Central Heating Problem?

North-East_Quine

My daughter has just moved house. The central heating system seems to only offer hot water and heating together, ie the programme control doesn't let you have hot water on its own.

She advised her solicitor of the problem within the 5 days stated on the missives, but the sellers have come back saying that this is correct and that the system has always run with hot water + heating and there is nothing wrong with it.

Every system I've had has allowed me to run the hot water on its own!

Can anyone advise whether it's possible to have a system like this. I think it's a Potterton boiler and is about 5 years old.

richardc1983

Does your daughter have a hot water tank in the attic or airing cupboard?

WIthin this tank there will be a pipe in a coil shape running through one end to the other, top to bottom or similar, basically hot water from the central heating runs through this coil which in turn heats the water in the cylinder. This is what gives you your hot water. IMagine the element in your kettle if it had hot water running through it instead of electricity well the cylinder works like this.

My parents boiler is like this and it only gives hot water when the radiators are on because it relies on hot water being pumped and circulated from the radiators into the cylinder. TO overcome this my parents had an immersion heater installed in the cylinder so they can have hot water if they need it outside of the heating being on.

Needless to say there boiler is about 15yrs old and they dont make them like that any more. Theres is a baxi i think and is a back boiler which means its behind the fireplace in the lounge.

espresso

North-East_Quine wrote: »

My daughter has just moved house. The central heating system seems to only offer hot water and heating together, ie the programme control doesn't let you have hot water on its own.

She advised her solicitor of the problem within the 5 days stated on the missives, but the sellers have come back saying that this is correct and that the system has always run with hot water + heating and there is nothing wrong with it.

I don't see why this is a problem. When it is warm and there is no call for heating, the system will only heat the hot water.

plumb1_2

North-East_Quine wrote: »

My daughter has just moved house. The central heating system seems to only offer hot water and heating together, ie the programme control doesn't let you have hot water on its own.

You should be able to have hot water independant from the heating side.
It depends on how the system is piped up, i would suspect it is a faulty zone valve.
If you can give more detailed info and post some pics, you will get more advice.

plumb1_2

richardc1983 wrote: »

My parents boiler is like this and it only gives hot water when the radiators are on because it relies on hot water being pumped and circulated from the radiators into the cylinder. TO overcome this my parents had an immersion heater installed in the cylinder so they can have hot water if they need it outside of the heating being on.

Needless to say there boiler is about 15yrs old and they dont make them like that any more. Theres is a baxi i think and is a back boiler which means its behind the fireplace in the lounge.

She she been able to have hot water without the heating on and no need to fit an immersion heater, weather its a fully pumped system or gravity.

I did a Powerflush last week, and the customer complained about have to have the heating on to get hot water, asked if this was a recent issue? No it been like that for 6 years:eek: . Replacing the faulty zone valve cured the problem.

richardc1983

yEH but my parents boiler is located behind the fireplace has been like this since isntalled 15yrs ago.

The hot water is heated within the cylinder in the loft and it is the action of water circulating through the pipe inside the cylinder from the radiators that heats the water over the course of the night.


If they dont have the heating pump on they get no hot water, there hot water isnt instant it is only when the pump is circulating water from the radiators through the boiler that it gets hot water over the course of the programme.

cajef

richardc1983 wrote: »

If they dont have the heating pump on they get no hot water, there hot water isnt instant it is only when the pump is circulating water from the radiators through the boiler that it gets hot water over the course of the programme.

If the system had been installed properly there would have been a three way zone valve fitted, this would have then enabled the programmer to select either hot water or central heating independently or have both on together.

The pump would still run but only whichever was programmed to be on at any particular time would be heated, in summer just the water could be heated without the radiators and there would be no need to have an immersion heater except as an emergency back up.

knightstyle

Sounds like an old system with gravity hot water and pumped heating. These systems did not have any valves. It sounds as if it could do with a good flush out as the heating coil in the tank will have a buildup of sediment.

plumb1_2

richardc1983 wrote: »

yEH but my parents boiler is located behind the fireplace has been like this since isntalled 15yrs ago.

The hot water is heated within the cylinder in the loft and it is the action of water circulating through the pipe inside the cylinder from the radiators that heats the water over the course of the night.


If they dont have the heating pump on they get no hot water, there hot water isnt instant it is only when the pump is circulating water from the radiators through the boiler that it gets hot water over the course of the programme.

If it works when the heating is on, then there is a problem with either, zone valve, cylinder stat or programer if its a fully pumpted system.
If it is a gravity system then it could have a possable airlock or a problem with the Injector Tee in the boiler return pipe.
Get a heating engineer or a good plumber to check the system.It does not matter if the boiler is 15yrs old.