Central Heating only works with electrical override

[Iknownothing]

Hello group!

I know absolutely nothing about anything, so please forgive me if this is a stupid question,

But we have a very old (don't know how old) central heating system which only warms up if I switch on the electrical override switch. (the one for the emergency hot water?)

Without this switched on, nothing happens, but with it, the house gets nice and toasty. The trouble is, isn't this a much more expensive way of doing things?

Does anyone know what might be wrong and how I could get it fixed?

Many Thanks

Newbie

[The Natural Philosopher]

Maybe its the main boiler switch nit the electrical override switch.

With all due respect, you haven't told us ANYTHING useful at all, like what sort of boiler you have, and the age of the installation.

[thankyousam]

Do you have a room thermostat somewhere? It sounds like that could be broken meaning that the boiler is never "switched" on - apart from via the override switch :) .

[manatbandq]

The override switch overrides the timer, not the thermostat. If the thermostat isn't calling for heat then the you will get no heat even with the override. It's more likely a problem with the timer.

MBQ

[Guy King]

The message from "Iknownothing" contains these words:

Sounds like the timer's either knackered or mis-set. No, it won't cost you more /provided/ you don't forget it's on and leave it running when the timer would previously have turned it off.

First - find the timer and make sure it's set to auto not off and that it's set up properly. If that doesn't work, check it's running and finally take it apart to see where the contacts have failed.

[The Natural Philosopher]

He never said he had a timer...

[Guy King]

The message from The Natural Philosopher contains these words:

He didn't say much at all, really.

[manatbandq]

An overrride function implies something to override, ie a timer. Unless you can tell me where else you find them in a heating system.

MBQ

[Lobster]

Could it be that he's just turning on the electric immersion heater - ie the boiler (gas maybe?) is not working at all? ie, would the immersion heater possibly heat the house, if the pump was running?

David

[Iknownothing]

Hello,

there is a timer downstairs and it clicks when I turn it round. The boiler does heat the hot water but it doesn't make the house warm. I do think that it is an immersion heater in there somewhere which heats up and does something. When it is just set to heat water, then we do get nice piping hot water, but when it is set to hot water and heating then only hot water, no heat.

Wow, what an amazing group!!

Thanks

Newbie

Lobster wrote:

[The Natural Philosopher]

OK kiddo,. we are getting warm (as it were).

Cam you confirm that the radiators get hot when you 'override' or is it just the hot water.

It does sound like you have a twin motorised valve setup, and as per normal, after the summer, the heating one is bloody stuck shut.

If so then you wouldn't get heating on ANY setting.

If so, its a relatively simple fix if you are relatively handy. If not say so and we will yell at you to get a plumber in :-)

[Iknownothing]

Hi Natural Philosopher,

Well, today, there is no heat at all. I have had it all switched on all day and the house is freezing! But there is extremely hot water!

I hope that there is a quick fix for this.

Thanks

The Natural Philos> > Hello,

[Guy King]

The message from "Iknownothing" contains these words:

Find the pump. Somewhere near that should be a thing that looks like this...

is your three-port valve which allows the controls to send hot water from the boiler from the stem of the tee to either or both of the side ports. One will be the CH, the other the HW.

There's a tell-tale lever on the side. Check that it's moving when you move the switches on the timer.