hi, moved into new apartment few days ago and hot water tank is running empty after around 2minutes of a barely warm shower… set the temperature on the water heater to max and it still happens, barely enough time to do anything before it runs cold, spoke to property manager and they basically said it works and nothing they can do
anyone have any advice please the water pressure is pretty poor also so it’s not like it should be emptying this fast, the water heater is ariston electric water heater thing but I’m not sure the capacity looking at it
Is it an emersion heater? Do you have to leave it on for a period of time to heat the water in advance? Have you tried leaving on for half hour or an hour before you use it?
its an electric storage heater, tank capacity is built into the unit as far as I know, and yes last night I left the heater on max temperature setting for close to 24hrs (am leaving it on all the time at the moment) and it still went cold in around 2-3 minutes…
If you’ve got storage heaters then you’re almost certainly on an economy 7 tariff of similar. This means that the water tank and storage heaters heat up overnight, (usually 12-7). If you have the night time electricity on a separate circuit then you should have two heating elements in the water tank operated by 2 separate switches. The night time switch has to be left on permanently so that the water heats up properly overnight.
If it still doesn’t work, then there may be a problem with the thermostat or element in the tank or the tank may be full of gunge and need cleaning out. In this case, contact your landlord and let them know if needs maintenance.
there’s no tank I don’t think, its the one unit and only one switch to turn it on/off, the temperature of the water is fine, out of the taps its scolding hot, its just the capacity from what I can tell… it might be full of waste I guess but landlord said earlier “doubt it’s restricting the capacity that much, its probably just a small tank and there’s nothing we can do about that, cya”
pic attached, switch is seen on the left, its not a small unit I’m sure it should hold more than it does…
Hi
That is an ok unit, so…
My guess is the heating element is breaking down, you see a similar effect when an immersion heater element breaks down.
The landlord needs to organise either a replacement unit or a repair with a new heating element.
alright so found out its a 15L tank and a shower on average in 5 minutes uses around 45L so i guess thats the problem then, currently only holds about 10L anyway until it runs cold… not sure if i have a leg to stand on regarding getting it replaced or not but this is not fit for purpose in my mind
is there any legal requirement for this i should be aware of or did i agree to having 1minute showers without realising
How was the property described in the advert and when you viewed it? Did they say anything about the shower? You may be able to unwind the tenancy and get all your money back, but obviously you’d need to find somewhere else quickly. Speak to the landlord about him getting a larger tank and ensuring its heated using the cheaper overnight rate.
The problem is it not the unit so much as it is faulty, the water flow will be enough to last 5 minutes, if it is lasting 2 then as I said earlier, it needs fixing.
Try ringing/ email Aristan technical department and ask whether this unit is designed/suitable for running a shower and present your findings to your landlord. I use similar units in my commercial properties just for hot water to the kitchen and bathroom areas which are more than adequate but I wouldn’t install one for running a shower or a bath in a residential property.
I have fitted many of these devices (25) to my flats they are designed to give you enough to wash your hands or do washing up with 15l water- thats it. I always fit a separate electric shower and thats what you need to get your landlord to fit. If they wont just speak to the council. What you have is not “fit for purpose” for showering. some fit say 60l hot water storage tanks but they arent as efficient and take up more space. Ideally set the santon to 85% heat so you dont burn your hands
For what it’s worth landlords fit the santon water water heater its stainless steel and doesnt have the sacrificial anode this one does, these santon units dont last as long
You are correct, this unit is not fit for purpose, as any plumber will advise you. It’s fine for a sink and wash hand basin, but certainly not suitable for baths or showers. If you look online at that units specification it should confirm its suitable usage, and what I have said above.
I have these in my apartments, but I also have an electric shower unit to supplement it.
Your landlord needs to install an electric shower or inline water heater suitable for the water capacity required for showering and/or filling a bath. I would insist on this remedy without fear of contradiction.
