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Thanks for all the input guys I think I’m going to do a bit of everything.
I did the experiment that scott_d suggested as a conformation the water was flowing backwards and here’s the results..
Kitchen tap ran for 5mins with red and blue taps open gave a temp of 39C
Next day turned off red and blue taps to insure no back flow of water
Ran tap for 30sec water was 50C after 2mins water was 61C continued to run tap and temp stayed at 61C
With open red and blue taps and pump turned on the temp went to 69C.
So still a small climb from 61c to 69c but considering the difference was 39c to 69c I’ll call that a fix….
I’m going to insert the valve as Stigster suggested but I am tempted for speed just to pop it behind the pump on that horizontal pipe…
So that all being said something else came to light (I say came to light it has happened before but I’d forgotten about it) the fuse on the tank had tripped so the boiler had being heating up with the power of magic….and there I thought magic doesn’t exist ……
I think it must have blown 4 or 5 weeks ago as I would normally get with small gaps between them 3 to 4 shower. But the last 4 to 5 weeks I’ve been getting 1.5 to 2 showers still not bad considering nothing is heating the water..
So the power of magic has been heating my water … cool I wonder how much per unit magic costs …
Why not let’s insert another photo………..
I keep the electric heater turned off so all heat comes from the oil boiler downstairs and outside.
This is what I think is happening……………..
The downstairs boiler (not mains pressure old tank in roof type) is very basic a timer clock turns it on from 6am until 10am and all it does is constantly heat the water in the heat exchanger it kicks off and on to keep the 500ml of water in the exchanger at the set temp. If the pump upstairs draws water to heat the hot water tank it continues to heat the water if the upstairs pump is off it just heats the 500ml in the exchanger…
So with the fuse blown the pump doesn’t come on so no hot water is circulated to the upstairs hot water tank.
So this is where the mystery lies, there is no water circulating from boiler the electric heater is off but I have hot water……….. Quick call Ghostbusters….
No but really I think as heat rises the hot water from the heat exchanger must slowly start to rise which must then in turn switch the boiler on which creates more heat which then rises that starts a loop of boiler on small amount heat rises boiler on small amount of heat rises and this small loop cycle must be heating the tank not to full capacity but enough for a shower …
One thing a have noticed (see photo above) the two pipes that go into heat the tank the top one is always hot (not scolding hot) between the boiler on times 6am to 10am and the bottom pipe always cold that’s with the tripped fuse (no pump running). I’ve now reset the fuse so pump is running and both pipes are scolding hot.
So what do you think could this be some sort of capillary action (I think that’s the term) and does that mean I have a missing check valve on those pipes as surly it should only heat when you want it to..
Or is it the magic leprechauns heating my water for freeeeeeeeeeeee …….please be the leprechauns..
.
Thanks for all the input guys I think I’m going to do a bit of everything.
I did the experiment that scott_d suggested as a conformation the water was flowing backwards and here’s the results..
Kitchen tap ran for 5mins with red and blue taps open gave a temp of 39C
Next day turned off red and blue taps to insure no back flow of water
Ran tap for 30sec water was 50C after 2mins water was 61C continued to run tap and temp stayed at 61C
With open red and blue taps and pump turned on the temp went to 69C.
So still a small climb from 61c to 69c but considering the difference was 39c to 69c I’ll call that a fix….
I’m going to insert the valve as Stigster suggested but I am tempted for speed just to pop it behind the pump on that horizontal pipe…
So that all being said something else came to light (I say came to light it has happened before but I’d forgotten about it) the fuse on the tank had tripped so the boiler had being heating up with the power of magic….and there I thought magic doesn’t exist ……
I think it must have blown 4 or 5 weeks ago as I would normally get with small gaps between them 3 to 4 shower. But the last 4 to 5 weeks I’ve been getting 1.5 to 2 showers still not bad considering nothing is heating the water..
So the power of magic has been heating my water … cool I wonder how much per unit magic costs …
Why not let’s insert another photo………..
I keep the electric heater turned off so all heat comes from the oil boiler downstairs and outside.
This is what I think is happening……………..
The downstairs boiler (not mains pressure old tank in roof type) is very basic a timer clock turns it on from 6am until 10am and all it does is constantly heat the water in the heat exchanger it kicks off and on to keep the 500ml of water in the exchanger at the set temp. If the pump upstairs draws water to heat the hot water tank it continues to heat the water if the upstairs pump is off it just heats the 500ml in the exchanger…
So with the fuse blown the pump doesn’t come on so no hot water is circulated to the upstairs hot water tank.
So this is where the mystery lies, there is no water circulating from boiler the electric heater is off but I have hot water……….. Quick call Ghostbusters….
No but really I think as heat rises the hot water from the heat exchanger must slowly start to rise which must then in turn switch the boiler on which creates more heat which then rises that starts a loop of boiler on small amount heat rises boiler on small amount of heat rises and this small loop cycle must be heating the tank not to full capacity but enough for a shower …
One thing a have noticed (see photo above) the two pipes that go into heat the tank the top one is always hot (not scolding hot) between the boiler on times 6am to 10am and the bottom pipe always cold that’s with the tripped fuse (no pump running). I’ve now reset the fuse so pump is running and both pipes are scolding hot.
So what do you think could this be some sort of capillary action (I think that’s the term) and does that mean I have a missing check valve on those pipes as surly it should only heat when you want it to..
Or is it the magic leprechauns heating my water for freeeeeeeeeeeee …….please be the leprechauns..
.