Economy 7 part of hot water cylinder not working

[tomwaits]

Hi guys

Hope you can help. I live in Herts. I went travelling for a month and turned most of my electrics off whilst away. Upon returning and switching it on i found the immersion had not heated up water overnight. I then tried the boost - that wasn't working either. I then ran my pump controlling the water pressure and the boost (top part of water cylinder) kicked in - that still works fine. However, i am still left without overnight water heating. I changed the bottom immersion thermostat to no avail. I then changed the whole immersion element to the bottom, but still no overnnight hot water. I have also changed the fuse at the plate where the lead goes into the wall. Still no hot water. I have checked i have put the immersion element correctly, with all wires in correct holes etc time and time again. I have now reached head scratching time.....can anyone give me a hint? Should also say nothing at the consumer unit tripped at any time. Can economy 7 go wrong? I have no timer anywher near my hot water cylinder nor anywhere else in the flat - i think it is all in a unit just outside my flat.

Also when i drained the hot water cylinder there was around two inches of bright blue glup in the bottom interlaced with chunky calcium deposits. My area has very hard water. Is the blue stuff meant to be there, or should i try to flush this out?

Thanks for any advice. Ruth

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Depending on whether you have economy 7, off peak heating etc you may have a seperate fusebox/consumer unit thats for those circuits. More than likely the circuit breaker/fuse will be blue coloured or 15/16A rating and this may have blown or tripped.

Do you also have electric heating and is this working

 

[ProDave]

Tell me more about your "pump controlling the water pressure and the boost" that sounds most unusual. Why would running that make the boost heater work when it didn't before?

You weren't trying to run the heaters with the hot water tank empty were you? that would most likely have burned out the heater element.

The sludge shouldn't be there, but is a fact of life with less than perfect water quality.

What you NEED to do is take some voltages and resistance readings. Do you have a multi meter? and if so do you know how to use it?

 

[tomwaits]

Hi Slipshod. Thanks for the reply. I have economy 7. I only have one consumer unit - none of the switches has tripped. How do i test to see one has blown? I do have electric heating in the form of storage heaters: i haven't ever needed to use them, though. I will put them on and stay up tonight to see if they are working - if they don't work either will this point to something? Thank you. R

 

[ProDave]

Hi Slipshod. Thanks for the reply. I have economy 7. I only have one consumer unit - none of the switches has tripped.

Are you SURE you only have one? While it is possible to have one CU, split between normal and off peak, it's unusual. If so you will have TWO main switches, and should find a bank of switches labeled for the storage heaters and the off peak immersion heater.

The storage heater test is a good one. E7 usually comes on some time after 11 PM. You should be able to tell within half an hour or so if a storage heater is actually heating up. If the storage heaters some on at night you know the supply is okay.

 

[tomwaits]

Hi ProDave. Thanks for taking time to reply. I have low water pressure in my flat - the pump gives it a bit of umph. The switches for the pump and immersion heater are all next to each other in my airing cupboard. The pump is on the floor to the airing cupboard. It was a completely isolated incident when i put them on and initially none of them worked. Putting the pump on seemed to solve it and neither the pump nor the boost for the immersion have been a problem since.

No, I've never run heaters with the water tank empty.

I don't have a multi meter and don't know how to use one, but i know a man who does. Where would you take the readings.

Thanks again for taking time out to help. Ruth

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 20:00 ---------- Previous post was made at 19:51 ----------

I'm sure as i can be about having only one CU unless one has been hidden very well for 11 years. I will sit up with the storage heaters tonight... hopefully provide a clue. Thank you very much for your help.

 

[batty]

welcome to the forum a picture of your consumer unit and meter would help a lot.

 

[tomwaits]

Cheers Batty!

View attachment 3567View attachment 3568

 

[batty]

Attachments don't work if manator is online he may be able to make them work for you.

 

[Manator]

Will these do?

 

[tomwaits]

Hi Batty, don't know whether this will work either....

Pictures by tomwaits1976 - Photobucket

 

[batty]

Lovely right its a dual board and mechanical timeswitch is the timeswitch going round this can be checked by seeing if its moving and are storage heaters working?

 

[tomwaits]

The timeswitch isn't moving at all. Trying the storage heaters tonight for the first time in years - will let you know

 

[batty]

If the timeswitch isn't moving and in the day position the immersion will not warm up this will be down to your electricity supplier to sort out. What time is it at?

 

[tomwaits]

It seems to be stuck at midnight. Due to come on at 7 and off at midnight. Thanks for taking time to reply

---------- Post Auto-Merged at 21:19 ---------- Previous post was made at 21:17 ----------

EDIT - on at midnight off at 7

 

[batty]

Sounds like its got stuck just before it came on as said your supplier will have to sort this out.

 

[steptoe]

or judicious use of a big stick/heavy object.

 

[tomwaits]

Thanks Batty. Do you think there will be a bill for supplier sorting it out or is it their responsibility?

 

[batty]

Yes steps you could give it a tap and it may click round. No Ruth they will not charge for this.

 

[tomwaits]

Tapped it, but it won't budge. Will contact electric company tomorrow. Thank you all for your help