DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I'm having some problems with my hot water supply. Ever since i moved into my flat i have had low hot water pressure. I recently asked the landlord about this and he told me that the water had been turned down at the stopcock because of some problems with the shower splashing the floor (that disn't seem to be the best idea to me, but anyway, that was before i moved in).

After opening the stopcock the situation is even worse, we get an initial burst of water at a normal pressure and it then drops down to a dribble. Occasionally the pressure will then increase, but the water will become spluttery and eventualy stop flowing all together. This cycle of high pressure, sputtery, no water, low pressure seems to just keep repeating if the taps are left open.

Can anybody help?

I expect you have a combi boiler. This has to sense that a water outlet has been opened, but it can't do that if, eg water board work, has put air into your rising main. Proper priming of the piping to the boiler, thro' it, and beyond, to your hot outlets is needed. If there is no air in the system, it means the hot-flow demand sensor in the combi controls is dicky. Air coming thro' the rising-main is fairly likely, and you may have seen evidence of this if any of your water has run brownish of late, or ask neighbours for recent past, prior to your occupancy.