Chauffe eau problems!!!

[APaul]

I've been reading lots of posts about these things on the forum and there seems to be a lot of people who know what they are doing so I am hoping someone can help!

I am having problems getting hot water out of my new chauffe eau.

A little history may be of some use.

I have made over the bathroom. Firstly I removed a single sink and replaced it with a double unit, then I replaced the bidet with a bath and overhead shower and lastly I removed the shower and replaced it with a chauffe eau.

I already have an oil fired combi boiler which is great for the winter but we felt it was getting costly to run it through the summer just for hot water hence the change.... I have the circuit breakers fitted and a timer unit to allow for cheap rate electricity this comes on at given times as it should.

This is where the problem starts, when running the hot water in the bathroom without the boiler in use there is no hot water coming through the taps other than what I feel are the remnants from the previous day. I think that as the boiler is installed between the bathroom and the kitchen and the chauffe eau is installed at the end of the run that maybe the water is being drawn down through the boiler as this is first in the circuit.............

Question!!! How do I get the hot water out of the chauffe eau where it has been warming for six hours overnight?

[Debra]

Someone put a link on here a while ago to a French instruction set with a video which showed exactly how to install a chauffe eau in an existing system - but I can't find it.  Can anyone else?

[Quillan]

I can't find the link either.

I have never attempted this is France but here are my thoughts.

The boiler not only has to be off but has to have the water off feeding it. Just because you turn the boiler off does not mean water stops running through it I would have thought.

I would have thought that both the Chauffe eau and the boiler need to have the pipework configured the same way re the plumbing. If it were me and without any information I would have the cold water pipe (running sideways or horizontal if you wish) with a stopcock. Each side of the stopcock I would place two 'T' pieces say pointing downwards (help me to explain). I would attach a small length of pipe to each, then fit a stopcock to each then continue down and attache one pipe to the cold 'In' and another to the hot 'Out'. The if you want to isolate the Chauffe eau you turn off the two downward facing stopcocks and open the top to let cold water through to the boiler. I would repeat the same for the boiler that way you can stop cold water going through one or the other water heating devices.

There could of course be a far more simpler way or a simple fix lie pipes round the wrong way or connection to the wrong pipes.

[APaul]

Quillan thanks for replying,

The distance between both systems is too far to allow a "T" piece being the answer but, I was thinking along those lines;

If I put a stopcock on the hot water pipe out of the boiler then there can be no feed leaving the boiler and, hopefully that should mean the hot water could draw down from the chauffe eau.

I already have stopcocks both before the cold entry and after the hot exit on the chauffe eau but that isn't actually the problem it is, that I can't currently get hot water out of the chauffe eau.

[APaul]

Thanks, just measured up off to get some 16mm sealing nuts and a stopcock to isolate the boiler - do the nuts need to be the type with olives or will the spring lock type work?

[Quillan]

I don't think you have isolated the boiler and water will take the easiest path. I think cold water is by passing the hot water tank and going straight through the boiler. You could check this by listening with your ear against the boiler perhaps bu no guarantee. I think you may need some professional help. You can't really sort this over the forum from a distance, you need to see and touch if you get my drift.

[Quillan]

I had one thought overnight. You mentioned 16mm pipe and checking my system (which does not have a boiler) the pipes to and from the Chauffe Eau are much bigger, around 20mm.

Whatever size pipe feeds your boiler should be the size you use to install your water heater.

[APaul]

Hi,

I can't make the pipes the same size (16mm it is only my heating pipes which are 20mm) without replacing all the plumbing I have done in the bathroom, basically there is a "T" joint with the stem towards the boiler the flow in from the left is from source and flow to the right is reduced to 12mm pipe and that continues all through the bathroom to where the chauffe eau is.

[Quillan]

Ok so i I get this right your Chauffe Eau is in the bathroom but where is your boiler and is it a 'stand on the floor' type boiler?

[Jay]

Sounds like you have a system very similar to ours. When our heating engineer installed the central heating boiler (also has integral hot water tank) he put a stopcock on the hot water pipe from the boiler and another on the hot water pipe from the electric water heater (both these pipes are 16mm on our system and the pipes that feed the rads are 22mm). When we want to use the electric (most of the time) we turn off the tap next to the CH boiler and when we want to use the CH boiler turn that one on and turn off the one from the electric water heater. Works fine for us, hope this helps.

[APaul]

HI, yes the chauffe eau is in the bathroom in my now disused shower cubicle, the boiler is in the passageway outside the bathroom and yes it's a massive french stand on the floor type.

[APaul]

[quote user="Jay"]Sounds like you have a system very similar to ours. When our heating engineer installed the central heating boiler (also has integral hot water tank) he put a stopcock on the hot water pipe from the boiler and another on the hot water pipe from the electric water heater (both these pipes are 16mm on our system and the pipes that feed the rads are 22mm). When we want to use the electric (most of the time) we turn off the tap next to the CH boiler and when we want to use the CH boiler turn that one on and turn off the one from the electric water heater. Works fine for us, hope this helps.
[/quote] Yeah that's what was agreed upon yesterday. I was just wondering whether I needed to use olives for fixing the stopcock or if the newer type with the gripping spring type washers were sufficient. The reason that I ask is that I kept over tightening the olive joints and splitting the nuts but the spring type were and are still fine, also I was concerned how the washers in the spring type would cope with the hot water. So the question still remains...... Olive joints or the gripping spring washer type?? Thanks

[APaul]

Obviously the "quote" button on Chrome still has a long way to go.

[Quillan]

Olives should be fine but it sounds like you must have been swinging on the spanner or they are naff fittings. Try doing them up finger tight then turn a further 1/2 to 3/4 with a spanner then try it. If it leaks just do it a little, like 1/4 of a turn then try again. I have to say I have never had one split on me in the past.

[powerdesal]

My understanding of the (say) John Guest type fittings which incorporate the gripper rings that you speak of is:-

1. They are compatible with copper piping, and

2. They are rated for a water temperature up to 105 C.

However, check the website for confirmation.

[APaul]

Quillan,

They probably are naff fittings I have snapped through three of them this was tightening down to stop a leak so each turn was a quarter turn but progressive turns split the nut.

[APaul]

powerdesal,

These are the ones I have had great success with I wasn't sure about the temperature rating as they are a rubber washer but 105 deg is more than enough and I already have some of those in my bag so I just need a suitable sized stopcock.

Thanks

[APaul]

Thanks to all for advice and help this makes a great sounding board and helpline in one thanks again. Now off to buy the stopcock will report back on completion.

Thanks again.