Hot water in F/E tank. Hot water trickle out tap. Steam loft

[Steady]

Your central heating and hot water are not totally separate, as you seem to think.The primary circulating pipes from the boiler actually heat the water in your hot water cylinder-these are the 'other' pipes connected to the cylinder you have now belatedly revealed to us.
As already suggested to you by other posters your problem is most likely to be either a problem with your boiler(possibly the boiler's thermostat) or your immersion thermostat. Nothing personal,but judging by your knowledge of the subject I would endorse the recommendation to employ the services of a reputable heating engineer to assess your problem.
You say the flow of water is poor at 'the hot water tap'.Do you mean all the hot water taps or just one.If all taps are affected it is likely to be the airlock problem,if just one tap it could be a fault with the tap washer in the tap in question.
Droylsden,Manchester,for what it is worth, is a soft water area.

 

[JohnHamer1977]

Your central heating and hot water are not totally separate, as you seem to think.The primary circulating pipes from the boiler actually heat the water in your hot water cylinder-these are the 'other' pipes connected to the cylinder you have now belatedly revealed to us.
As already suggested to you by other posters your problem is most likely to be either a problem with your boiler(possibly the boiler's thermostat) or your immersion thermostat. Nothing personal,but judging by your knowledge of the subject I would endorse the recommendation to employ the services of a reputable heating engineer to assess your problem.
You say the flow of water is poor at 'the hot water tap'.Do you mean all the hot water taps or just one.If all taps are affected it is likely to be the airlock problem,if just one tap it could be a fault with the tap washer in the tap in question.
Droylsden,Manchester,for what it is worth, is a soft water area.

You say "As already suggested to you by other posters" like I have just ignored the other suggestions when all I have actually done is answered question and provided more of what I think could be relevant information as it's says to do in the forum sticky.
You say "belatedly revealed" like I had hidden something???
Look I have a problem and this forum came up on a google search... I started my post by saying I know nothing about plumbing so what sort of knowledge are you expecting?

Look I appreciate the help but not the attitude although it is hard to tell wether it's and attitude or not over an internet forum or if it's just your way. So put the shoe on the other non-educated in plumbings foot for a min and think how I must feel with a family 2 kids and a wife with no decent hot water and a loft full of steam and a neighbour who wants paying for damage to things in his loft at Christmas time.

Now to answer your questions:
No, hot taps both bathroom sink, bath and kitchen are the same slow flow.

Yes, I agree... the hot water does appear to be heated somewhere apart from the Immersion heater as we still have a slow flow supply and it's still hot even though the immersion heater is off.
This is our 1st house and the old man who lived here before us told us the boiler was only for the central heating.

 

[Agile]

You say that you are not hiding anything from us!

But your nice clear picture of your cylinder had the top of an auto air vent right at the bottom. That will be at the top of the secondary heating coil which is used to heat the cylinder using water heated in your gas boiler which you persist in saying only does the CH.

I ask if you really have only two pipes and you kind of admit there are more but dont say anything about them. You even taunt us with "do you want another photo?".

Why did you only show the TOP of the cylinder?

Why are you hiding the LOWER part of the cylinder ( which shows the heating coil fed by the boiler! ) ?

Is Johnathan Route about to jump out and exclaim " Its candid forum? "

Tony

 

[JohnHamer1977]

What???
are you for real?

Your talking of vents and things that mean nothing to me and saying I have hidden them somehow.

Well tell me what it does if it does something else rather than saying I persist in telling you something!!!
I am on here asking for help... if you don't want to help then don't post, it's that simple.

You ask if there's only to pipes and I answer no there's "no there are ore" AND give a photo to help... how could I be more obliging? I even labled the pipes as they are not very clear, what more could be asked for.
Unbelieveable

The top of the cylider is not visable at all... NOT just in the picture!!!!
It's in a enclosuer in my sons room... the photo is of the opening.
I can get more picture if you are "THAT" suspect???
Or do you take pleasure in winding someone up who has a problem.
*shakes head*

I think you might have been watching too much Miss Marple my son.

If you have nothing to contribute then please keep off the thread as it is detracting from the problem.

 

[oilman]

You want help. For anybody to help they need informtion, and lots of it. If you don't want help, just carry on posting your bitter replies. OK, I can sympathise you have a problem, but you say one thing and insist on it, but your picture says something else.

