Water heats but doesn't stay warm - any ideas?

cmwalsh

Hi there,

I'm looking for help on why, when I turn on my gas boiler to heat the water in my apartment, the warm water only lasts for a short amount of time - if I use the shower straight away there's usually enough hot water but if I wait an hour or so the hot water seems to have disappeared. Is it leaking out or is it a problem with the cylinder in my hotpress?

I've attached a photo of the set-up in my hotpress, which I can't really get my head around. The circular brass piece with glass window in the verticalpipe on the left of the shot always seems to have water either dripping or flowing through it- is that related to the problem maybe?

I had a plumber out twice - he thought maybe the water was getting too hot and being flushed out so he turned down the white temperature knob and the gas boiler switch but this didn't help

Any suggestions would be really great - thanks so much

Cycling Dumbasses

How hot does you hot water be? think maybe your tank stat if you have one is closing down due to stat being set too low?

cmwalsh

Cycling Dumbasses - it's good and hot alright but it doesn't last long - what's a tank stat?

Cycling Dumbasses

A tank stat is a device that controls the temperature of how water cylinder, it has adjustable settings normally fitted 1/3rd ways on cylinder, do you have any hot leaking tap in your house?

cmwalsh

Is this the stat? (attached photo)

I have a dripping tap in the kitchen, it's a single faucet so hard to know if it's the hot or cold tap - the water dripping out is cold but there's not hot water in the system anyway

Thanks for your help on this

esox28

Post a pic of the brass fitting on the left, it look to be attached to the red topped pressure relive valve on the top part of. Cylinder maybe your water hot is dripping from that valve and going to drain.

cmwalsh

Thanks esox28 - pic attached

There's water in that little glass fronted part and there's a constant drip into it - it can be more of a flow than a drip when the boiler is on

Cycling Dumbasses

cmwalsh wrote: »

Is this the stat? (attached photo)

I have a dripping tap in the kitchen, it's a single faucet so hard to know if it's the hot or cold tap - the water dripping out is cold but there's not hot water in the system anyway

Thanks for your help on this

Yes that is a tank stat, as other poster pointed out ur pressure release valve is leaking, these can become faulty.

esox28

Never seen any thing like it on domestic installation, its a sight glass with an air break, we would generally use a funnel type thing sorry can't remember it name...lol.

Anyways there's the answer the 'red topped' valve i.e. temperature and pressure valve is passing the water through the sight guage and running to drain or outside anyway.

It needs to be replaced but it is passing for a reason these valves are an intergral part of the saftey equipment supplied with unvented domestic hot water cylinders and your plumber will need to address this and not just fit and forget.

unvented domestic cylinders need to have a saftey check annually.

cmwalsh

Thanks Cycling Dumbasses

Thanks esox28, sounds like I need to get a plumber in again so - hopefully the next one I find will know more than the last! At least I'll have your info this time around, really appreciate your help

sullzz

That's one strange looking tundish , I'd be getting your plumber to check the pressure in that white pressure vessel , and perhaps replace the safety valve .

cmwalsh

Thanks sullzz - Yeah, lots of things in how these apartments were put together seems to be a bit 'strange' ... the gas boiler is a Caldaie which nobody seems to know either!

If anyone can recommend a good, competent plumber who might be able to understand this set-up please let me know - I'm in South Dublin

Thanks very much

gifted

cmwalsh wrote: »

Thanks esox28 - pic attached

There's water in that little glass fronted part and there's a constant drip into it - it can be more of a flow than a drip when the boiler is on

That looks like a sight glass that you would use on a steam condensate pipe..god knows what it's doing fitted in a domestic set up

cmwalsh

gifted wrote: »

That looks like a sight glass that you would use on a steam condensate pipe..god knows what it's doing fitted in a domestic set up

I have not got a clue! But by all accounts this is a strange immersion set-up so I'm worried now that if I get a plumber in he's not going to know what to do - any suggestions on what I do from here?

Thanks

MiniGolf

cmwalsh wrote: »

Thanks sullzz - Yeah, lots of things in how these apartments were put together seems to be a bit 'strange' ... the gas boiler is a Caldaie which nobody seems to know either!

If anyone can recommend a good, competent plumber who might be able to understand this set-up please let me know - I'm in South Dublin

Thanks very much

As mentioned above the expansion vessel needs to be checked for pressure (white cylinder) and more than likely safety valve needs replacing as from my experience when they have been passing water for a long period they don't re-seal very well. As regards the Caldaie boiler, I look after a number of these in an estate in Newtownmountkennedy and despite what a lot of plumbers have told people, parts are available for them. What part of South Dublin are you in?

cmwalsh

MiniGolf wrote: »

As mentioned above the expansion vessel needs to be checked for pressure (white cylinder) and more than likely safety valve needs replacing as from my experience when they have been passing water for a long period they don't re-seal very well. As regards the Caldaie boiler, I look after a number of these in an estate in Newtownmountkennedy and despite what a lot of plumbers have told people, parts are available for them. What part of South Dublin are you in?

Thanks Minigolf. I was told that alright. I'm in Dundrum