New home - can't work hot water!

Ivrytwr3

Just moved into new home and no manuals have been left by previous occupant. Looking around the house i have found:

1. A gloworm boiler in the garage (i can't see anywhere that lets me alter any settings etc)

2. A tank in the airing cupboard that has 1 wall mounted switch coming from near the top of the tank and 1 wall mounted switch coming from near the bottom of the tank (both are switched off).

3. A programmable timer in the airing cupboard.

I have programed the timer and we get hot radiators, but when we turn on the hot water tap, all we get is cold water.

Any help on what heating system we have and how to get hot water?!

keystone

The wall mounted switch "coming from the top of the tank" will operate the immersion heater in the cylinder and provide you with hot water pro tem. Turn it on for about 45 minutes and you should get a nice hot cylinder of water.

Does the programmer have separate hot water and heating controls?

Can you provide a pic of the cylinder area?

Cheers

Ivrytwr3

keystone wrote: »

The wall mounted switch "coming from the top of the tank" will operate the immersion heater in the cylinder and provide you with hot water pro tem. Turn it on for about 45 minutes and you should get a nice hot cylinder of water.

Does the programmer have separate hot water and heating controls?

Can you provide a pic of the cylinder area?

Cheers

so the top one is the immersion heater, what about the bottom one?

Yes, i can provide a pic (but not tonight as tucked up in bed!)

And the programmer just has no mention of heating or water, but when programmed appears to be for the heating.

keystone

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

so the top one is the immersion heater, what about the bottom one?

Thats one reason I wanted to see the pic. It might be a cylinder stat which could have failed or not turned up high enough but it would be unuaual for it to be supplied with volts from a switch. But guessing isn't to good a plan. I'm also looking for zone valves or a three port valve too because it could be one of those which is knackered.

Yes, i can provide a pic (but not tonight as tucked up in bed!)

OK - stay warm - at least you will have some hot water tonight if the heater is working of coures. Manana will be good.

And the programmer just has no mention of heating or water, but when programmed appears to be for the heating.

What make/model is it?

Cheers

Ivrytwr3

even with the heating on there is no hot water coming through the taps!

macman

The lower switch probably works the longer element in the whole tank-the shorter one just heats half the tank with a quick boost.
How long did you give the immersion heater to warm the water?
Sticking motor valve adjacent to the tank maybe?

keystone

There won't be if the cylinderstat is not operating or the motorised valve (of whichever type) has failed or is stuck on "heating only". Need the pic to identify what you have actually got in place to give advice. Otherwise we are just guessing with you nicely snuggled up wth the laptop and me sitting at my desk.

If the Immersion is working you'll have hot water when it has heated the cylinder up - it won't be instant - its like a big kettle element.

Pics can wait 'til tomorrow - am out in the morning though but others can prolly help then.

Cheers

Ivrytwr3

ah ok. When i finally got around to checking the heating timer, it was about 9pm - and everything was in the off position.

I programmed the timer and got the radiators heated up, but no hot water from taps.

So you are saying the tank has to heat the water first? So now i have sitched on the timer, in the morning we will have hot water?

macman

The immersion heater is just like a big kettle, as keystone explained (but a very slow one). You should notice the tank getting warm in an hour or so. If you have gas CH, the immersion is just a backup-normally you should heat your water with the boiler. It was suggested that you just use the immersion as a stopgap pending fixing the boiler DHW supply. To do that you need to supply the info already requested about the system.
If you are really unlucky, you'll find tha the immersion is non-functioning too (is there a neon on the switch maybe?) having been disconnected when the CH was installed,
Presumably this is a rental property, so shouldn't your landlord be supplying basic info about the heating system?

keystone

Ivrytwr3 wrote: »

So you are saying the tank has to heat the water first?

Yes. The cylinder has two methods of being heated. The first is (usually) via an internal coil that acts as a heat exchanger. Hot water from the boiler flows through this coil and heats the water in the cylinder that is replanished with cold water from the tank in the roof. If the controls are set so that heated water from the boiler doesn't flow through this coil or a system component has failed then the water will not be heated. The cylinder also acts as the store for the hot water. As it is drawn off the temp in the cylinder drops, the cyl;inderstat operates and tells the system to provide more heat.

The alternative (back-up) is the immersion heater which is like a great big kettle element within the cylinder.

So now i have sitched on the timer, in the morning we will have hot water?

Possibly but we don't know yet if the programmer does hot water as well as heating - need the make/model number for that - nor do we yet know how your particular system is configured - hence the request for the pic. Definitely you will have hot water if you put the immersion on and it is functioning properly.

Cheers

Ivrytwr3

macman wrote: »

Presumably this is a rental property, so shouldn't your landlord be supplying basic info about the heating system?

nope, completed and moved in today - no manuals or instructions for anything