Boiler not heating the water

Galwayguy35

I turn off the rads for the summer but when I do the boiler just runs for a few minutes and then stops.

It doesn't heat the water at all but when I switch on the rads it's piping hot in no time.

Any ideas what's the problem?

Thanks.

exaisle

Is the circulation pump running all the time?

What temperature is the thermostat on the return set at?

Galwayguy35

exaisle wrote: »

Is the circulation pump running all the time?

What temperature is the thermostat on the return set at?

No it runs for maybe 5 mins then stops.

Sorry don't understand the second question.

exaisle

Strange that you say it isn't heating the water at all.

Are you sure that heated water is actually getting to the tank? When pump and boiler are running can you feel the pipe from the boiler to the coil in the tank getting hot?

K.Flyer

How are you turning off the radiators?
Independently at each rad valve, or a lever on a pipe somewhere, or through a control panel time clock?

Galwayguy35

K.Flyer wrote: »

How are you turning off the radiators?
Independently at each rad valve, or a lever on a pipe somewhere, or through a control panel time clock?

There are 3 switches in the utility room, one for the upstairs rads and another for the downstairs ones and a third for the hot water, I turn off the other 2 and leave the HW one on.

Also there is a thermostat dial upstairs and downstairs, I turn that down as well to the last.

Galwayguy35

exaisle wrote: »

Strange that you say it isn't heating the water at all.

Are you sure that heated water is actually getting to the tank? When pump and boiler are running can you feel the pipe from the boiler to the coil in the tank getting hot?

Yes it does get hot.

K.Flyer

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

There are 3 switches in the utility room, one for the upstairs rads and another for the downstairs ones and a third for the hot water, I turn off the other 2 and leave the HW one on.

Also there is a thermostat dial upstairs and downstairs, I turn that down as well to the last.

It sounds like an electrical fault or zone valve fault somewhere.
Do you know if you have and where the motorized valves are or is it a system with 3 individual circulation pumps?

Galwayguy35

K.Flyer wrote: »

It sounds like an electrical fault or zone valve fault somewhere.
Do you know if you have and where the motorized valves are or is it a system with 3 individual circulation pumps?

I'm not sure to be honest, there are 3 boxes in the hot press, for the upstairs and downstairs rads and one for the hot water.

K.Flyer

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I'm not sure to be honest, there are 3 boxes in the hot press, for the upstairs and downstairs rads and one for the hot water.

3 boxes attached to the pipes?
Can you see a makers name on them?
Have you checked the stat on the cylinder is turned up to at least 65 degrees?
Edit:
Has the system always worked correctly over the years?, if yes, its most likely the zone valve giving trouble on the switched live back to the boiler.

Galwayguy35

K.Flyer wrote: »

3 boxes attached to the pipes?
Can you see a makers name on them?
Have you checked the stat on the cylinder is turned up to at least 65 degrees?
Edit:
Has the system always worked correctly over the years?, if yes, its most likely the zone valve giving trouble on the switched live back to the boiler.

Yes they are attached to the pipes, they are 3 green boxes with the name Horstmann on them.

There has been a few problems, last one being no heat going into the radiators but got that fixed, I've always used the immersion during the summer so this is the first time I tried heating the water this way so the problem might always have been there.

I'll give the guy that serviced the boiler a ring tomorrow and get him to come out and get to the bottom of it.