Are you facing a problem of “no hot water from taps but heating works” at home?
Hot water is very critical in our lives, especially in cold weather.
No one wants to wake up and discover no hot water to bathe or wash. Of course, the feeling is frustrating. But there’s something more frustrating than just lacking hot water.
That’s “no hot water but heating works” or vice versa.
Heating is Working, But No Hot Water
When your heating unit develops such a fault, you must address it immediately. Now, how do you handle such a problem? This is where our article will be helpful.
We will outline some common causes and fixes. If you don’t mind, we’ll start right away.
What Causes Heating to Work With No Hot Water?
You need to know the root cause of this issue to understand how to resolve it. Several elements can cause this problem, including motorized valve failure, pilot light issues, and frozen pipes.
Others are low pressure in the heating chamber and faulty thermostats. Let’s review these resulting factors and how to fix them.
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Motorized Valve Failure
Often, a faulty motorized or diverter valve can cause this problem.
This component controls the hot water from the boiler to the radiators. The motorized valve is usually located on the airing cupboard. It connects two or three pipes and a metal or plastic box.
No matter your type of heating unit, it will come with one of the two system plans.
One three-port valve (Y plan system) or two two-port valves (S plan system). If any system plans get broken or faulty, you’ll experience this heating issue.
Meanwhile, you must know that motorized valves are connected to the primary power voltage. Therefore, you shouldn’t attempt repairs if you can’t get electricity.
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Pilot Light Issues
Generally, boilers function correctly when the light is illuminated. The light is bright blue or orange, depending on your unit’s model. You can spot it on the frame of the heating system.
The blue light indicates that everything is working well. But it may be the root of your boiler dilemma if it goes out. In that case, the unit will no longer produce water.
However, your boiler will stop working when the light turns orange or yellow. This can be extremely dangerous. What you should do at this point is grab your user manual.
Follow the instructions accordingly and fire up the pilot light again. Consider calling an expert after making all efforts if the mission proves abortive.
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Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes can also cause heating to continue but no hot water. This is often the case in the winter when temperatures take a turn. The entire ground will be covered with snow and ice.
Therefore, the condensate pipe linking the boiler to the outside home will freeze. When such an event occurs, it causes the boiler to shut down entirely for safety reasons.
However, there’s a simple fix to address such a problem.
Gradually warm the affected pipe by placing a cloth over it. Alternatively, run warm water over the duct pipe to melt the ice and restore the boiler.
Until then, you must restart the unit to continue working.
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Low Pressure in the Heating Chamber
Your combi boiler may keep working, but there will be no hot water if the pressure is too high or too low. Typically, the pressure should be in the green zone to indicate it’s working perfectly.
If the gauge is in a red area, the pressure is either above or below the optimum level.
In that case, grab your user manual. There’re steps to increase or reduce the pressure of such boilers. For some heaters, if you bleed the radiator, it will step down the pressure.
However, you can still invite an engineer to address the situation professionally.
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Faulty Thermostats
Usually, a problematic thermostat may not stop the heater from heating. But the water coming out will be lukewarm instead of hot.
In this case, you’ll need to consider swapping the component for a new one. Or you manage the risk associated with repairs.
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Timer Issues
Timer issues will not stop the water from heating. It will only fire at a time you don’t expect. This means hot water will be ready when you don’t need it.
Timer problems can come in different forms. Power cut, clocks changing, backup batteries failing. Sometimes, the electrician may turn off the power supply while working in your house.
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Airlock in Pipes
Similarly, airlocks in pipes can deny you from getting hot water as expected. Therefore, you need to check your supply pipes for such issues regularly. But if such a problem occurs, you can fix it.
First, attach a hose to the working cold tap and connect it to the hot tap. Completely turn on the hot and chilled water taps for the high water pressure to force out the airlock.
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Possible Leakage
If your central heating system is leaking, it could cause the pressure to drop. When that happens, it will result in a loss of hot water. It’s not advisable to attempt fixing such problems yourself.
Call an expert or a professional company to come and address the leakage.
What To Do When Heating or Hot Water Faults
We are sure you’ll only want to stay a short while without hot water in your home.
So what should you do after discovering your heater works but has no hot water? It’s pretty simple. You can employ some action plans and address the issues yourself or with an expert’s help.
Now, the first thing you should do is check your utilities. Sometimes, your heater may not be faulty or broken. It may be a fault in your electric or gas supply.
In this case, you must return the power or gas to working order.
Next, you look for error codes. Most modern water heaters come with displays that signal if something goes wrong. While models send signals using symbols, other lights will be illuminated.
Lastly, you must inspect your boiler’s controls and ensure they are appropriately set.
Living without hot water isn’t funny, especially in cold weather. Because of this problem, you can spend days without a shower or more on gas.
Therefore, if you discover your boiler is still working but has no hot water, it may be one of these resultant factors. While you can fix some issues yourself, others will require assistance from technicians.