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how does a diverter valve work on a combi boiler

by Ethyl Armstrong Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A diverter valve is a mechanism in a combi boiler that opens or closes to direct hot water either to radiators or taps and showers. A diverter valve may be faulty if your water is lukewarm, if your hot water taps work but your central heating does not or if your hot water taps only work when the central heating is on.

Full Answer

Does a combi boiler have a diverter valve?

Does a combi boiler have a diverter valve? If you have a combi boiler, then this means that you have what’s called a direct hot water supply. This means that the hot water to both the central heating and the taps are supplied on demand.

What is the purpose of a diverter valve on a boiler?

The purpose of the diverter valve is to correctly direct hot water from your boiler to your taps, showers, or to your home’s radiators. When the system then needs to send hot water towards the central heating system, it will be sent to the primary heat exchanger within the boiler.

How does a combi boiler work?

The combi boilers operates by using the water from the main supply that results in stronger water pressure and ensures that you would never be lacking on hot water again.

What is a mid-position diverter valve?

You'll come across various models, many of which will provide either heating or hot water, however, a mid-position diverter valve allows you to have heating, hot water and both. They tend to be more expensive but being able to use hot water and keep your radiators warming up is well worth the extra investment.

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What happens when diverter valve fails?

Among the most noticeable signs that the air diverter valve is damaged is your car running sluggishly. The air/fuel mixture of your car is very important in keeping it running smoothly. Having a bad air diverter valve will throw this mixture off and cause the car to run and idle rough.

Can you unstick a diverter valve?

Diverter valves can become damaged or stuck. This is because they're a moving part and can be oscillating between being open or closed many times a day. However, they are fixable. If you have no hot water, try turning the heating on.

How does a central heating diverter valve work?

Diverter valves work by opening or closing to direct hot water to the radiators or taps and showers. If you have your central heating on, try turning on the tap. When this happens, the diverter valve will closes off the central heating supply and divert it to the taps instead.

How does a hot water diverter valve work?

2:395:32A detailed look at diverter valves in a boiler - Part 1 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe cartridge consists of two valve seats hot water voltage at the top heating valve seat at theMoreThe cartridge consists of two valve seats hot water voltage at the top heating valve seat at the bottom both connected to a push rod which moves to the body of the diverter valve when operated from a

How do I know if my boiler diverter valve is bad?

A diverter valve may be faulty if the hot water taps still work while the radiators do not turn on. Another sign of a faulty diverter valve is if you only can only get lukewarm water from your taps.

How do you diagnose a bad diverter valve?

What are the symptoms of a faulty diverter valve?Hot water taps that only reach luke warm. If your sink, bath or shower is not running hot, it could indicate that there is a problem with the diverter valve. ... The water only gets hot if the heating is on. ... The water is hot, but the heating fails to come on.

How do you test a diverter valve on a boiler?

After you remove the lid of the boiler, you have to locate the diverter valve mechanism. Run tap water on hot and observe the diverter valve. If you run hot water, the valve is supposed to close in order to divert it to the tap, meaning it should move. If you see no movement, then it's stuck.

How do you adjust a diverter valve?

0:000:40How to adjust Shower Diverter for Hotter water - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPull it off thing off just pulls right off. Take it in you can adjust the temperature. Just wearMorePull it off thing off just pulls right off. Take it in you can adjust the temperature. Just wear that link left or right to make it hotter or colder in most cases you won't make it hotter.

How does a combi boiler know when to heat water?

Combi boilers work by signalling a sensor once you've requested hot water which tells the boiler to burn fuel (whether gas, electric or oil). The heat exchanger then gets hot enough to heat the water when it flows over it. The control valves within combi boilers work in different directions to one another.

Why is my boiler giving me hot water but no heating?

If you've got hot water, but no central heating then there are more issues it could be if it's not the thermostat or the boiler pressure. Common reasons for this particular fault are broken diaphragms and airlocks, or a motorised valve failing.

Why am I not getting hot water from my combi boiler?

Combi boiler not firing up for hot water? If your combi boiler is not firing up for hot water this y be due to the boiler pressure being too high or too low. This can result in your combi boiler not producing hot water. If you don't have any hot water, and you haven't yet identified a cause, check the pressure.

Why are my radiators warm when heating is off?

When a diverter fails or gets blocked with debris, hot water intended for the hot water circuit can get into the radiator circuit. Then the radiators will be hot even though the heat is turned off.

How do you fix a stuck diverter?

Spray penetrating lubricant into the spout opening so it hits the diverter piece. Spray the penetrating lubricant around the post on the top of the water spout and wait five minutes or more before trying the diverter again. If this does not work, replace the spout.

