247 Rapid Response
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247 Rapid Response engineer attending an out-of-hours boiler callout from a branded van

Boiler repair & heating

Heating works but no hot water across London

When your radiators warm up but every hot tap runs cold, the boiler is usually fine: a stuck diverter valve or a failed mid-position valve is sending all the heat to your radiators instead of your taps. Our Gas Safe engineers cover London and the M25, typically reaching emergencies in 30 to 60 minutes.

30 to 60 min target response12-month guaranteeGas Safe Registered
30-60 MINResponse time
12 MOWorkmanship guarantee
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Radiators are warming up normally but every hot tap runs cold? The boiler is firing, the pump is moving water, and yet the shower will not run hot. That very specific pattern points to one of two faults inside the boiler, and we diagnose both routinely.

In a combi boiler, hot water priority is handled by a diverter valve. When you open a tap, the boiler should sense flow, fire the burner, and rotate the diverter to send primary water through the DHW plate heat exchanger. If the diverter motor sticks in the central-heating position, you get heating but no hot water. In an older system boiler or open-vented setup with a separate cylinder, the same symptom can be caused by a failed DHW microswitch on a Honeywell V4073A mid-position valve, a seized motor on a Drayton or Sundial 3-way valve, or a wiring centre fault that never sends the call-for-hot-water signal to the actuator. Either way, the boiler is healthy and the fix lies in the controls or the valve assembly.

Our engineers stock OEM diverter valve assemblies for Worcester Greenstar, Vaillant ecoTEC, Ideal Logic, Baxi DuoTec, and Viessmann Vitodens, along with Honeywell V4073A, Drayton ZA6, and Sundial mid-position and 3-way valve motors and powerheads. We arrive with the right diagnostic kit, multimeter, manometer, and live PCB-data interface where supported, and quote in writing before any parts are fitted.

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When We Use This

Where this service applies

  • Combi boiler delivering full radiator heat but no hot water at any tap
  • System boiler with a hot-water cylinder that has gone cold while the radiators stay warm
  • Honeywell V4073A mid-position valve clicking but not switching (failed DHW microswitch)
  • Drayton or Sundial 3-way valve powerhead with no audible motor when a tap is opened
  • Programmer set to hot water but no demand reaching the wiring centre
  • Cylinder thermostat reading correctly but never triggering the valve actuator
  • Hot water that worked yesterday and is dead today with no error code displayed
  • Combi with a stuck-shut diverter, often paired with overheating radiators (always-on DHW route)
Our Process

How we deliver

No surprises, no upselling. The exact path every job follows.

  1. 1
    System type identification
    Combi, system boiler with cylinder, or open-vented gravity? Each has a different DHW path, and the fix differs accordingly.
  2. 2
    Programmer and controls check
    Confirm hot water is calling at the programmer, the cylinder stat is wired correctly, and the wiring centre is passing the signal to the valve.
  3. 3
    Live valve operation test
    For mid-position and 3-way valves, we manually trigger the actuator and verify both microswitches with a multimeter under load.
  4. 4
    Combi diverter assessment
    On a combi, we listen for the diverter motor stroking on DHW demand and feel for the temperature change on the secondary heat exchanger flow pipe.
  5. 5
    Written quote
    Customer is given a fixed-price written quote covering parts and labour before any chargeable work begins.
  6. 6
    Repair or replacement
    Powerhead, microswitch pack, or full valve body replaced as required. Combi diverter assemblies fitted with new gaskets and O-rings.
  7. 7
    Refill, inhibitor, and recommission
    System refilled, vented, and dosed with fresh Sentinel X100. Pressure set to the boiler's cold-fill specification.
  8. 8
    Hot water and heating verification
    Cylinder reheat or DHW tap-side temperature confirmed. FGA recorded on the boiler. Written hand-over emailed to the customer.
Frequently Asked

Your questions answered

Why has my heating started working but the hot water stopped?
On a combi, the diverter valve is the prime suspect, the boiler can no longer redirect flow from radiators to the DHW heat exchanger. On a system boiler with a cylinder, a Honeywell V4073A or Drayton 3-way valve microswitch has typically failed, so the boiler never gets a call to heat the cylinder. Both are common, both are routine.
How much does it cost to fix a diverter or 3-way valve?
Powerhead, microswitch pack, or full valve body replacement on a Honeywell or Drayton 3-way valve, and combi diverter assemblies, are priced per our published rate card (see full pricing), with parts at trade cost plus 30%, itemised. Every job is quoted in writing on site before work begins.
Can I just replace the powerhead myself?
Mechanically yes, electrically risky. The wiring at the cylinder thermostat, room stat, and wiring centre needs to be re-terminated correctly or you can damage the new actuator. We complete the wiring, test under load, and certify the work, all in around an hour for a straight swap.
How long should hot water take to recover after a cylinder reheat?
A typical 120 to 180 litre indirect cylinder fed by a 24 to 30 kW system boiler should fully reheat from cold in 25 to 45 minutes. Times longer than that point to a sludged primary coil, an undersized boiler, or a thermostat dropping out too early.
My boiler has no error code, can it still be the fault?
Yes, absolutely. Diverter and valve faults often present with no error code because the boiler thinks it is doing exactly what it was asked, the call for DHW simply never makes it through. We diagnose by tracing wiring and valve operation rather than relying on the display alone.
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Need a 24/7 emergency engineer?

30 to 60 minute response across every London borough. Gas Safe registered. 12-month workmanship guarantee.

FAQ

Heating works but no hot water: your questions

How fast can you reach me for heating works but no hot water?
Typical on-site time is 30 to 60 minutes across the M25, subject to engineer availability and traffic. Live dispatch, never queued. Times quoted are best-effort targets, not contractual guarantees.
What does heating works but no hot water typically cost?
Labour is one flat rate across London and the M25, billed per 30 minutes: from £75 / 30 min (daytime) up to £147 / 30 min (nighttime), with a one-hour minimum then 30-minute increments. There is no callout fee. Domestic prices shown inc VAT, no hidden extras. Fixed-price conversion available on most jobs after diagnosis. Full rate card.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes. Heating works but no hot water carries the same 12-month workmanship guarantee as every other boiler repair & heating job we do.
Are you Gas Safe registered?
Yes. Gas Safe Register number 972173. Verifiable live at gassaferegister.co.uk before our engineer walks in.

Need heating works but no hot water now?

30 to 60 minute response across every London borough. Gas Safe registered. 12-month workmanship guarantee.