Table of Contents
A boiler diverter valve, an important boiler component, is essential to a combi boiler heating system. It determines where hot water is sent throughout the home. Over time, a diverter valve can become faulty, causing issues with sending hot water to your taps or radiators. Fixing a diverter valve boiler can be easy but potentially costly. In this blog, we’ll explain the symptoms of a faulty diverter valve, how it works, the signs when it is not working correctly, and possible solutions.
What is a Diverter Valve?
This valve on your combi boiler can be used to heat your water or send heat to your radiators.
With this diverter valve, hot water comes first, so if you turn on the boiler and then use a hot tap, the water at the tap will be heated first.
How Does A Diverter Valve Work?
We’ve talked about what a diverter valve in a boiler does now that you know what it is. The idea behind it is simple: the diverter valve can open and close to control how much hot water flows through your radiators and faucets. This means that if the boiler needs to send hot water to your taps instead of the radiators, the diverter valve will stop sending hot water to the radiators and start sending it to the taps. This moves the heat to a different area. This works the same way as a shower diverter valve, which lets you turn off the water to the showerhead and let it flow from the bath tap instead.
A diverter valve is not needed for a system or conventional boiler, but it is necessary for a combi boiler. The boiler will get its hot water from a cylinder tank. In other words, the hot water can go to both the tap and the radiators at the same time. At times, this is helpful, but when the hot water tank runs out, you will have to wait for more hot water. A combi boiler, on the other hand, will always have hot water, so you won’t have to worry about taking a cold shower!
How To Test A Diverter Valve
It is all fair and well-known. You need to know everything about the technicality of a diverter valve, but what are the signs of a faulty diverter valve? If you know the signs, you can figure out if this is what’s wrong with your boiler. Here are the most usual faults that occur with a diverter valve:
- No hot water—if you have no hot water coming from taps and cold radiators, this could be a sign that your diverters are no longer working efficiently.
- Hot water but no heating—if you have hot water but no heating, the diverter can no longer redirect it to the location where you need it.
- Lukewarm water—if you have lukewarm water, it could indicate that the diverter is sharing the heat rather than diverting it.
How to Diagnose a Faulty Diverter Valve?
If you turn on the tap but don’t get hot water, it could be that the valve is stuck and not working properly.
Putting on the heat to get hot water through the tap is another sure sign. That means the valve is stuck open when the boiler is on.
Making sure all of your time clocks and settings work is important if you have enough hot water but no heat. Even if everything else is fine, the heating valve won’t open.
Faulty Diverter Valve Symptoms
There are a few symptoms you can look out for that could indicate that your boiler’s diverter valve is broken and the heating system isn’t working properly.
Here are some common symptoms to look for:
Poor Water Pressure
A broken diverter valve can also cause a lack of water flow. Whether you’re trying to take a shower or do the cooking, it can be a real pain.
Unusual Noises
Strange noises coming from the boiler or heating system are another sign that the diverter valve is broken. If you hear any of these weird sounds, like banging or bubbling, it could mean that the diverter valve is broken.
Temperature Variation
If your diverter valve is broken, the temperature in your home may also change all the time. The diverter valve controls the temperature of the water going through the heating system. If it breaks, your home may have hot and cold spots.
Increasing Energy Costs
If your diverter valve doesn’t work right, your boiler may have to work harder than it needs to, which will use more energy and cost you more money. So, a broken diverter valve can not only be inconvenient but can also increase energy costs.
As soon as you notice any of these signs, fix any problems with the diverter valve. This will protect your heating system and keep your energy costs in check.
How To Fix A Diverter Valve?
You should really only try to fix the diverter valves yourself if you know what you’re doing. It could be harmful to try to change the valve. You might hurt yourself more than help. Because of this, we suggest that you get in touch with our team if your boiler and central heating system are giving you trouble. Our skilled plumbers will be able to correctly identify the issue, and if it’s the valve, they can either fix it or get a new one.
Our plumbers all know how to fix a valve. First, they’ll check to see if the problem is with the valve itself. In many cases, the valve simply gets stuck and needs a quick cleaning and refitting.
What Should I Do Now?
Now that you’ve diagnosed the problem, you should call a gas-safe registered engineer to replace the valve or service its working parts.
This should be an easy fix for a boiler that is less than eight years old, and it shouldn’t take more than an hour because the parts should be easy to find.
However, a combi boiler over eight years old may be harder to source parts for, and this is also a sign that other parts of your boiler could be wearing out.
How Much will it Cost?
A combi boiler diverter valve should cost between £100 – £150, plus the cost of labor and time. Considering that, it should cost you around £250 to repair your faulty diverter. It should also come with a parts and labor guarantee for 3 – 12 months, although this could depend on the boiler’s age, as some parts may be close to breaking down.
If you are on a service plan, this would cover the cost. However, if your boiler is old and you often need replacement parts, you may want to consider replacing it.
In the long run, it would be cheaper to get a new boiler. You might not need a service plan because guarantees last up to ten years. You’ll also see a change in the warmth you pay each month.
Conclusion
If you’re not sure if your diverter valves is working right, it’s not hard to figure out what’s wrong. Some warning signs are having to turn on the heat to get hot water or having a lot of hot water but no heat.
A gas-safe qualified engineer should be able to fix your valves.
However, if your boiler is old and frequently experiencing problems, consider a replacement, which could save you money in the long run.