How do you unstick a shower diverter valve?

0:001:01How to fix stuck shower diverter valve - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut it's enough to grip. Okay and then you want to turn it like this and as you're turning. Pull upMoreBut it's enough to grip. Okay and then you want to turn it like this and as you're turning. Pull up and eventually you'll find that this will loosen up and it'll go up. And so when you're done.

How do you unstick a shower diverter?

Any cooking spray will do, and you probably have some in the kitchen.Step 1: Pull the diverter knob up and down a few times to loosen it.Step 2: Apply some cooking spray to lubricate the knob.Step 3: Try pulling it up and down again. ... Step 4: Wipe away any excess spray and wash the oil off the bathtub.

How do you fix a shower diverter?

How to Repair a Shower DiverterTurn off the water supply to your shower.Seal off your drain with tape so that small screws or other important parts are not lost down the drainpipe.Tighten the screws behind the faceplate of the diverter valve. ... Disassemble the shower diverter. ... Replace the diverter.More items...•

Where is the diverter valve on a combi boiler?

You might be wondering where the diverter valve on a combi boiler is. The diverter is the part of the tub spout. The diverter handle simply pulls straight up to send all the water from the tub spout to the radiators or the shower heads.

What is a diverter valve?

A diverter valve is a valve that opens and closes to allow the hot water to travel either to the radiators or to the domestic hot water systems. A diverter is required in order to direct the water flow out of either the taps or the showerheads. The diverter valve is a mechanism found in the combi boiler system that is meant to control the flow of water through your home’s radiators.

How does a combi boiler work?

The combi boilers operates by using the water from the main supply that results in stronger water pressure and ensures that you would never be lacking on hot water again. The modern highly efficient units come, being a stainless steel condensing boiler with an inbuilt heat exchanger that operates in order to serve the customers with hot water immediately.

What is a combi boiler?

Combination boiler or combi boilers come being one of the most common types of boilers used in UK for a reason. Unlike the system and conventional units, the combination boilers are designed to be an all in one unit which produces hot water for taps and central heating in order to cut down the use of storage tanks or cylinders, thus occupying the least space required to house the boiler. Additionally on a comparison, the installations are much easier and faster than any other boiler unit.

Faulty Diverter Valve On Boiler- What is it & How To Fix It?

A diverter valve boiler issue is a widespread issue with combi boilers that are older. Over time, the diverter valve wears out or breaks, causing havoc on your central heating system. You should note that fixing a faulty diverter valve on a boiler might be an easy task, but it can also be expensive. They aren’t cheap.

What Is a Diverter Valve?

A combi boiler’s diverter valve closes and opens to control the water required to heat towel rails and radiators and domestic hot water. Combi boilers ensure the valve prioritises domestic water (water to showers and taps) over a home’s heating system.

Signs to Watch Out for with a Faulty Diverter Valve on Boiler

With all of that out of the way, let’s highlight the symptoms of a malfunctioning diverter valve on the boiler.

How to Fix a Faulty Diverter Valve on Boiler

Note that you should never fix a boiler yourself. It is always best to hire a Gas Safe engineer. A Gas Safe registered engineer is better equipped to handle boiler faults and other common boiler problems. The process begins with a check to make sure the problem is indeed a fault diverter valve on the boiler and not some other component.

How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Faulty Diverter Valve on Boiler?

When replacing a faulty diverter valve on the boiler, it can cost anything from £250 to £350.

Conclusion

As you can see, a faulty diverter valve on a boiler is one of the most common issues homes with combi boilers face. Fixing this problem can be labour-intensive and expensive; in some instances, simply replacing the boiler might be the better financial choice.

What is a diverter valve & how do they work?

A Diverter Valve opens or closes to provide hot water to your taps, or central heating depending on your preference at the time. A combi boiler can only do one at a time and this part is how it is controlled.

What is a diverter valve?

Diverter valves are used to turn on or off hot water at the taps, showers, or radiators. Turn on the tap if your central heating is on. The diverter valve will shut off central heating and redirect it to the taps.

Common diverter valve problems – How to tell if you have a faulty diverter valve

Your diverter valve may be faulty if the water coming out of your showers or taps is only lukewarm.

How can I test to see if the boiler diverter valve is working?

We recommend calling a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect your diverter valve if you suspect it is defective. Although some checks are as easy as taking off the boiler cover to check for the diverter valves, it is illegal for you to do any boiler maintenance.

Can you free a stuck diverter valve?

