A couple of years ago our central heating timer developed an independent
streak and started stopping and starting when it felt like. Very annoying
when you come home from work on a cold day expecting that the heating had
been on for an hour or so only to find it all off. So we gave up with it
and switched the heating on and off at the mains switch which at least you
can rely on although obviously not as convenient. However we actually got
round to deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was
fitted. However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the
boiler roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main power
switch again in a moment.

Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said that two
extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire thermostat which
has a back boiler but just heats water not rads. I'm wondering if the
problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no separate
controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat, we just have to
go round turning the radiators on and off to control things.

Help please!! Thank you

Liz

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
EN wrote:

A couple of years ago our central heating timer developed an
independent streak and started stopping and starting when it felt
like. Very annoying when you come home from work on a cold day
expecting that the heating had been on for an hour or so only to find
it all off. So we gave up with it and switched the heating on and
off at the mains switch which at least you can rely on although
obviously not as convenient. However we actually got round to
deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was fitted.
However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the boiler
roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main
power switch again in a moment.
Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said
that two extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire
thermostat which has a back boiler but just heats water not rads. I'm
wondering if the problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no
separate controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat,
we just have to go round turning the radiators on and off to control
things.
Help please!! Thank you

Liz

It's hardly rocket science! After all, a timer is simply a switch which
switches on automatically when programmed to do so. It has to be wired in
series with the boiler controls. If the boiler comes on when the timer is
off, it quite obviously hasn't been wired in correctly.

Sounds like you need a decent electrician who knows what he's doing.

But longer term, you really ought to put some decent controls on the whole
thing - with motorised valves and room/cylinder thermostats, and TRVs on the
radiators - so that heat is directed where you want it when you want it
without wasting energy.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

"Set Square" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
EN wrote:

However we actually got round to
deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was fitted.
However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the boiler
roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main
power switch again in a moment.
Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said
that two extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire
thermostat which has a back boiler but just heats water not rads. I'm
wondering if the problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no
separate controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat,
we just have to go round turning the radiators on and off to control
things.


Liz

It's hardly rocket science! After all, a timer is simply a switch which
switches on automatically when programmed to do so. It has to be wired in
series with the boiler controls. If the boiler comes on when the timer is
off, it quite obviously hasn't been wired in correctly.

Sounds like you need a decent electrician who knows what he's doing.

But longer term, you really ought to put some decent controls on the whole
thing - with motorised valves and room/cylinder thermostats, and TRVs on
the radiators - so that heat is directed where you want it when you want
it without wasting energy.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.
Thanks for such a speedy response. I'm not sure it is the electrician who
is at fault as the problem with this timer is exactly the same as with the
original one, which did use to work fine and no-ne has messed with it. It
just stopped behaving.

And although you're absolutely right about what we need to do long term,
this is actually a rented house and I don't want to spend that sort of money
on it.

Thanks again.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
EN wrote:

Thanks for such a speedy response. I'm not sure it is the
electrician who is at fault as the problem with this timer is exactly
the same as with the original one, which did use to work fine and
no-ne has messed with it. It just stopped behaving.

In that case, you need to provide details of boiler make/model in the hope
that someone here may be familiar with its potential quirks.


And although you're absolutely right about what we need to do long
term, this is actually a rented house and I don't want to spend that
sort of money on it.

So shouldn't you then be getting the landlord to sort it - including the
timer problem?
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

In message , EN
writes
A couple of years ago our central heating timer developed an independent
streak and started stopping and starting when it felt like. Very annoying
when you come home from work on a cold day expecting that the heating had
been on for an hour or so only to find it all off. So we gave up with it
and switched the heating on and off at the mains switch which at least you
can rely on although obviously not as convenient. However we actually got
round to deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was
fitted. However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the
boiler roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main power
switch again in a moment.

Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said that two
extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire thermostat which
has a back boiler but just heats water not rads.

Did the electrician fit the timer? Did he know about your previous
problems? Have you got a C/H boiler separate from the fires' back
boiler?

