Hot waiter is intermittent - Combi boiler help

Emma.english.manchester. · 22 October 2019 at 8:25PM

Hi,

Just moved into a new place and I’m having a few issues with the hot water. Despite only using the hot water tap, I can’t get a warm bath. Shower has been ok, but again it’s not consistent.

I had a plumber/boiler engineer out to quote me a plumbing job. He had a look at the boiler and did a service for £60. However I’m still not getting hot water. Boiler is on full, central heating is off, preheat is on.

I feel as if the guy is going to sell me a new boiler. He was a bit weird and I’m a bit vulnerable (negotiation skills). I’ve done a bit of Googling and spoken to family, but I’m really none the wiser.

My cousin also said they got a new boiler as it’s a good brand and could deliver them enough hot water for a bath. I’m one person, don’t have the heating on and I’m only wanting to wash dishes.

The boiler guy mentioned 15mm pipes, pressure from my Ideal Independent C24 boiler, cheap boiler etc. He went away thinking there was enough hot water.

I was thinking of calling out the guys who I got my white goods from. They offer boiler cover and also would come out for £72.

Could the temperature gauge be out? I would have thought the boiler guy would have noticed this?

Apologies I have social anxiety and also a bit clueless (and isolated).

Owain_Moneysaver · 22 October 2019 at 8:49PM

a 24kW combi is never going to deliver a particularly quick bath filling (it's about the smallest size of boiler you can get) but it shoulnd't be intermittent. On hot water the boiler should be firing continuously.

15mm pipe isn't an issue if it's water pipe as everything's at mains pressure. If it's a 15mm gas pipe that may be an issue.

Presumably if the plumber was Gas Safe registered and competent he checked the gas supply is adequate at the boiler and that the gas governor at the meter hasn't failed.

Emma.english.manchester. · 22 October 2019 at 8:55PM

Hi,
Yes he was and I got a receipt. I think he meant the gas pipe.

Owain_Moneysaver · 22 October 2019 at 9:01PM

It should be adequate or he wouldn't have passed it. But if you pay him to service a faulty boiler he should fix the fault!

tacpot12 · 22 October 2019 at 9:39PM

I wouldn't call out your white good supplier. Call the boiler manufacturer, they will send an expert who will tell you if the boiler has a problem or not.

Stratus · 22 October 2019 at 9:43PM

Your symptoms are similar to what I was experiencing a few years ago.

Three so called "Heating Engineers" couldn't get to the bottom of it but were each willing to supply and fit a new boiler.

To cut a long story short, the fault lay in a thermostatic shower valve which was allowing cold water to leak into the hot water side of the system. Is it possible for you to isolate the supply to your shower valve, or any other thermostatic valves you have fitted, to at least eliminate that possible problem? A new shower valve is obviously going to cost a tiny fraction of a new boiler.

Emma.english.manchester. · 23 October 2019 at 12:32AM

Thanks for the replies.

Is the thermostatic shower valve connected to the taps? If so I don’t think that’s the problem as the bath and kitchen sink has the same issue. The central heating seems to be ok though.

jefaz07 · 23 October 2019 at 7:06AM

You don’t have to get the manufacturer out, plenty engineers can sort this. The ideal independent isn’t a bad boiler, just a Logic really.
A few things can be wrong, and will need to be checked such as thermistor, flow rates and temperate rises, plate heat exchangers and diverter valves leaking into the heating side. Or a common fault on these is the water flow turbine and or hall sensor which will produce intermittent hot water.
Going with Ideal themselves on a fixed price repair isn’t the way to go here, will cost you a lot more I suspect.

Emma.english.manchester. · 23 October 2019 at 9:28AM

Thanks Jed, I got someone out yesterday and they thought they fixed it/wanted me to buy a new boiler

jefaz07 · 23 October 2019 at 9:36AM

Emma.english.manchester. wrote: »

Thanks Jed, I got someone out yesterday and they thought they fixed it/wanted me to buy a new boiler

Not sure if this was directed at me?
Anyway, service engineers and repair engineers can be very different people. Sometimes engineers service only and don’t repair and as you only booked a service you may have got the former. Someone has written above that it should be repaired during a service, this isn’t true. When I get asked to service a boiler I ask if it’s working okay, people ring to get a service when the boiler isn’t working thinking a service is going to fix it, it isn’t. Although I would pick up an issue and re quote to fix it.
Ring and engineer and explain you have an issue with your hot water and that’s why you want him to attend....if it was me, I’d have a flow turbine on my van when I came, the amount I’ve changed on these is staggering. Less than £100 too, and I’m not convinced you need a new boiler. I could make that boiler work perfectly for a lot less than a new one would cost, unless it’s suffered a catastrophic failure. But was your heating is working that isn’t likely.

Emma.english.manchester. · 23 October 2019 at 9:55AM

Thanks Jefaf07.

I booked a plumber to quote me a job and he’s also an ex BG boiler person. I actually should have checked his credentials. How I know! He manipulated me into a service.

I have a person come out to fix it tomorrow! I explained intermittent hot water. Should that be enough?

Also is a service plan worth it?

Hot waiter is intermittent - Combi boiler help

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