cold showers

[bollie]

My combi boiler, wont heat the water to my shower when the weather is cold.
We had it fitted 18 months ago, and all through the summer, it worked perfectly, same this year, but as soon as the weather changed, it wont work.
I like on a narrowboat, and so the water is actually pumped, rather than gravity fed, and the boiler is LPG rather than natural gas.
All the other hot taps work,so the water isnt freezing, just not the shower.
Has anybody got any scientific reasons why this may be happening? we seem to have exhausted every other avenue, cant afford a new boiler, and cant handle another winter of cold showers! help?

[Pea Pod]

You need to put this in Home and Garden. Thats where Gasman and Buildersmate hang out. Cheers.

[bollie]

Hi pea pod
i know what you are saying, but i have tried several tradesman to no avail, i am wonderining if there is a scientific answer to the problem, ie expansion of water or somthing, as it is a boat system, a general gasman will not be able to help :) thanks

[Goodsoulette]

I personally reckon its just because the water going into the boiler is a lot colder. I have the same problem in my house, excvept all over the water is colder. Does the combi boiler supply yopur central heating too. I have a bath after the heating has been on for half an hour or so then its a lot hotter.

[cheekybat]

If your boiler is not igniting when the shower is turned on there may not be enough pressure to trip the flow switches. Warmer water does expand - enough to effect the performance of a boiler? I'm not sure.

Have you tried a smaller shower head with less holes to slow down the flow? This will give the water time to heat up if the boiler is igniting but not heating the water.

Or try a larger head to increase the volume of water (and trip the flow switch).

[bollie]

Thank you both for your answers, im going to try a smaller shower head cheekybat ;o)