I know what you’re thinking… hot water is what your boiler is meant to produce. It’s a normal response to have and is commonly disregarded as unimportant. However overly hot water needs to be dealt with before the problem gets worse and starts to cost a lot more money than you’d expect it to.
Why is my water getting too hot?
The most common causes for water that is too hot are:
- A fault with the electrics within the heating element. The heating element heats the water but doesn’t switch off causing the water to overheat.
- The cylinder thermostat is set too high
- The thermostat on the cylinder is loose
- The cylinder thermostat is incorrectly sited
Why is hot water so bad?
First and for most, hot water is a scalding hazard and therefore a danger to those who come in contact with it. Secondly the hot water can cause long term damage to your heating system. Most heating systems have parts that are plastic. When this plastic parts com in contact with extremely hot water they may change shape and possibly split. Plastic joints are also liable to leaks and damage to the ceilings in your house are probable.
What do I do?
Your actions will depend on whether you have established the fault.
- A fault with the electrics within the heating element – call an engineer
- The cylinder thermostat is set too high – Turn the thermostat down
- The thermostat on the cylinder is loose – Reposition and tighten the strap holding it
- The cylinder thermostat is incorrectly sited – Remove any dust of dirt and ensure there is a good thermal connection between the thermostat and the cylinder
Remember if you are unable to find or deal with the fault your best solution is to call an emergency plumber to prevent further damage.