If you have a combi boiler you may have noticed that your water is taking longer to heat up or is not getting as hot as you want it to. This could be down to a number of reasons but the change in seasons could certainly be contributing to that.
In order to create hot water, your boiler takes water from the mains supply and heats up. Obviously, the water that is coming in from the mains is colder than it has been over the summer due to the outside temperature being lower. It therefore has to work harder to heat that water and that’s why it can take longer than it has been over the summer months.
This may just require a little more patience but if it is taking too long then it may be that your boiler is too small for what you need it to do. Try taking a look at your manufacturer’s instructions to establish the flow rate and stipulated temperature rise. Most manufacturers will give a maximum water flow rate for a 35 degree rise. The bigger the boiler, the greater the designated flow rate. Many boilers that have been managing ok during warm weather may find that they’re now struggling with autumn temperatures. The flow rate you require will depend on a number of factors such as the size of the house, the number of floors, how many bathrooms you have, how much hot water you want and the water pressure coming into the property.
If the issue is your general water pressure, you may be able to improve the hot water situation by improving the water pressure. Leaks or blocked pipes could be contributing to the low pressure so if you deal with these then it could better enable the boiler to heat the water.
Of course it could be something not related to the change in weather such as the heat exchanger becoming scaled, an airlock in the system or a faulty diverter valve.
If you’re not sure then it’s best to get advice from a heating engineer. The weather is only going to get colder from this point onwards so if it is outside temperature related then it’s only going to get worse so better to resolve it now than at the height of winter.
If this is affecting you please call us on 0333 577 0151 or complete the form opposite.
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