Scalding hot water coming out of cold taps?

[Bitethebullet]

Hi, bit scared, hot water coming out of cold taps, also boiler making crazy noises, it was looked at a while back and the diagnosis was some overheating issue and the fuse was removed. Problem started recurring again and some little valve thing is ****ing water in the boiler cupboard and cold taps have got red hot water coming out plus water is coming through lights below.

Question, switching off the water supply should slow the leak/pressure at the valve, yes, or no? Also, draining the tank of residual water would also help with the leaking, yes or no? Obviously along with a bucket under the leaking valve.

How can boiling water come out of cold taps? Is this not dangerous?

 

[mfgs]

Turn off the boiler and the water. sounds like its pumping over.

 

[Puddle]

Do you mean you have an immersion heater and water cylinder set up,if so immersion heater thermostat gone ,thus cylinder overheating and backing up to storage tank,you can scold yourself and damage storage tank,isolate immersion heater/turn off and run cold taps until water starts to run cold,call in a plumber,do not use until repaired,it is dangerous

 

[Bitethebullet]

Plumber alreqdy been twice, took fuse out of immersion first time, didnt work, cold taps went hot again, then overpressure valve on boiler cyl started leaking, same dude then fitted new overpressure valve to boiler cylinder, he didnt know how to stop the overheating, hence now been told to wait for boiler/gas dude to come out. Landlord is a fool and does not seem to recognise danger!

 

[tamz]

Switch off the heat source, be it from your immersion or a central heating boiler and run the taps until cool

 

[Kmort78]

Dont run the boiler / immersion till its sorted you dont want boiling hot water coming through your ceiling when your in bed! Your has to be serviced and in a safe condition by law.and you should have a copy of a landlords gas safety certificate,ask your landlord ,

 

[Avatar]

the cylinder thermostat is not functioning if it is over heating the water - otherwise the stat would cut out at 60 degrees . . .

 

[Reg Man]

HSE issues Safety Alert on Scalding risk from domestic hot water systems​

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is today issuing a safety alert aimed at homeowners, tenants, landlords and the plumbing industry following two strikingly similar fatal incidents in the last four years where a large volume of near boiling water poured through bedroom ceilings onto occupants sleeping below.

The purpose of the alert is to raise awareness of a rare but potentially serious scalding risk from domestic hot water systems which include a fixed all-electric or part-electric immersion heater in conjunction with a plastic cold water storage cistern or ‘tank’ located in the roof space.
Homeowners and landlords should pay particular consideration to those systems over ten years old, or where they may have concerns over the quality of the installation or repair work carried out.
An overheating immersion cylinder will normally show warning signs so serious incidents are likely to be extremely rare. There are also a number of steps that can be taken to reduce the risk:
· Occupants should be aware of warning signs (such as excessive noise from the hot water cylinder) indicating possible thermostat failure and overheating of the water in the cylinder;
· Storage cisterns should be installed on an adequate supporting base. The incidents that prompted this alert occurred primarily because the plastic storage cisterns were not supported across their entire area. In other words, the base of the cistern protruded over the edge of the base support board. (See the alert for further information.)
· A safety cut-out feature, independent of the immersion heater thermostat, can be fitted to limit the temperature of the stored water, should the thermostat fail.

The risk is greatest when cisterns are located above bedrooms. This is most likely in houses built between 1945 and 1975. Often these homes have, or used to have, a back boiler. If the cylinder is located in a bedroom it is probable that the cistern may be directly above it. Whenever a galvanised (metal) cistern is replaced by a plastic one, the thermostat to the immersion heater should be examined and preferably replaced by one with a safety cut-out.

Specific information on British Standards for domestic cisterns and advice on warning signs, such as excessive noise coming from the hot water system, are included in the alert. It can be found on the HSE website at [DLMURL="http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/localgovernment/alert.htm"]http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/localgovernment/alert.htm[/DLMURL]

Notes to editors
1. A 30-year old woman died on 30 May 2002 after an incident on 10 June 2002 in Penzance, Cornwall. An HSE investigation took place as the incident occurred in housing association managed property. A coroner's inquest was held 1/2 July 2003 - Verdict: accidental death. HSE decided not to take any formal enforcement action.

