Is my heating system weird or normal? All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[slouth]

Hi, I have got a central heating / hot water system that only allows me to have the radiators on if the water has first of all been heated up.

So if I was to turn on the heating straight after the water had been heated then the rads would come on straight away, However if I wanted the heating on say after we had had a bath or a few hours after the water had been heated it will firstly heat the water back up before allowing the rads to come on.

Any advice / ideas on what type of system this is?

Very annoying last winter!

[Rulland]

Hi there, Yep yours is a standard system based on a 2 way valve arrangement,IE your boiler will heat your water or your radiators but NOT at the same time-preference is given by your boiler controller to the hot water.
In a three way valve arrangement the boiler can heat hot water and radiators at the same time.
Regards Richard.

[bmplumb]

sounds like a thermal store but it doesnt sound as if its working properly