We recommend calling a professional heating engineer to inspect the diverter valve. If you don’t take care, any work on a gas appliance can cause further damage to the boiler.

What is the cost of a new diverter valve?

Do not buy a low-quality product. Instead, make sure that your boiler has components that are durable.

How do boiler diverter valves work?

The purpose of the diverter valve is to correctly direct hot water from your boiler to your taps, showers, or to your home’s radiators.

Why do boiler engineers check diverter valves?

That’s because the same issues could be caused by other problems within the boiler system.

Is it time for a new boiler?

It might seem a little drastic to decide to go for a new boiler just because of a faulty diverter valve; after all, the diverter valve cost is going to be much less than that for a boiler replacement for your home.

How do you know if you have a faulty diverter valve?

So, first off, you’ve checked that you do have a combi boiler. But, before you call out a gas safe registered engineer, there are some checks that you can carry out. These will help to establish if it’s likely that it is diverter valve problems that are causing the issue.

How much does it cost to replace a diverter valve?

When we have boiler issues, this is one of the first things that comes to mind, just how much is this going to cost to repair!

What does it mean when hot water flows from boiler to shower?

If the hot water works fine and it’s flowing from the boiler to the taps and showers but not to the heating, then this can again be the sign of a faulty diverter valve.

How much does a diverter valve cost?

In terms of the price range, you’ll be looking at between £80 and £200.

How does a diverter valve work?

The diverter valve will give priority to the hot water for your taps over the heating, so if you've got the heating on and fancy a warm shower, you'll be given priority over the radiators. As a moving part, the diverter valve can be susceptible to sticking.

What is a diverter valve?

Boiler diverter valves send hot water to either the radiators or the domestic hot water system (taps and showers).

What does it mean when a diverter valve is stuck?

A stuck diverter valve can also mean that you end up with lukewarm water from your taps. This happens when the diverter valve is slightly stuck open on the heating side. Some of the heat that should be going to the hot water for the taps will be lost.

What is a combi boiler?

Combi boilers provide your home with heating and hot water from a single compact unit, meaning that they need to switch between the two, this is where the diverter valve comes in .

Why is a diverter valve important?

Diverter valves are an important component of boilers and so an issue could affect the heating and hot water all around your home. As a moving part, the most common faults are caused by it getting stuck.

Do you need a diverter valve for a combi boiler?

When having a new Combi boiler installed, it will have a diverter valve fitted as standard. However, should it need replacing you'll need to buy a new one.

Can a mid position diverter valve be used for hot water?

You'll come across various models, many of which will provide either heating or hot water, however, a mid-position diverter valve allows you to have heating, hot water and both. They tend to be more expensive but being able to use hot water and keep your radiators warming up is well worth the extra investment.

How do I know if my diverter valve is working?

After you remove the lid of the boiler, you have to locate the diverter valve mechanism. Run tap water on hot and observe the diverter valve. If you run hot water, the valve is supposed to close in order to divert it to the tap, meaning it should move. If you see no movement, then it’s stuck.

How do central heating Diverter valves work?

A diverter valve works by opening and closing to allow or restrict the hot water that travels to your radiators or taps. When your combi boiler needs to send hot water to a tap instead of the radiators, the relevant diverter valve will close.

How does a diverter valve work?

How does a diverter valve work? Diverter valves switch the flow of water between the tub faucet and the showerhead. Water flows directly through the faucet and into the bathtub when the valve is open. When the valve is closed, water pressure forces the water to run upward to the showerhead.

How long does it take to replace a diverter valve on a boiler?

You should call a gas safe registered engineer if you need to replace the diverter valve or service the working parts of the valve after you’ve diagnosed the problem. It shouldn’t take more than an hour for this to be done on a boiler under eight years old, as parts should be readily available.

Why is my hot water not working but my heating is?

Check the diverter valve If you have followed the previous steps and still the hot water does not work but your central heating is fine, then it is worth checking the diverter valve. If the diverter valve is not working properly, it could be stuck in the central heating position or may have developed a fault.

Why does my heating come on when I only want hot water?

If your central heating comes on with the hot water The valve is not sealing off the central heating port correctly. Hot water flows through your radiators when it should flow through the cylinder coil instead.

Where does the diverter valve go?

The diverter valve is usually located on the side of the turbocharger, it is a pressure release system which diverts unused pressure back into the system preventing compressor surge. By rerouting the pressure back to the compressor inlet, diverter valve keeps the compressor wheel moving and decreases turbo lag.

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1.Videos of How Does A Diverter Valve Work On A Combi Boiler

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