Gas Boliler / Hot Water

Keano · 28-10-2007 08:27PM #1

I moved into my own house last week and having trouble getting hot water. Basically once the heating is you have hot water but when its not on you have none! There is a gas boiler situated down stairs which powers the heating and has a setting for the hot water. What I find weird is that there is not tank in the hotpress! Call me stupid but is there a tank missing? I am not at all up on gas or gas boilers or even the workings of all things plumbing but I find it very strange that the gas has to be used to heat the water too?

Very confused man!

Thanks

ircoha · 28-10-2007 11:44PM

Keano A Legend wrote: »

I moved into my own house last week and having trouble getting hot water. Basically once the heating is you have hot water but when its not on you have none! There is a gas boiler situated down stairs which powers the heating and has a setting for the hot water. What I find weird is that there is not tank in the hotpress! Call me stupid but is there a tank missing? I am not at all up on gas or gas boilers or even the workings of all things plumbing but I find it very strange that the gas has to be used to heat the water too?

Very confused man!

Thanks

sounds like a combi boiler which does as u say, it produces hot water only when u need it and the gas boiler is on: there is no need for a HW cylinder.

post the make and model of the boiler or google it yourself to verify

Keano · 29-10-2007 11:35AM

Ok thanks! So I can only turn on the boiler to heat the water! I see!

ircoha · 29-10-2007 12:12PM

think of it as a very efficient instant water heater.

Dont know how it is wired but I would have thought that the gas boiler should start once u turn on the hot tap: PERHAPS NOT: hope someone else will provide the answer: seems curious if u need to turn on the boiler before u can have hot water

Alun · 29-10-2007 12:44PM

The boiler does need to be physically switched on all the time though for it to provide hot water on demand. You can set the timer to only provide heating when required, but it won't be heating a giant water tank constantly during this time. When you turn the hot tap on, the boiler will detect this and fire up to heat the water. There is a small (only a few litres) reservoir in the boiler (think of it as a very, very small and well insulated hot water cylinder) that is constantly kept warm that feeds the hot water for a short while while the boiler gets up to temperature. If you keep switching the boiler off at the mains, this reservoir will cool down meaning you'll have much longer to wait for hot water to come out .. not a good idea.

Keano · 29-10-2007 01:21PM

Thanks for the feedback.
I found the manual on the net and printed it off to have a read at home later. I'll hopefully be posting a positive outcome later!

Keano · 29-10-2007 07:32PM

Alun wrote: »

The boiler does need to be physically switched on all the time though for it to provide hot water on demand. You can set the timer to only provide heating when required, but it won't be heating a giant water tank constantly during this time. When you turn the hot tap on, the boiler will detect this and fire up to heat the water. There is a small (only a few litres) reservoir in the boiler (think of it as a very, very small and well insulated hot water cylinder) that is constantly kept warm that feeds the hot water for a short while while the boiler gets up to temperature. If you keep switching the boiler off at the mains, this reservoir will cool down meaning you'll have much longer to wait for hot water to come out .. not a good idea.

Alun by switching the bolier off at the mains do you mean turning it boiler it self to the off position all the time or turning the switch on the wall off?

Alun · 29-10-2007 07:43PM

Usually there's a big separate on/off mains switch somewhere near the timer/controller. Also there's usually an on/off switch on the boiler itself. Both of these must be on in order for it to give hot water.

Note I'm basing this on my experience with combi boilers in other countries than Ireland. Knowing some of the vagaries of UK/Irish plumbing compared to that on the continent, it wouldn't surprise me if it was different over here, but that is my understanding.

Note that depending on the length of the pipe run between boiler and hot tap, it might take some time for the water to start running hot, but you should notice the boiler firing up shortly after you open the hot tap.

ircoha · 29-10-2007 10:31PM

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback.
I found the manual on the net and printed it off to have a read at home later. I'll hopefully be posting a positive outcome later!

post the link here for our education pls

Keano · 30-10-2007 11:18AM

Ferroli_Modena.80

Now all I have to figure out how to get the clock right and setup the timers!

oxygen_old · 30-10-2007 12:57PM

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Ferroli_Modena.80

Now all I have to figure out how to get the clock right and setup the timers!

Ive just managed to find the on switch for my own boiler. However, when I turned it on, it made the noises and heated the rad's, but there was kindof an "exhaust" coming out of the back wall into the garden which was blowing out very hot air, is this normal? also it got very hot, and for the little time I used it, it didnt actually give me any hot waster, does all of this sound normal?

Gas Boliler / Hot Water

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