Now stop throwing your weight about, you can get information for free, if you're bad tempered you'll get nothing. I bet your Christmas was a really happy home wasn't it? ...................NOT!!

(Take it from me, you DO have a pipe which connects the cylinder to the boiler, and you have even labelled it "Another pipe with a square bleed tap on it", so there ) It may be another part that's broken.

Are you saying the boiler NEVER heats the hot water?

Does the steam come out of the pipe ONLY when the immersion heater is on?

If it does, the immersion heater thermostat is faulty, or you do not have one. (And I have seen one left out in a house that's only 5 years old).

Without getting out of your pram, answer those two questions and add as much information as you can. The enclosure round the bottom of the tank will have to go, we want a photo of the complete hot tank, and if something's faulty it's probably in there.

Any more bad tempered replies will put everybody else off from giving any help at all.

 

[JohnHamer1977]

You want help. For anybody to help they need informtion, and lots of it.
yes, I agree as I said I have read the sticky and am doing what I can with limited knowedge

If you don't want help, just carry on posting your bitter replies. OK, I can sympathise you have a problem, but you say one thing and insist on it, but your picture says something else.I have insisted on NOTHING, I might have made the wrong assumption based on mis-lead info but isn't that to be expected from someone who has repeated that they know nothing about plumbing?

bitter replies... what? the only time I have been hostile is when someone tries to suggest I am hidding something!!! Think about it, WHY would a guy who has a problem enough to search out a DIY forum post and keep replying all day with pics and as much info as I can possibly give but still be hidding something?
Doesn't make any sense so no wonder I am annoyed by a guy suggesting that's whats going on!!!

Put yourself in my shoes, how would you feel?

Now stop throwing your weight about, you can get information for free, if you're bad tempered you'll get nothing. I bet your Christmas was a really happy home wasn't it? ...................NOT!!
I am NOT bad tempered (I am getting annoyed now at the frequent digs)... I have only answered questions maybe made some assumptions at the begining I DID say I know nothing about plumbing I have repeated this. Not everyone can be an expert.


Look, I am a moderator on a big UK weight/fitness forum and I know how things work, if people want to wind me up because my post count isn't very high I have seen it all before.
If people genuanly want to help then they can... knowbody is forced to answer in this thread at all.
I appreciate the help as I have said many time but I don't have to take a snide dig from anyone either


(Take it from me, you DO have a pipe which connects the cylinder to the boiler, and you have even labelled it "Another pipe with a square bleed tap on it", so there ) It may be another part that's broken.
ah right OK, I have let the bit of air out anyway
Are you saying the boiler NEVER heats the hot water?
No I am not saying that... I thought it was totally seperate till yesterday.
The boiler must do something as we can still get hot water at a slow flow and the Immersion has been off sinse xmas eve

Does the steam come out of the pipe ONLY when the immersion heater is on?
I am not sure, the steam was coming off the water in the BIG tank in the loft as it was full of very hot water, this water is now cold which I am guessing it should be

If it does, the immersion heater thermostat is faulty, or you do not have one. (And I have seen one left out in a house that's only 5 years old).
I will have a look in a min, but yes it makes sense to be a faulty thermastat


Without getting out of your pram<< oh come on, I am bound to reply if you push my buttons give me a break, answer those two questions and add as much information as you can. The enclosure round the bottom of the tank will have to go, we want a photo of the complete hot tank, and if something's faulty it's probably in there.

Any more bad tempered replies will put everybody else off from giving any help at all.and another dig... whats the point?

I am only asking for help!!!
If you want to help I really appreciate it and if I can help any of you as reguards to weights/fitness I can email you a link to my forum.
If you want me to be a virtual verbal punch bag in exchange for some advice that just isn't going to happen.

For anyone that still wants to help out and offer (sly comment free) advice:
I will try and get the front of the enclosure off and get the Thermastat out (if it's actually there) today and get some pics up.

 

[ArtfulBodger]

The people here are only trying to help, there is no conceivable heating related problem that they cannot identify.

Why not start all over again from scratch?

 

[oilman]

Well stone me, you're a moderator, we have problems with them here too. Then you should know that not replying to what you see as digs is the best way of getting what YOU want, yet what have you done? Reply to every single point I wrote.

It's got NOTHING to do with your low post count, so you haven't seen it all before.

