Sodding boiler is playing up

[newshound]

You might be able to download the full installers' manual off the web: this will probably give you a fault finding flowchart for which you won't need much more than a multimeter (if you are happy enough poking probes around live wiring).

You can often check the pump if there is a flowswitch comprising a diaphragm and a microswitch in a little clear plastic box: turn off the power, turn it on again watching these parts and you may be able to see a plunger move and operate the switch (which will click). There may be a similar unit sensing when you turn the hot tap on.

[geoff]

In message , newshound writes

A flow switch is on the water main input to detect a demand for hot water

It is nothing to do with the central heating circuit where the pump is

Or, if you are getting confused with the diverter valve, the same applies

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mike Hibbert was thinking very hard :

If it is any consolation ours has seemed to be acting up recently, culminating with a complete heating failure last night. I managed to track it down to either the valve actuator not actuating, or the wireless room stat relay unit not issuing the signal to the valve - before it all started working normally again.

Favoured culprit is the actuator, but it is difficult to fault find when there is no fault. It was an all new system two years ago, apart from the pipes and ads, two years is about the limit of the life we came to expect of these spring return type actuators.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Dave Liquorice" saying something like:

Indeedly here. My stand-by oil furnace is a massive old thing, using discrete Danfoss bits which are easily replaceable and for which I have spares of everything. It's certainly not as efficient as the more modern burners, but it just works and is great for top-up heat or when the power goes off - it works fine on emergency power.

[Mike Hibbert]

well the British Gas man came, and has us with heat again, he says it was the fan that went. He's coming back on monday to replace it but has lubed it for now.

On the positive, I did get the open fire going today and it's lovely!

Thanks for the advice (and the fun!)

[The Medway Handyman]

Prefer a glass of Chateau de Chassilier wine myself.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , mogga writes

Best invention ever in my book.

[Huge]

Naah. That accolade goes to the dishwasher.

[Steve Firth]

I didn't know that you cared so much for the servants.

[Tim W]

Huge wibbled on Friday 01 January 2010 12:22

Washing machine hands down.

Have you ever tried washing clothes in the bath, or on a rock in a river?

I did both when I went to Latvia in '97.

Ironically, the river was easier - it was the Daugava and it ran slow and clean and there happened to be this nicely sized boulder at waist height. The river made rinsing a dream, compared to the bath. 'Twas summer mind. Winter, you'd be sawing a hole in the 6" of ice.

It was sort of OK for one person for 3 weeks. But I'd rather die than do it for a family's worth!

[Huge]

Naah, but there are such things as launderettes.

[Tim W]

Huge wibbled on Friday 01 January 2010 13:16

True.

I suppose a service wash on the way to and back from work isn't that time consuming.