New house - no idea about heating system!

[ElGraham]

Just moved into my new house - first house that I have ever bought and I am completely stumped by the heating system. Can anyone help? I have some kind of boiler (that seems to be always on) then a solar panel and a tank?

I do have underfloor heating downstairs. And I am having issues when I run a bath with no hot water after about 10 mins.

can anyone give me an idea of what I’m looking at here?

thanks,

El

White on or the right is the boiler I think the other big one might be a pressurised cylinder. Ignore that

Hahah I’ve just seen the other pics that does look complicated! Do you have solar panels?

No idea but look how clean it all is!

PVs or Evac tubes on roof?

Looks like a gas system boiler (white box) and unvented hot water tank (grey cylinder). I can't help with solar. I can't see any heating controls in your photos.

You'll want to heat up the hot water tank perhaps 2 or 3 times a day. There's probably a timer somewhere in house.

You'll also want to turn your heating on either with timer or manually. Look for timer and thermostat.

Wet underfloor heating will have a manifold. I can't see that in photo.

The plastic box with the LCD screen looks like the control unit. Have a play with that to turn heating on. If you can’t work it out, google whatever make/model it is and you’ll find instructions online.

Is this not your heating controls?

Have to admit I don't know anything about the system, but that looks to be a Worcester Bosch boiler and normally they wouldn't be running all the time - ours is only operational if we've got it set for the heating or if running hot water as it's a combi. Search online for the make of the panel for a manufacturers booklet which should have setting instructions. Otherwise, there I'd have thought there were settings on the boiler so you can totally switch it off if required.

Seems complicated.

Are you in good terms with the seller? I'd just ask.

Failing that I believe you have a short period of time to test drive the house and report any issues via the solicitors. Heating not working could be one of those things. Not sure if there could be charges if it's found to be ok tho.

Failing that perhaps I'd have to get a plumber out that knows about this type of system and can see from the photo I'd email they understand my system.

It’s not complicated. The heating control unit is clearly visible in the photo - the thing with the LCD screen. A quick google will reveal how to operate that if it’s not self explanatory.

I struggle getting my head around this sort of thing too. I’d get a heating engineer in to do a service on the system using the photos to show what is involved. Get a few quotes. Then when the engineer is there ask him to explain it all to you.

I'd get a heating engineer in to go through it all with you. Good chance to get it checked over and probably worth asking whether it's set at the most efficient levels as well. Easily worth the call out fee (to me anyway).

"It’s not complicated. The heating control unit is clearly visible in the photo - the thing with the LCD screen. A quick google will reveal how to operate that if it’s not self explanatory."

Er just because you can see the heating controls doesn't mean you know how the system should or indeed does work!

I know this from my mums heating system that I had to operate while she was in hospital during a cold spell.

I didn't have a clue. And yet my own one is so easy! So no it's not simple, all systems are different, especially if solar is involved and you don't know about selling back to the grid etc.

We googled our system did it in steps

I'm surprised you weren't left any manuals. Most of them should be online, though.

We had this system in last two houses. You need to keep your tank regularly heated to have a ready supply of hot water, hence unit probably feels like, it’s on all the time.
We couldn’t fathom out the separate water and heating controls in our last one so had a hive put in to make it easier and control remotely. I’d get a heating engineer in to check it and advise you on how it works.

Little blue cylinder higher up looks like an accumulator.
Sone people put those in if the water pressure in the area is low so the flow dips if you're in the shower and someone flushes the loo... The accumulator bumps up the temporary pressure dip to the shower because it's a pressurised reservoir basically.

But I could be wrong, it might be something to do with the solar system.

I think if Google doesn't help getting in a hearing system person to advise is a good suggestion... Just make sure it's someone who understands the solar part too because not all do.

You need a heating engineer to explain the system. It'll be worth paying for an hour of his time.

It looks like you have dual hot water heating from the solar panels and the boiler. The hot water cylinder (grey one) will have two heating coils. If you google the Kingspan solar controller you can find the user manual and check its configured to use both.