So water in loft tank is now cold with boiler on, and you can get hot water from the tap. Have I got it right?

If so, turn on the immersion heater and go up in the loft about 15 mins later and see if there is steam coming out of the vent pipe. Look again in 30 mins. If there is, it's the immersion heater that's the trouble.

 

[Agile]

This is really amazing just how we can use the absolute minimum of information to arrive at useful advice.

A few posts above, Oilman asks him to stop throwing his weight about !

He replies:-

"""Look, I am a moderator on a big UK weight/fitness forum""".

Now isn't that cool?

Tony.

 

[JohnHamer1977]

OK ArtfulB - thanks for the reply mate

oilman -
yes I am a mod, but an easy going one, and yes I am aware that by replying to what I call digs I am adding fuel so yes I get the point but given the situation... you see what I mean so I will leave it there

So water in loft tank is now cold with boiler on, and you can get hot water from the tap. Have I got it right?

The water in the loft in the big tank is cold.
The Immersion/cyclinder thing is OFF and has not been on at all sinse xmas eve.
We can still get a slow flow of hot water from all hot taps.


Extra info that could be relevant:
The Boiler in my kitchen that I thought was only for the centeral heating is on and off, it clicks in and out depending on the room temp.
It's doesn't come on like a combi would when you run the tap.

Give me a min as I have just ripped the front of the Immesion/cylinder to the side to get some pics I will upload them...

I will try the Immersion if you still think so after I post up the full length pics

Thanks

 

[JohnHamer1977]

pic 1 - full shot to show I am hiding nothing (why?) for the doubters also known as Agile - give me a break now mate? LOL
pic 2 - top of Immersion/cylinder
pic 3 - bottom of Immersion/cylinder
pic 4 - pipes into ceiling
pic 5 - what cap looks like
pic 6 - under the cap

 

[Agile]

Now all is revealed!

The fault causing all the steam is a failed immersion heater thermostat. Its the black bit with a white setting pointer. It can be changed by a competent person and costs about £12.

The slow flow from all the hot taps is caused by a blockage or airlock in the pipe from the big loft cistern to the HW cylinder. Its possibly some dirt at the outlet from the cistern which you may be able to see or feel.

If you cannot find it in the cistern try forcing mains water up a hot tap with a hose or something, that may clear it.

Tony

 

[JohnHamer1977]

Now all is revealed!
LMAO
The fault causing all the steam is a failed immersion heater thermostat. Its the black bit with a white setting pointer. It can be changed by a competent person and costs about £12.

The slow flow from all the hot taps is caused by a blockage or airlock in the pipe from the big loft cistern to the HW cylinder. Its possibly some dirt at the outlet from the cistern which you may be able to see or feel.

If you cannot find it in the cistern try forcing mains water up a hot tap with a hose or something, that may clear it.

Tony

Competant, that will be me then LOL
OK, will see if I can get it (thermastat) out and be off to B&Q
Is it easy to remove then?
before I go tinkering... any instructions I can use would be appreciated

Slow flow... I have just done it the washing machine hose way twice at 5 secs each and it's not sorted the flow.
When the hot water went off when I 1st moved in a plumber cleaned a diaphram (what ever that is?) with a piece of wire... will it be that again?
If yes, where should I find this diaphram in the tank?

Thanks for the help

 

[Agile]

The thermostat is easy to change. The only instruction is to turn it off and remove the fuse or put the MCB off and ideally test it before touching it.

Is your washing machine fed from the mains water? Did it make a water rushing noise when you turned it on? Did the water level in the cistern rise?

You could try that again but turn on each hot tap in the house in turn and see if an increased flow is obtained.

Some of those problems can take quite a while to solve. One of those was visited by both Agile and Jennings and took about 8 man hours to solve. It was eventually traced to a (dead ) mouse which had become stuck in a gate valve on the outlet flow from the cistern!

All gate valves in the flow could be removed and checked to ensure they are fully open, they can fail semi closed! Thats after draining the cistern!

The "diaphragm", I can only assume was a washer in a tap as there is no other in your system.

Tony Glazier

 

[oilman]

Is the flow from the cold tap in the bath ok?

If it is, the blockage is somewhere from the stop cock you have in your picture, through the tank and out to the tap. It may well be the hot tank is full of scale, it looks old enough.