power cuts/thermostats question

[Arch]

Sounds like it's the boiler and not the controller then?

Yeah, although it's ok for the hot water...

Sometimes I'm glad I only have to control one fan heater and a pile of blankets at home..

 

[hulver]

It could be that the power cut has put the boiler into a mode where the heating doesn't come on at all.

Is there a "boost" button, or anything to change the mode to "continuous"?

 

[Arch]

It could be that the power cut has put the boiler into a mode where the heating doesn't come on at all.

Is there a "boost" button, or anything to change the mode to "continuous"?

I think the digistat is set to come on ok, from what I can make out of the instructions. There is a reset button on the boiler, but the manual says that will flash in the event of a fault, and it isn't flashing, so I'm loathe to press it...

 

[Globalti]

If the roomstat is calling for heat (small flame showing) the fault must be with the boiler. I would press that reset button because the warning bulb could be faulty and it won't do any harm anyway.

If that doesn't work, don't ask on here, go and ask on DIYnot.com but don't forget to describe the system and boiler or they'll massacre you.

 

[Arch]

I think I may have diagnosed it - I hadn't noticed until I was just leaving, but the thermostat unit is wireless, and there is a receiver on the wall next to the boiler (really high up, so it wasn't in my normal sightline). There is a little light on the receiver, next to the word 'on', but the light isn't on. So I think maybe the receiver isn't picking up the signal. I can't be sure, because I've never noticed the receiver before, or if the little light was on. Annoyingly the reciever doesn't have a nice clear On/Off or Reset button. I've googled, and got something on DIYnot.com, about reintroducing the thermostat and reciever, but I'm loathe to muck about myself, as it's not my system. The owner is back tomorrow, and probably better able to work it out (or will know where the instruction manual is).

The pilot light must be ok, because the boiler comes on and heats water for the tap... So it's not leaking unlit gas or anything.

 

[Globalti]

Flippin' 'eck Arch, you really aren't doing anything to banish my prejudices about women and DIY. From what I know of you through this forum you don't sound like thae sort of person who sits meekly waiting to be helped along in life!

Get a step ladder and climb up for a look at that receiver. You'll find a battery compartment; take out the battery and if it's one of those 9v jobbies test it with your tongue on the teminals. Whatever it is, change it anyway - they will only last a couple of years even if they get no use at all.

You may need to undo a small screw on the top or bottom to remove the cover and expose the battery. If in doubt look for a name or model designation on the receiver and Google it for instructions.

 

[Arch]

It's nothing to do with being a woman, it's to do with not wanting to mess about with something I have no experience about, and which doesn't belong to me. Maybe all men would just go in and press buttons at random, and get lucky? (huh, sound like what most of them do anyway...

No battery compartment on the reciever by the look of it, it seems to be wired in. Have just replaced batteries (AAs) in digistat, to no effect.

And as I said, I did google, but the thread I found on DIYnot.com talks about taking the thermostat to the receiver to 'handshake' them, and this one doesn't seem to come off the wall.... Never mind, maybe I'll just take a jemmy to it, and lever it off...

 

[Globalti]

A strong possibilty is that the motorised valve, which admits hot water to the heating circuit, has failed. This will be somewhere near the boiler and will look like this:

On one end you will see a little lever in a slot. Try turning on the heating, turn off the hot water if you can or turn down the thermostat on the cylinder, then move this lever. It should make a "zizzzz" noise as it moves and within half a minute the boiler should fire up. You should then be able to feel hot water flowing along the pipe towards the radiators. You can hang the lever on a little tab but it will unhang itself next time the room stat turns the heating off. These motorised valves do fail and usually you can just fit a new motor although they aren't cheap. If desperate you can take off the cover and disconnect the electrics then jam the lever in the open position, your room stat should still control the temperature in the house. I hope your MV isn't hidden in a ceiling cavity!

 

[Arch]

I'll do that again (I did, and found a forum thread, but not quite relevant, but didn't go through all the entries google threw up) and I've just posted a question on DIYnot with all the details.

 

[Arch]

Well, I've googled but can't seem to find anything quite relevant. I found a fitting and commisioning manual, but that seems to be for a mobile control box, as it talks about putting the two parts close together to 'talk'. And anyway, it's for commisioning, not fixing...

I'm not keen on fiddling with valves - apart from anything else, it isn't obviously in sight.

For what it's worth, I'm fairly sure my male friend won't want to poke about without knowing what he's doing or consulting someone more expert. It's nothing to do with gender, and everything to do with caution, and not wanting to muck anything up. If it was something on a bike, that I could see and work out, I'd be fine.

 

[Maz]

Best to err on the side of caution. I'd do the same and not fiddle with the boiler if it wasn't mine...if I did, I can imagine a nightmare scenario where I'd gone OTT with bits of circuit boards, copper pipes and monkey wrenches all around me when the doorbell rang!

 

[Night Train]

I'm with Arch on this.
If I didn't really know what I was doing I wouldn't mess with it especially if it wasn't mine and it wasn't my fault it stopped working. I wouldn't want to mess in case I made it my fault it wasn't working.

Perhaps it is a fault that the owner already knows about.

 

[Arch]

Thank you Maz and NT. I'd love to be able to just fix it, but it's also wise to know your limits. I do know people who'd just wade in, and it doesn't always work for the best!