Over 3 mins to get hot water in kitchen - is this normal? | Bathroom Advice | Page 8 | Plumbers Forums

Welcome to the forum. Although you can post in any forum, the USA forum is here in case of local regs or laws

Discuss Over 3 mins to get hot water in kitchen - is this normal? in the Bathroom Advice area at Plumbers Forums

L

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!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
On any system of that size I would spec and quote for a secondary return as standard and would only agree to not fit it if the customer put it in writing to me that they don't want it. Its poor system design to not have it.
 
I always thought on the flow at tap might be part of the problem. Especially as new plumbing has been done or if it is a new kitchen tap. Could be debris in the tap airator, or check valve or isolating valve. Always check the simplest and most obvious thing first. I am sure the OP won't mind extra water flow from the tap to increase the speed of hot water delivery.
 
I'm sure we are all waiting with baited breath for an answer from a decent plumber. This has gone from a pamphlet sized endeavour, to a novel, on to a saga and it's about to hit epic, cast of thousands territory!

I can't wait to actually find out what is wrong.
 
The op got in a plumber to take a look and the new plumber checked the flow rate at kitchen was 10 litres a min
Way way bellow what should be for unvented
He didn't check the line strainer at combination valve or what the incoming mains was
But was given a quote for a secondary return to be put in
At £22k
So to say they are no more forward than last time
If it gets sorted I'll let everyone now

And if there is any real plumbers about London let me know
 

Similar plumbing topics

C
  • Question
Thanks for replying matey. You've been a...
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Question
Not to my knowledge but they're not things I...
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Question
Could be the washer in the tap itself.
Replies
1
Views
695
  • Question
Do you have a water cistern in the loft that...
Replies
1
Views
667
  • Question
That's not what I meant. Are the hot and cold...
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top