Showers

[coccinelle]

I have a combi boiler and it gets on my nerves that I use so much water waiting for the warm water to come through to have a shower. I use even more when I'm washing my hair as I have to let the water run while I'm washing it and leaving the conditioner on for 2 minutes as if not I'd have to wait again for the hot water to come through. Is there a solution to this?

[Twenty20]

I'd say that it's maybe just down to your particular boiler. The combi boiler we have gives hot water within seconds (possibly because it has a pre heater?).

No hot water system will have hot water immediately out of the tap (unless you had one of those old Ascot (?) things over the sink). If you have a hot water tank you'd still have to wait for the hot water to reach the tap.

I can't say I've ever found it a problem. Maybe you have an old boiler?

[kdmulish]

Hi, I also have a combi boiler (approx 7 years old) and until the last few months the hot water was almost instant when using the shower. It now takes up to 5 minutes for the water to become hot althought I have found that if I put the shower up to maximum heat and also turn on the hot tap in the bathroom it heats up much much quicker. I think that the problem is that the boiler is not registering the demand for hot water when the shower is put on and when I have saved some pennies I will get it looked at. Hope this helps a little. Karen

[carlton23]

When we have the radiators on the hot water is almost immediate but when off the water has to travel through the system further to the taps, so there is`nt much you can do about it, except wait, and be patient.

[carlton23]

By the way, I have a Baxi combi.

[spudqueen]

It takes a few minutes for the water to heat up for our shower, but I use the time to cleanse my face and clean my teeth etc, so that by the time the water's hot I'm ready to jump in the shower.

[coccinelle]

Thanks everybody for your answers. Yes twenty and kdmulish it is an old boiler but still working very well. maybe it's time to change. Carlton, is doesn't seem to make any difference if radiators are on or not. Spudqueen, we're supposed to be using less water for ecological reasons but I must use about 8 litres before I even get into the shower and god knows how many when I wash my hair, I too do other things whilst waiting!! Thanks again

[weeal]

Its not as wasteful as the old tank system where you heated water that wasnt even used, and re-heated the same water over and over at times.

[coccinelle]

Yes, weeal I agree on the heating side but there's a lot of water being wasted in my case. We do have a well which we're thinking of rigging up to the bathroom, toilets and washing-machine I might feel less guilty if we do that.
Thanks for your reply and if we could divert rainwater into the well it would be even better.

[gasman]

You could try having it serviced and the divertor valve checked out. It may be time for a new diaphragm ( if you're make has one ) if it has not been changed within the last 5 years.