Electric Hot Water Problem?

[HARTIC]

We’ve got a 160lt Electric Hot Water Tank. Sometimes the hot water lasts only a minute or so and starts to go tepid. If you turn the tap off for a minute and back on the hot water comes back really hot again. Sometimes it lasts 5 minutes before it starts going cold. There is definately hot water in the tank. No other taps are being used or dishwahers or anything like that. I was thinking maybe there is some sort of build up in the hot water pipes?

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

lehman05, you give no indication as to your international locality, except that you elude to a 160l HWS, – sounds sort of Australian or thereabouts?
If you emanate from Australia you may have a tempering valve fitted & this may be the problem – get a licensed Plumber to check it – it may need replacement & resetting.
Regards Bob

[lehman05Participant]

Hi Robert, you certainly picked up on the location well.

Didn’t know us aussies were so easily picked!

It’s actually a 140lt Saxon Dual Flow Tank. Now I seem to have another problem. I went to have a look at it and opened the valve to check the water. I would say it took about 3 minutes to come through. When it did come through it came through the drain as well. Anyhow it didn’t seem to stop coming out the valve even when I returned it to the close position. It ran warm water for about 2 minutes before I turned off the tap all together. Any ideas?

You wouldn’t happen to be in Brisbane area would you?

Regards,

Craig.

[lehman05Participant]

It’s seems like it’s all good. Had a go myself and it was the HPNR valve. Now I’ve just gotta sell one of my kidneys and I’ll go buy my self one of the expensive little things.

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

lehman05. It sounds as though you have a saxon heat exchange unit.
when you opperated the valve you would have filled the 140l tank, the hot water pipe runs through a coil inside that tank so it would have only (if tank is partly full to just over the element ) given you about 15 – 30 litre capacity, now depending on the draw off you could have fluctuating temps, You must opperate the valve every now & again to keep the tank full.
Has the temp now settled down since you filled the tank?
If yes you may have fixed the problem. if NO then it may be a tempering valve problem or a filter problem in the opperating valve.
The reason the water ran for a few minutes tepid is that you have filled the tank with cold water to past the overflow hence the tepid water!!!

No mate Bowen North Qld Go the Maroons, Cowboys then Broncos.
Regards Bob

[lehman05Participant]

Ha, I live in Brissie mate but have to admit I am a die hard Manly fan!!! Only moved Nth of the border 3 years ago and I just can’t bring myself to change.

Yep, seems to have settled down. I changed the hpnr valve an hour ago and the water is hotter than ever. The test will be running the baby bath in the morning.

Thanks alot for the advise……..

Craig.

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