Hot, Dirty & Confused...

[Headofpins]

Please help...

We have a rented, 3 bed, 2 storey house, early 70's construction with VERY little maintenance or upgrades since about 1986.

Living room downstairs has a gas fire and a back boiler
Bedroom upstairs has a large tank with an immersion heater with a booster pump fitted recently-ish by the landlords preferred plumber
Loft has 2 water tanks
I believe this is a gravity fed system. Yeah, I know....
Under the stairs we have a thermostat running off a 13 amp plug, very simple settings for water and heating.
We have a bath with mixer taps complete with shower head attached

We are having issues with the shower/bath water. The pump does its job by boosting the water pressure to the hot side of the mixer tap on the bath but the water is far too hot and when the cold is turned on the pressure disappears but the water stays hot - no cold is mixing with the hot.
With the dial on the immersion heater on its lowest setting the water is very hot but cool enough to shower with without the cold water mixing in but it only lasts about 3 minutes before going completely cold.
Have the immersion dial on anything above its lowest setting (we were told to do this by the plumber to make the hot water last longer) and the water is too hot. Scalding hot. And the cold still doesnt mix with it at all.
Also the plumber insists that the boiler is heating the water. If thats the case, what is the point of the immersion?
Add to this the fact that none of the radiators have independent thermostats, the upstairs radiators go nuclear whilst the downstairs couldn't melt an ice cube and the timer under the stairs has a pretty red light on it but thats about it.

How the hell do we get it so the hot water doesn't burn our skin off, whilst at a good pressure to shower with where the temperature can be controlled by using the cold water feed. You know, like any normal system would!

The plumber is apparently making a case for us with the landlord but what do we do during the time its going to take them to save up for a new system?

Cheers

HoP

 

[SimonG]

Just off the top of my head it sounds like the cold water to the bath is tank fed and the booster pump on the hot is overpowering the cold. Potentially pumping hot water back into cold water tank.

As its rented and the plumber is making a case to the landlord it maybe a case of sitting tight until somethings sorted.

 

[king of pipes]

You are at the mercy of your landlord and the letting agent here but the law has just changed regarding rental properties and landlords , they must now be fit for purpose and a working Heating system and shower is a not to much to ask I think Simon has given good advice, contact them further regarding the problem quoting their responsibilities as the landlord, I have given you the details below contact them be firm and don't be don't be brushed aside it's the law now and they face a large fine if they don't comply . Kop

 

[centralheatking]

Whilst my history is in Plumbing and Heating I am a qualified and experienced surveyer
of rented property (for a friend when he does on holiday or over run) Housing Association type properties have to have TRV and be fit for purpose. If yours is a private landlord or a small outfit with a few lets then I advise you to work with the heating engineer and the landlord. Going adverserial is never the way in my experience. Despite all the legislation
private rented on both sides is a lottery...landlord and tennant. centralheatking