2. A ten month-old baby died on 12 December 2006 after an incident on 19 November 2006 in Taunton, Somerset. The HSE investigation is ongoing as the incident occurred in local authority managed housing stock. As a result of the investigation HSE served an Improvement Notice on Taunton Deane Borough Council. The Notice requires the Council to undertake action in relation to hot water systems at other similar council properties to verify that they comply with the relevant safety standards. The Council has been co-operating with HSE at all stages of its investigation and the Improvement Notice builds on some of the Council's own proposals for improvement.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

1. A 30-year old woman died on 30 May 2002 after an incident on 10 June 2002 in Penzance, Cornwall.

Is this even possible?

Did she die in the future?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

no she passed way before the accident plumbstar Tom

 

[Bitethebullet]

Terrible. Ignoring date issue, yes I had heard about this. Thankfully I don't have a tank over the bedroom but that is not the point. Everything else is the same, plastic tank etc. As someone else rightly stated in another thread, it is amazing how many bullets have been dodged and people don't even realise. Problem now sorted (well so I'm told). Am really coming to see the value in good, professional, safety oriented plumbers!

Thanks reg man for taking the time to post that. Much appreciated. As usual, HSE have blood on their hands and should clearly have acted after the first fatality. It is even sadder knowing that a safety cut out could be fitted, ie there is a mitigation but this was not made mandatory in such systems.

Tenants get such a raw deal, it is no wonder some of them resort to abandonment of properties etc.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

so how can she be related to the accident? if she passed away before it even happened?

 

[SafeGasInstall]

PlumbStar , my point is here and is to every one reader !!!!

Do lessen to the advaise of your plumber or Gas Engineer !
We have been train to be safe and always take safty of customers as first consideration !!!!!
Do take the professional opinion and gett it sort out before things go wrong !!!! We the trade people have a eye for this type of things and we always se potential danger and We always advaice as we can not fisicly make you do !!!!

Stay and be always Safe , as you can not be sorry after!!!!!!

 

[Bartdude]

Here are both stories


BBC NEWS | England | Cornwall | Woman died after being scalded

BBC NEWS | England | Somerset | Baby death highlights fault risk

 

[Bitethebullet]

PlumbStar , my point is here and is to every one reader !!!!

Do lessen to the advaise of your plumber or Gas Engineer !
We have been train to be safe and always take safty of customers as first consideration !!!!!
Do take the professional opinion and gett it sort out before things go wrong !!!! We the trade people have a eye for this type of things and we always se potential danger and We always
advaice as we can not fisicly make you do !!!!

Stay and be always Safe , as you can not be sorry after!!!!!!

Easy to say but you can't apply a blanket standard of competence/professionalism/integrity to a whole profession. Like all walks of life, you get good and bad. Our first plumber visit did not adequately recognise nor resolve the problem. It was sheer luck that I happened to go to to the other bathroom and noticed the leak late at night. I normally, without exception, brush my teeth etc before bed in my en-suite. Had I not broken my normal habit and gone to another bathroom, I do not even want to contemplate what I would have woken up to, probably a fire or my pets hurt or worse. This second incident happened because matters were not resolved after the first visit.

You speak of training, yet there are plenty of self-employed old school plumbers operating without a scrap of paper or up to date training and they don't have to demonstrate their certifications are valid before entering people's homes and working on, what amounts to, safety systems.

So, blindly listening to tradespeople as you suggest, is not always appropriate, a healthy dose
of common sense or listening to internal niggling doubts, is never a bad backup. It probably saved my bacon concluding that the first visit had not solved the problem!

 

[Reg Man]

Is this even possible?

Did she die in the future?

Yer amazing. That goverment reports for you. must have been written by a politican.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

did no one else here of these 2 tragic incidents before reg man posted them up????????,this is why immersion heaters now have thermal cut outs