Urgent question for plumbers.

[GentleOtter]

Can anyone please help?
We have an antiquated kerosene heated boiler system with the hot water heated by the Rayburn.
There is kerosene in the tank, the Rayburn is on, the emersion has been on the whole day yet there is no hot water at all.
We have checked outside and there is no overflow running, the ballcock in the tank has not jammed so what has happened?

None of the local plumbers are interested in coming to fix ancient kerosene systems plus we are miles from town.

The landlord says it is our problem.

What do we look for, how can we fix it and is there a risk of explosion? Where is the heated water going?

Help!

Could the immersion have fused?

I was away checking everything that I could think of. I checked the fuse and it is ok. The water has been a bit colder recently and it is the first time we switched the immmersion on with the Rayburn lit.
The hot water tank is stone cold yet it is right beside the Rayburn so no leaks. I am baffled.
The cold water is ok.

immersion

Being a bit slow tonight - are you saying that suddenly the water is not heating with either the immersion or rayburn?

Yes. They are both on yet no hot water.
It is below freezing outside yet the cold water pipes are ok.

Should the immersion be on with the rayburn on?

Wouldn't it over heat the water?

I put the immersion on this morning because the water was tepid but I put it down to showers, a big wool wash etc so it should have zapped it quickly but the water is now stone cold - the Rayburn normally heats it all the time so I can't understand why neither are providing hot water.

The overflow is not running as I've been out to look and also went into the loft. There are no bursts either.

Is there water in the tank?

Is there a pump? - When my pump stopped I turned if off & on again several times (& thumped it)

The only reason I asked about them working toegther is that you said "it is the first time we switched the immmersion on with the Rayburn lit."

It is a gravity fed system and yes there is water in the tank and also in the pipes coming from the Rayburn.
Normally they are really hot but they are barely warm just now.

I am scared something might blow up.

I know - I had this on Friday - we had a power cut & the pump stopped so we were dependent upon the gravity feed

What happens if you turn the immersion off?

No hot water at all when the immersion is switched off.
Do you think I should switch the Rayburn off just to be on the safe side?

Oh - I'm not sure

It's too complicated - I'm so sorry, I haven't helped at all

How about turning it right down?

Sounds like a circulation issue because its to coincidental that both systems shut down at the same time.

Is the rayburn supporting central heating as well?

DP Is plumber but he has just popped out
Will come back later with his pearls of wisdom
LM

I have switched it off and will be phoning the landlord in the morning. The system scares me as it has set off the carbon monoxide alarm despite just having been serviced. It is a 1968 model fgs.

Now it is going to be freezing in here. I have put extra radiators in the bedroom and my dd has gone to sleep at her big brother's house.

I want to slap the laird.

ANT - it heats the upstairs bathroom towelrail but there is another boiler for the central heating.

Sorry - thank you all for helping.

so 2 boilers
One heating HW & this is broke
One heating CH & this is OK?

Is that right?

Has it been heating that still?

There are normally several fuses between an immersion and the mains box. One local to the unit and then a trip or fuse wire(guessing the wiring also old) which is purely for this purpose (so if the main fuse has gone you wouldn't necessarily notice else where.

If you turn several hot taps on full and put your ear to the hot water tank can you hear it filling (not just emptying)?

Yes. The heating one is not linked to the Rayburn.

No ANT it is not filling up.

So the reason it is freezing is because the system is 'undersized' not because you can't use it (sorry I just need to get it straight in my head)

So there is a problem in the pipes between the header tank and the hot water tank.

You mentioned that you had checked the header tank. Is it awkward to get to? If not can you check that its filling just so that we can work out the exact bit of circuit we're dealing with.