Faulty Diverter Valves On Boilers: How to Diagnose & How Much To Fix
A really common problem, especially with older combi boilers, is a faulty diverter valve. When the diverter valve decides to start playing up it causes no end of boiler and heating issues.
In this 5 minute guide we are going to run through everything diverter valve related to turn you into a mini expert, included is:
- What is a Diverter Valve?
- Faulty Diverter Valve symptoms
- The costs to fix a faulty Diverter Valve
The Good News: Diverter valves can be fixed or replaced
The Bad News: New valves/ fixes are expensive
The Honest Truth
If this is just another boiler problem, in a long line of boiler problems – stop. Throwing good money after bad, makes no sense with boilers. Especially if your boiler is an older model or out of warranty. Doing these few hundred fixes time after time add up to well over what you pay for a new boiler right now with a deal from someone like Heatable. Heatable is an online boiler installation company. For instance, check out these fixed priced deals from them for a new top of the range Worcester Bosch:Included is:
- 10 year warranty
- System Clean
- Filters
- Next Day Installation
- Finance Options
What Does A Diverter Valve Do?
Think of a diverter valve as like the part on a railway track that moves trains from one track to another. It can keep the water moving along one way or close and then divert water along another way.
It will send water to heat radiators or it will send hot water to your taps. It actually places a priority on hot water to taps over heating radiators, so you always have hot running water.
Then when you stop running the tap it diverts water back to heating the radiators and towel rails.
The diverter valve is a very simple mechanism of opening and closing BUT being a constantly moving part, it can get stuck. It’s very common for a diverter valve in a combi boiler to stick.
Here’s How To Tell If Your Diverter Valve Is Faulty…
1. Lukewarm Water To The Shower & Taps
Probably the most common symptom of a faulty diverter valve is lukewarm water coming from the shower or your taps. Whilst the valve should prioritise the hot water to the taps; what can happen if the valve is stuck, even in a slightly open position, is that hot water to the radiators is being allowed to escape out.
2. Hot Water BUT No Heating [Cold Radiators]
Again another common symptom of what is likely to be an issue with the diverter valve. The value is stuck closed only allowing hot water to pass through to the taps. It will not allow water through to heat the radiators. Thus the outcome is hot water when you run the hot taps but the radiators won’t warm up.
3. Hot Water – but ONLY If The Heating Is On
If you have no hot water, firstly try turning the heating on. Allow it time to warm up and then if you now have hot water or ‘hotter water’ compared to what you had before, you’ll know that this is again another likely sign of a faulty diverter valve.
How To Fix A Diverter Valve
It is never ever advised that you should try and repair your own boiler. Instead call out a Gas Safe engineer.
A Gas Safe engineer will be able to assess the symptoms and make a diagnosis. Because whilst the symptoms could be the diverter valve, they could also be something else as well. Or infact not the diverter valve at all.
After all, the only job of a boiler is to heat water, so symptoms of ‘no hot water’ could be traced back to several parts, not just a faulty diverter valve.