If so, I wouldnt be too impressed with the electrician. There will be a
terminal in the C/H boiler from which two wires need to be taken to the
timer. If the wires from the fire are connected, they wont control the
heating.

I'm wondering if the
problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no separate
controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat, we just have to
go round turning the radiators on and off to control things.

Perhaps you should replace the timer again, with a programmable
thermostat - only about £30-£40 or so.

--
Richard Faulkner

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 14:34:02 +0000, EN wrote:

A couple of years ago our central heating timer developed an independent
streak and started stopping and starting when it felt like. Very annoying
when you come home from work on a cold day expecting that the heating had
been on for an hour or so only to find it all off. So we gave up with it
and switched the heating on and off at the mains switch which at least you
can rely on although obviously not as convenient. However we actually got
round to deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was
fitted. However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the
boiler roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main power
switch again in a moment.

Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said that two
extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire thermostat which
has a back boiler but just heats water not rads. I'm wondering if the
problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no separate
controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat, we just have to
go round turning the radiators on and off to control things.

Help please!! Thank you


Without knowing the setup it's hard to guess accurately.

This could be.
1) faulty frost thermostat.
2) zone valves faulty / stuck open.
3) boiler electrical/ electronic fault.
4) bad new timer.
5) faulty wiring (unlikely as it used to work OK).



--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 14:34:02 +0000, EN wrote:

A couple of years ago our central heating timer developed an independent
streak and started stopping and starting when it felt like. Very
annoying
when you come home from work on a cold day expecting that the heating had
been on for an hour or so only to find it all off. So we gave up with it
and switched the heating on and off at the mains switch which at least
you
can rely on although obviously not as convenient. However we actually
got
round to deciding to replace the timer and today a lovely new one was
fitted. However, it is still no better. At the moment I can hear the
boiler roaring away yet the timer is showing off, no lights or anything.
It's due to come on at 4.30. I'll have to switch it off at its main
power
switch again in a moment.

Can anyone suggest what the problem could be? The electrician said that
two
extra wires came into the box, probably from the open fire thermostat
which
has a back boiler but just heats water not rads. I'm wondering if the
problem is
something to do with that, in which case I haven't a clue where that
actually is or how it is replaced if faulty.

Not sure what info anyone might need to help diagnose this - it's oil
central heating, the timer controls the boiler, ie everything, no
separate
controls for water and heating, there is no room thermostat, we just have
to
go round turning the radiators on and off to control things.

Help please!! Thank you


Without knowing the setup it's hard to guess accurately.

This could be.
1) faulty frost thermostat.
2) zone valves faulty / stuck open.
3) boiler electrical/ electronic fault.
4) bad new timer.
5) faulty wiring (unlikely as it used to work OK).


There are a VERY limited number of options for an oil boiler to be a back
boiler. Does the OP mean his heating is powered by an oil back boiler or is
this something seperate entirely, possibly no longer in use?
The fact that it "used" to work helps but does not preclude a wiring fault
from long ago perhaps a broken or even a rodent damaged conductor with an
intermittent break. However it would have helped enormously if we had been
told what make/model of lovely new timer we had to reckon on.
I'd take a shot in the dark that thee "back boiler" might be an old solid
fuel one with a "stat" to run the pump before it got to boiling hence the
two unknown wires.
A boiler running without a call from the programmer and thermostats does
indeed suggest a problem with a frost stat set too high or a motorised valve
limit switch which is a good place to start looking but more details are
needed

In message , Set Square
writes
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
EN wrote:

Thanks for such a speedy response. I'm not sure it is the
electrician who is at fault as the problem with this timer is exactly
the same as with the original one, which did use to work fine and
no-ne has messed with it. It just stopped behaving.

In that case, you need to provide details of boiler make/model in the hope
that someone here may be familiar with its potential quirks.

And, as it's oil, the controller make and model also



And although you're absolutely right about what we need to do long
term, this is actually a rented house and I don't want to spend that
sort of money on it.

So shouldn't you then be getting the landlord to sort it - including the
timer problem?

--
geoff