Help me troubleshoot why I have no hot water with an iBoost

1961Nick

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

Just a quick update.

Trying to change the immersion element has turned into a nightmare.

It appears the former owner (who used all secondhand stuff and did his own work) used something to seal the element into the tank so well it wouldn't come out, no matter what was done. Nearly an hour of us trying various ways and means resulted in a split tank as the element took part of the tank with it.

So in addition to the new immersion (with isolation switch), we are having a new tank.

An electrician is coming to check the wiring as well, as it appears that the live wire isn't live, the neutral is.

The stopcock in the airing cupboard above the tank sheared off in the engineer's hand.

Oh and the stopcock under the kitchen sink has seized.

Happy days.

Plumber's putty plus a flimsy tank make this an all too common occurrence. Gate valves are another item that's prone to seizure. You are unlucky to suffer both.

Have you asked the plumber to fit a longer immersion heater element to make the most of your iBoost? You may as well get some benefit from this debacle!

legoman62

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

Just a quick update.

Trying to change the immersion element has turned into a nightmare.

It appears the former owner (who used all secondhand stuff and did his own work) used something to seal the element into the tank so well it wouldn't come out, no matter what was done. Nearly an hour of us trying various ways and means resulted in a split tank as the element took part of the tank with it.

So in addition to the new immersion (with isolation switch), we are having a new tank.

An electrician is coming to check the wiring as well, as it appears that the live wire isn't live, the neutral is.

The stopcock in the airing cupboard above the tank sheared off in the engineer's hand.

Oh and the stopcock under the kitchen sink has seized.

Happy days.

You could probably get it out with a bit of heat from a propane torch.
If the tank is really old it's maybe better to change the cylinder...get a bigger capacity Stainless steel one for the same money.:D

Cottage_Economy

legoman62 wrote: »

You could probably get it out with a bit of heat from a propane torch.
If the tank is really old it's maybe better to change the cylinder...get a bigger capacity Stainless steel one for the same money.:D

Tried that. Set the smoke alarms off many times Well and truly seized in there. In the end I called it a day and suggested the new tank.

1961Nick wrote: »

Plumber's putty plus a flimsy tank make this an all too common occurrence. Gate valves are another item that's prone to seizure. You are unlucky to suffer both.

Have you asked the plumber to fit a longer immersion heater element to make the most of your iBoost? You may as well get some benefit from this debacle!

Yep, he suggested that so we're switching a 15 inch for a 27 inch. I think that's what he said the size was.

1961Nick

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

Yep, he suggested that so we're switching a 15 inch for a 27 inch. I think that's what he said the size was.

Your new tank will probably have superior insulation so that's a minor plus.

I assume you've had the plumber check all the other gate valves?

A good tip for preventing gate valve seizure is not to fully open them - half a turn away from the stop is ideal. That way they rarely stick...although cycling them annually isn't a bad idea either.

pinnks

I tend to favour full-bore ball valves these days. Pegler do some good ones with levers or with twist handles. Cost a few quid each but worth it. Screw-thingimy-fix sell a variety of makes as will other suppliers...

1961Nick

pinnks wrote: »

I tend to favour full-bore ball valves these days. Pegler do some good ones with levers or with twist handles. Cost a few quid each but worth it. Screw-thingimy-fix sell a variety of makes as will other suppliers...

I use those Pegler isolation valves & agree they're excellent & worth the money. Being able to get a spanner on the body is much better than gripping it with an adjustable wrench which easily results in distortion.

Cottage_Economy

Well, the new tank is in, just waiting for the electrician to come and sort out the wiring issue later on this afternoon. Then I'll finally find out whether the iBuddy has an issue.

While in the loft the engineer has told me the valve diaphragm in the water tank is stiff and is causing the hot water cistern to refill very, very slowly, so I have added that to his list of jobs to sort out when he comes back at the end of October for the boiler service and stopcock replacement.

mmmmikey

What a nightmare - I hope all this isn't breaking the bank or taking the edge off your new, green lifestyle. Stick with it - it will be worth it and once it's all done you'll be abe to forget about it for many years to come

1961Nick

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

Well, the new tank is in, just waiting for the electrician to come and sort out the wiring issue later on this afternoon. Then I'll finally find out whether the iBuddy has an issue.

While in the loft the engineer has told me the valve diaphragm in the water tank is stiff and is causing the hot water cistern to refill very, very slowly, so I have added that to his list of jobs to sort out when he comes back at the end of October for the boiler service and stopcock replacement.

Everything indicated a failed element or thermostat so I wouldn't worry about iBuddy issues.

The reversed polarity on the element doesn't make any practical difference but should obviously be corrected for safety reasons.

Cottage_Economy

Well, electrician has just left.

The iBuddy was not wired up to allow the boost function to operate, hence the reason nothing happened when I tried to boost it for 60 minutes to heat the tank.

While the immersion is now wired in we cannot test the iBuddy as we are drawing from the grid due to a howling hailstorm. Unlikely the panels will generate much tonight to allow me to check and I'm off on holiday tomorrow morning so unless the sun shines brightly before 10:30 I'll have to leave this now until we come back in a week.

If it works, I will still need someone to wire up the boost function.