Hot water only working intermittently ???

[domtheboy]

Hi all

I'm wondering if anyone can help with a problem I'm having with my hot water (or rather lack of it).

I have a Worcester 24i Combi Boiler, and I find that although our central heating seems to work fine, our hot water supply is absolutely non-existent.

When I turn the hot tap on (in either the sink in the kitchen, sink in the bathroom or bath itself), the water runs cold at first, then lukewarm for a few seconds, then hot for a few seconds (if I'm lucky), then back to cold, lukewarm, hot (and so on and so on).

With regards to the age of the boiler, I've been living in this house since October last year, prior to which it had been renovated by builders. They had the boiler installed from new so it is probably just over a year old now, although I don't know the exact installation date.

I hasten to add I am far from a plumbing expert, so any advice that anyone could give - in layman's terms please !!! Joking aside though if anyone could help I'd be really grateful because this is winding me up something chronic !!!

Cheers everyone

Dom

 

[corgiman]

Has the flow rate reduced from the hot water tap recently?

 

[domtheboy]

Hi corgiman

Not really no - the flow rate has been poor ever since we first moved in, so we haven't known it to be any different than it is at present. Hope that makes sense. Why do you ask ?

 

[AlanE]

'Why do you ask ?' A combi needs a certain MINIMUM water flow to be able to sense hot tap opening. If your flow rate is around this figure then you will get exactly the symptoms described.

Measure the flow rate.

Alan

 

[corgiman]

Alans right you may not register the difference but even if it has not dropped down the flow switch in the boiler may not be as good at detecting you opening a tap as it once was.

Maybe the installation of a combi weren't appropriate for your property in the first place?

 

[domtheboy]

AlanE, Corgiman

Thanks very much for your replies. Apologies if the "Why do you ask ?" sounded flippant, I certainly didn't intend for it to.

How should I go about checking the flow rate ? I've managed to download the manuals for this boiler off the net, but so far haven't been able to find anything in them that refers to this.

With regards to whether this is the correct sort of boiler for my property - you both probably will have a far better idea than I do. My house is a 2 bedroom terraced with gas central heating and an electric shower, I don't know if this helps at all.

Again, any advice you could give me would be very much appreciated.

Cheers

Dom