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Boiler/heating question, possibly PigletJ would have patience for this!

14 replies

beaglesaresweet · 19/12/2013 23:17

Today I had a bit of a panic as the heating wouldn't turn off after I switched off the temp control for half a day (I mean set to 'frost' or zero setting). This didn't happen before - it just wasn't firing up at all, while hot water was fine (it's a combi Worcester boiler, 4 yr old).
I called a plumber for tomorrow, but when I had a chance, I found a manual and it said there that in the event of a fault (but they said if the main light goes out), to tyr and switch it off at the mains for a few secs and ten turn on, and it should work. The main light was on, but I noticved that on the wall panel one light was green, one red. So I did turn it off (with fear that now not even HW will come on), and suddenly it worked!
So firstly, I'm thinking of cancelling the plumber - but I still don't know why it happened, and can it get worse over the next few days, i.e. is this ominous?? Obviously can't afford not having heating over hte holidays! I don't really want to pay 70 pounds for the plumber as quoted, if it's a usual glitch, but it normal?
Secondly, could his be caused by my practice of turning off the temp control every time I don't need the heating (when away all day usually) which I turn off and up again every day (once) or at most once in two days? I thought it was better than turnng radiator valves on and off. maybe it's a false economy. I don't have a timer/wall thermostat, and don't want to install now as I'm selling and should be moving in a few months. Thank you!

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beaglesaresweet · 19/12/2013 23:18

sorry, wouldn't turn ON, in the first sentence.

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PigletJohn · 20/12/2013 01:54

No timer and no room stat? Who would do such a thing?

The money you've wasted on gas in four years would probably pay for the repair.

I don't know what the fault is. I expect it will get worse rather than better.

Sorry. Did you choose the mender by personal recommendation?

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HappyAsASandboy · 20/12/2013 02:49

Just a thought - we had a Worcester Combi in a previous property and it had a wireless room thermostat/timer which we didn't attach to the wall - we brought it into the living room in the evening and then in to bedroom at night (temp was erratic all over property, no thermostatic radiator valves, but rooms quick to heat if heating on).

It seems more likely to me that your boiler had a room thermostat/timer that has got lost, than a 4 year old heating system not having a thermostat/timer.

I have no idea how you could find out though. Maybe ring Worcester with the boiler model and ask if a wireless thermostat is available?

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beaglesaresweet · 20/12/2013 23:55

thanks, Happy. Didn't know wireless stats existed! quite convenient. There is something on the wall in the small hall 9where it's hte hottest, so ven if it did work, it would not reflect the temp in the rooms. But it's not working and no idea how to stat it working (it's so simplistic that no usual wheel or instructions on the panel, it has digital screen that doesn't work.
Piglet - I can't see why not, in a way, you can control temp by choosing it on hte boiler itself (mine is on 2 which isn't very high and usually is good enough). When I don't need heating during the day, I switch it off at the same boiler temp control, but essentially it wuld be same if it was on timer (i.e. boiler resting). I thought maybe it's the control knob fault, being put on and off daily? but what else could it be (the panel byu the mains if he boiler has two lights and one was green, one red when it didn't work.

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beaglesaresweet · 20/12/2013 23:56

so eveb if it did work (the stat)

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beaglesaresweet · 20/12/2013 23:56

even

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beaglesaresweet · 20/12/2013 23:58

PJ, I didn't install the system, I wouldn't have done it this way. No radiator in the bathroom either (my other thread!). Been here only less than 2yrs.

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PigletJohn · 21/12/2013 01:16

I wasn't blaming you

Old people who are used to having an electric fire and switching it on and off at whim sometimes refuse to have timers and thermostats. IMO it's like trying to bake a cake by alternately setting the oven to 240C for ten minutes then off for ten minutes, and sometimes forgetting.

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MiniMonty · 21/12/2013 02:02

If you have a 4yr old Worcester Combi boiler it's VERY difficult to understand how you could not have a timer or thermostat.

There are some pretty heavyweight rules (and laws) about gas appliance installation and unless you had a proper cowboy install it 4 yrs ago you MUST have a thremo / timer somewhere.

If you haven't you will have REAL trouble selling the house.

I'd say yes to the plumber and ask him how best to go about sorting the system to please the knowledgeable and astute potential buyers who will want to know every detail...

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PigletJohn · 21/12/2013 02:52

I wonder if the device on the wall is a programmable stat and needs new batteries.

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beaglesaresweet · 21/12/2013 22:52

I think it is a stat, but has ridiculously small number of buttons (two) - can't work it out and no instructions - thought also that there may be no batteries, but where aer the batteries normally fitted? I can't see any space for them, without risking to pull the whole thing off. Are they all battery operated? in which case I will try to look again, jst don't want to break it.

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beaglesaresweet · 21/12/2013 22:54

Mini idid mention somehting onthe wall, but I lived in a few places and always managed to operate the timer (all different) - this isn't working atm and don't want to make it worse (not just break it but also set it wrong as it's unusual).

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HappyAsASandboy · 22/12/2013 14:10

Our wireless thermostat/timer was designed to be hung on the wall, we just didn't bother as it suited us to move it round the rooms.

The controls on ours were under a sliding panel on one side of the box. The front slide off to the side, exposing one of those timers with the hundreds of little pugs that you set to the middle/outside of the clock to indicate when it should be on/off. Can't remember whether batteries were in a slidey panel on other side of screen or on the back, but had it been screwed to the wall it would just have lifted off the screws to access the back.

I think the thing in your hall is your thermostat and timer. It's an expensive way to find out, but a plumber/ boiler repairer would figure it out for you and work out how to set it\whether if needs new batteries/replacing entirely.

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PigletJohn · 22/12/2013 15:27

post a photo of it in your profile.

Are there no names, numbers or flaps?

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