the plumber, you or the builder?
Who designed and specified boiler etc

 

[LCV]

The builder.
I believe the plumber designed the heating and hot water system as he is the most qualified person to do this - not 100% sure but it does not make sense for the builder to do it.

I said I wanted a boiler and a separate hot water cylinder due to the supply issue that I had with my combi. From my research I believe that combi-boilers are designed for flats rather than three/four storey houses. I said I wanted a Vaillant boiler as I hear they are one of the best.

 

[Scott_D]

Have you phoned the builder?

 

[LCV]

He is aware and sticking by with what the plumber has said.

I have called Vaillant and they think it is to with the design of the pipework. They said that the fact that I am getting hot water means that the boiler is working.

 

[Howsie]

It won't be a problem with the boiler, it will be either a very badly designed pipe layout or fault.

 

[Howsie]

Either way, it's the builders responsibility to get it fixed if you're paying him and he's paying the plumber.

I've said it before, and I'll say it once more, get a decent plumber in to look at this!

 

[LCV]

I will do that. Could you recommend a decent plumber? Please PM me if you prefer not to post their details.
Thank you so much!

 

[LCV]

I live in Peckham, London SE15.

 

[Howsie]

Give me two seconds and I'll get back to you.

 

[Howsie]

Give Mak a call on:

07899747777 his rates are £90 ph plus vat and I would expect him to find what's wrong in less time than it takes the kettle to boil.

 

[LCV]

Great, thank you! I will give him a call.