Hot water - no hot water; why?
Discussion
We have a tank in the loft, described as a "supertank" when it was fitted - a chunky bugger, horizontal on its own plinth to spread the weight over the rafters.
So, last week the CH pump failed causing the boiler to have apoplexy and not work. No worries, put the immersion heater on and wait for the man to come fix it. A few hours in and the hot water from the shower room tap is scalding hot so all is OK. The immersion heater stays on until the boiler is sorted.
Next morning, go for shower which is, at best, lukewarm. Turning the valve to max hot has little effect and the shower is not pleasant. Wife showers and complains its too cold. Shower room basin tap provides scalding hot water, as does kitchen tap, immediately after shower. This continues until today when the boiler is sorted and the shower is hot again.
But why???? Surely, the immersion heater heats up the whole tank the same as the hot water side of the boiler. The amount of hot water, and the temperature of it, is confirmed by running a bath. It seems so odd and I desire that the PH heating and plumbing community come up with a good answer.
ta.
So, last week the CH pump failed causing the boiler to have apoplexy and not work. No worries, put the immersion heater on and wait for the man to come fix it. A few hours in and the hot water from the shower room tap is scalding hot so all is OK. The immersion heater stays on until the boiler is sorted.
Next morning, go for shower which is, at best, lukewarm. Turning the valve to max hot has little effect and the shower is not pleasant. Wife showers and complains its too cold. Shower room basin tap provides scalding hot water, as does kitchen tap, immediately after shower. This continues until today when the boiler is sorted and the shower is hot again.
But why???? Surely, the immersion heater heats up the whole tank the same as the hot water side of the boiler. The amount of hot water, and the temperature of it, is confirmed by running a bath. It seems so odd and I desire that the PH heating and plumbing community come up with a good answer.
ta.
The water for the shower is probably pulled off the cylinder by a tapping lower down than the rest of the domestic hot water, the immersion boss is probably on the top of the cylinder,the water in the cylinder will stratify (hot at the top cold at the bottom. As you pull water from the shower it comes from a cooler strata and as the cold feed is at the bottom of the cylinder the hot water stays where it is.
rlw said:
We have a tank in the loft, described as a "supertank" when it was fitted - a chunky bugger, horizontal on its own plinth to spread the weight over the rafters.
That's the problem - hotter water rises, and in a horizontal tank, even if it's meant to be horizontal, you might struggle with just a 3kw immersion. Where is the immersion element on the tank? rlw said:
The cold water header tank is two f
king great big black plastic things towering over everything in the loft, so yes..............
It's just that you said:king great big black plastic things towering over everything in the loft, so yes..............rlw said:
Surely, the immersion heater heats up the whole tank the same as the hot water side of the boiler.
- without mentioning a hot water cylinder. Or is the first tank you mention actually the HW tank? This is not clear.I've never noticed any stratification in my hot water - it's hot until it runs out, then it rapidly goes cold.
Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 17th April 09:45
The first tank to which I refer is, indeed, the hot water cylinder. I don't mention the cold water tank at all...........
But it must be that the immersion heater is towards the top of the tank, above the feed for the shower but not so far above the feed off for the hot taps elsewhere, which are very hot. And the hot water spirally heater thingy from the boiler must be at the bottom of the tank. Even so, I would have expected the convection currents within the tank to eventually heat the whole thing.
But it must be that the immersion heater is towards the top of the tank, above the feed for the shower but not so far above the feed off for the hot taps elsewhere, which are very hot. And the hot water spirally heater thingy from the boiler must be at the bottom of the tank. Even so, I would have expected the convection currents within the tank to eventually heat the whole thing.
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