Now would be a good time for the annual"have you tested your central heating system" post

[geoff]

Wouldn't it ...

[John Rumm]

Indeed... next week is the start of the "my boiler is broken season"

(as Geoff rubs his hands in anticipation!) ;-)

[Bill]

In message , geoff writes

I tested mine last week and all is running fine! The boiler fires when requested, the pump runs and the rad's get hot, what more could one want? Well perhaps to fix the intermittent fault on the PCB that causes the main gas valve not to open. I've had a biro jammed across the PCB for 3 years now holding something, as yet unseen, in just the right position so that it works! If it wasn't so bl**dy awkward to get to I might take it out and re-crimp and clean all the connectors. As it is the biro will probably serve for another winter, at least.

[brass monkey]

Ours has been coming on for quite a few days now at 7:45am, not for long, fortunately.

[Brian Gaff]

What I don't get though is why its so late? surely as everyone will be calling the menders at the same time the waiting lists will grow. Much better to do it at the start of September. Likewise I was very intrigued by all the publicity for insulation and heating freebies from Government now, however having taken advantage of this a few years ago, I cannot understand whey its October when these things get publicised as realistically nobody is going to fit the gear till at the earliest mid November and we can and have had cold snaps well before that in the past.

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Ah yeas some years ago a friend told me that a plastic coctail stick had been in his boiler doing a similar task for five years. Could be that this is a common problem with boilers.

Brian

[Tim Lamb]

In message , brass monkey writes

Likewise.

Also an evenings worth of log burner.

[Andrew Gabriel]

That's all coming to an end about now, isn't it?

[mogga]

Blinking heck where do you live? It's been on here on and off since 30th august I think. Thermostat level was low enough to trigger it on. Think it was about 2'c in the greenhouse then. I am still waiting for summer.

[Lobster]

I read this thread yesterday, and then our heating failed to come on this morning - aargh!

Fortunately I didn't take too long for the penny to drop that the problem was nothing worse than flat batteries in the wireless roomstat we had fitted a couple of years ago. I wonder how many ££ plumbers make from people suffering from that particular problem?!

David

[Arfa Daily]

I am sick to death of answering the bloody phone to "Local Energy Advisors". Apparently, I have about a hundred of them, ringing me on a daily basis ,,,

As to having the heating on, I'm surprised that so many are finding it necessary already. During the 'off' season, we just turn the room 'stat to zero (the actual controller is hidden behind the tumble dryer, so a pain to get to to set "heating off"). A couple of weeks ago, I shoved the 'stat up briefly to check that the pump ran - usually it has seized and I have to take the cap off the back of the pump and swing the rotor shaft with a screwdy to get it started - and much to my surprise, it ran straight off. Fair bit of gurgling initially, but it quietened down and all the rads got hot. It's a 30 y.o. Ideal Mexico, probably due for replacement but hey, while it's still working ...

So, our heating hasn't come on on its own so far, and actually, I would have been surprised if it had, even if the 'stat *was* up. We haven't found it cold enough here in central England so far, to even consider having it on. In fact I only stopped wearing shorts last week, and am still just in a T-shirt around the house, and the same outside, most of the time. I ain't young any more, and I've never felt that I have much of a tolerance for the cold, but maybe I have ... ??

Arfa

[Brian Gaff]

No in fact the grant is dead, long live the new grants. It happens every year when a new encumbent company seems to get the gig.

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

I think you have but of course a lot depends on the draft issues and any other occupants who leave doors open. Brian

[Andy Burns]

Never turn mine off, but the programmable stat doesn't kick-in until it starts turning chilly, it has been on a few times so far this autumn ...

[Huge]

I'm surprised the opposite. We've had the heating switched on for a couple of weeks, although it only runs a couple of hours a day.

[tim.....]

I though that the "green deal" replaced grants, so AIUI grants really are dead going forwards

tim

[Dave Liquorice]

"rebranding" is the buzz word isn't it?

Feck knows what is happening with the "green deal", seems to be a bigger c*ck up than rail franchises.

Oh I see a bit of movement. The RHI (Domestic) is out for consultation closes 7th Dec, this should have been in place by now IIRC... Now aiming for Summer 2013.

[John Rumm]

SE Essex

Mine did not come on at all in August or most of September, but that could be due to it spending most of that time not connected to gas or electricity and being sat in a pile of scrap in the garden ;-)

Don't think it has dropped below 8 at night so far here, and 13 odd is not uncommon in the day. With the weather compensation on the new one, I have seen it running flow temperatures as low as 32 on occasion.

Got a feeling its going to be a long wait!

[Dave Liquorice]

We've been between 5 and 10C from about 11th September with a couple of daytime daytime peaks >15C but generally only highs of 13C ish by day. We've had a few fairly sharp ground frosts and IIRC at least one air frost. First snow to be expected by the end of the month.

You must have both blinked at the end of March...

[Brian Gaff]

When I were a lad green deal was a campaign to get children eating vegetables..

Brian