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Only hot water on but rads getting hot.

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andyf3050

Hi y'all,

Its my first post and although I'm pretty handy at DIY I'd like some help and advice from you knowledgeable peeps.

I found out yesterday (with a £285 electric bill for 3 months since April) that Eon switched the immersion on back in December during the bad weather when they came out to sort our noisy heating which had stopped working 12 hours after one of their engineers had been out and condemned my room stat.

This has hammered the leccie ever since and I am in the middle of a nasty dispute with Eon heating care team who sent out three engineers who misdiagnosed our heating system and we've had so many problems since. After I fixed the cold feed to the boiler I got the heating working again and had no idea that they had switched the immersion on as the switch is hidden away in the airing cupboard and the red light doesn't work).

Anyway, I have now turned it off and have setup the timer control to heat the water twice a day. Only thing is, the rads are getting blisteringly hot even though the room stat is fully off and the CH control switch in the airing cupboard next to the boiler is also off! I've also noticed that the inside of the motorised valve cover is black as if something is burning out. If I move the motor switch to the up position with the pump working, it resets itself and drops back. Is this normal? There is an adjustable stat (honeywell) on the tank which was set below 50C. Will this affect anything? Is there any way I can close of the 3 way so the rads don't get hot while heating the water up?

Any help would be great.

Thanks in advance

Andy
 
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Andy sounds like you need to find someone you can trust to sort out your heating problems .... could be wiring or could be mechanical ..... try giving us a general area of where you are and you might strike lucky! Doesn't sound like to big a job to be honest!
 
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diamondgas said:
Andy sounds like you need to find someone you can trust to sort out your heating problems .... could be wiring or could be mechanical ..... try giving us a general area of where you are and you might strike lucky! Doesn't sound like to big a job to be honest!
Click to expand...

I'm in Essex, near Basildon. I don't mind trying to diagnose the fault myself and repair it as long as you guys don't mind talking me through it.

Got up this morning (blues guitar riff).... we have plenty of hot water and I think only three of the upstairs rads got hot. I've turned them off using the valve but this leads me to think that the motorised valve isn't working as it should. It doesnt look too big a job to replace. I would shut the valve off above the pump and drain the system via the bathroom cold tap. Would I also have to drain the entire CH system as well? Pretty safe bat I would think considering the valve I need to change affects both sides of the system. Or is there a way of isolating the system when I remove the valve?

Cheers
 
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andyf3050 said:
I'm in Essex, near Basildon. I don't mind trying to diagnose the fault myself and repair it as long as you guys don't mind talking me through it.

Got up this morning (blues guitar riff).... we have plenty of hot water and I think only three of the upstairs rads got hot. I've turned them off using the valve but this leads me to think that the motorised valve isn't working as it should. It doesnt look too big a job to replace. I would shut the valve off above the pump and drain the system via the bathroom cold tap. Would I also have to drain the entire CH system as well? Pretty safe bat I would think considering the valve I need to change affects both sides of the system. Or is there a way of isolating the system when I remove the valve?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Mornin Andy,

You only need to drain down the heating side. Do you know if it has it's own tank or is it a sealed system? Only thing to worry about is getting it the right way around and hope the colour coding on the wires is the same. AND probably several other things that become automatic involving preparation etc. It may pay you to get a bottle of inhibitor too to put into the system when you re-fill!
 
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diamondgas said:
Mornin Andy,

You only need to drain down the heating side. Do you know if it has it's own tank or is it a sealed system? Only thing to worry about is getting it the right way around and hope the colour coding on the wires is the same. AND probably several other things that become automatic involving preparation etc. It may pay you to get a bottle of inhibitor too to put into the system when you re-fill!
Click to expand...

I've got a large water tank and a small header tank in the loft. I had a problem with the cold feed to the boiler (which Eon numpties didn't find) so I drained the header, cuth the pipe and hey presto... the blockage was where the pipe diameter narrowed just above an elbow. Job done.

Would the water in the tank not drain back if I was to remove that valve? Its on a 3 way section of pipe from the hot feed from boiler into the valve then off into the tank and down to the rads? Could the inhibitor be poured straight into the pipe on the heating side once the valve is removed? Would any of it find its way into hot water tank? Thanks for your help so far... I'm writing all this down...!
 
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Andy,

I agree with dougal it sounds like three port. Often you can change the electrical head (the silver/white(?) box) without draining down. Can you identify the head? The name should be on it.
 
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simonkev said:
Andy,

I agree with dougal it sounds like three port. Often you can change the electrical head (the silver/white(?) box) without draining down. Can you identify the head? The name should be on it.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the valve if thats what you mean... but the motorised switch has no name except for "synchron" on the motor unit... further research makes me think its a honeywell... it has a switch underneath with the letters H M W... I think...? The valve may be ok and the black discolouration inside the cover hints at the motor being burnt out... and like I said... if I move the sliding switch to the up position with the pump running it drops back to its lower position... so I'm not sure if thats re-opening the valve to allow the CH system to receive hot water... hope that makes sense...?

Thanks again guys...!
 
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Would the water in the tank not drain back if I was to remove that valve?
Click to expand...

By tank I'm taking it you mean the hot water cylinder. The answer is no, if you drain the heating system below the hight of the three way valve you should have eliminated any water.

Could the inhibitor be poured straight into the pipe on the heating side once the valve is removed?
Click to expand...

Yes it could but it's easier pouring into the small header before you re-fill.

Would any of it find its way into hot water tank?
Click to expand...

Nope!

Take your time and be cautious when you undo the valve just in case you've done it all wrong and the system is still full of water !!! LOL

If you've already drained to repair a blockage I think you'll be alright!! :nopity:
 
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Right... I've ordered a new motor assembly and managed to get the hot water heating and only two rads are getting warm. Another question.... my CH/HW timer control unit looks like something out of the original "Logans Run".... (very 1970's). I want to set the HW to come on once a day for 2 hours... but the adjusters for the timer (orange - on, white off) are really wide and to set it to start up once you need to use all four and put them together. This makes the HW timer come on for 4 hours which is ridiculous... so, is it a big job to install a more up to date timer unit and will it do the job with my CH & HW system...? I know I'm asking a lot but I just want to get it all sorted ready for the inevitable winter which is.... I'm not gonna say it....!!!

Thanks...Andy
 
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24072011616_1.jpg
This is my very retro control unit... is it interchangeable with something more user friendly...?
 
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