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  1. #1

    Central Heating Help

    Any central heating experts out there? I could use some advice.

    My heating isn’t working but hot water is. When thermostat switches on heating, the boiler doesn’t fire up. Engineer came and diagnosed a faulty zone valve not opening and will return next week to drain system and replace valve for £600 +vat.

    After he left, I got thinking that surely if the boiler wasn’t getting the signal to switch on the heating, then the zone valve wouldn’t open anyway. He never opened the boiler the whole time he was here, and as it was already fired up heating the water, manually opening the valve heated the radiators.

    I don’t want to cough up for a unnecessary repair and then find the problem was with the (still under warranty) boiler, thermostat or just a loose wire.

    Should I trust that the guy, who’s from a reliable company I’ve used several times before, knows what he’s talking about, or could I be right?

    Thanks
    Mark


    19,000 litres
    Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
    Blue Eco 320
    Eazy Pod on skimmer
    Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
    15 koi

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  3. #2
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Rokusai TAC's Avatar
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    Am I reading this right £600 + vat for a motorised valve way over the top between £150 and £300 more like get another plumber to have a look

    A motorised valve is used to control the flow of water in a central heating system. The motorised valve can be used for control of both heating and hot water, and it works by controlling the flow of water from the heating boiler to other parts of the system.

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  5. #3
    Member Rank = Sansai f15hie's Avatar
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    i would get another opinion/estimate.

    What boiler is it?
    Combi or hot water cylinder/heating?

    Previous employment was a Gas Engineer feel free to PM me. Don't do it anymore but can offer some advice

    A reminder to everyone put your heating on for an hour now, rather than when it gets really cold, if it don't work get an engineer in rather than being unable to get an engineer when it really gets cold!
    Last edited by f15hie; 04-10-2019 at 05:18 PM.
    When I’m dead I hope my Mrs doesn’t sell my fishing gear for what I told her they cost!

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  7. #4
    I’d want a new boiler fitted for that!!
    Definite pi55 take. The valve is only about £50


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  9. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Gosai KevT's Avatar
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    Totally agree get a few quotes - my boiler stopped last month and three guys on the phone condemned it without even visiting - these were all on my builder,com - ended up on google got a local guy out turned out to be a thermo coupling £10 plus a £60 service + vat

    Great service - booked him for next year in Sept

    KevT

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  11. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    A 2 port valve is anything from £20- £80 depending on which brand and where you shop.
    No need to drain down, if it's open vented you plug the tank.
    Sealed system just lose the pressure then swap the valve with minimal leakage caught in the wet vac.
    Or it's only the head that needs swapping and that's all dry.
    Even a Honeywell valve would only be charging at most £150 and always have several valves on hand. Get someone else!
    Last edited by Simon Fish; 04-10-2019 at 09:53 PM.

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  13. #7
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by balder View Post
    I got thinking that surely if the boiler wasn’t getting the signal to switch on the heating, then the zone valve wouldn’t open anyway.
    Mark
    Power to boiler as follows (making assumptions on your set up based on what you described)
    Programmer, room stat, zone valve, boiler.
    The zone valve sends power to the boiler not the other way round.

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  15. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by balder View Post
    Any central heating experts out there? I could use some advice.

    My heating isn’t working but hot water is. When thermostat switches on heating, the boiler doesn’t fire up. Engineer came and diagnosed a faulty zone valve not opening and will return next week to drain system and replace valve for £600 +vat.

    After he left, I got thinking that surely if the boiler wasn’t getting the signal to switch on the heating, then the zone valve wouldn’t open anyway. He never opened the boiler the whole time he was here, and as it was already fired up heating the water, manually opening the valve heated the radiators.

    I don’t want to cough up for a unnecessary repair and then find the problem was with the (still under warranty) boiler, thermostat or just a loose wire.

    Should I trust that the guy, who’s from a reliable company I’ve used several times before, knows what he’s talking about, or could I be right?

    Thanks
    Mark
    if the engineer opened the 3port valve manually by the lever on the actuator, and the rads heated up, thats 99/100 the problem.
    much less likely to be a control issue not driving the 3 port though not impossible.
    in an ideal world he would have had the junction box open, and checked the valve was getting power to drive it open.
    but as with most plumbers/sparkys ect.. no one wants to pay to diagnose the problem, only to fix it.

    3 port valve failure is very common especially if using a cheap copy brand
    and not a honeywell valve which i would insist on, if replacing.

    price is not too unusual depending on how difficult access is.
    i've replaced mine twice in 20 years both times with a honeywell valve.
    and it is a bitch to get at under the cylinder behind a load of other pipework but too much work to alter for how often it gets worked on.
    takes me over half a day to do it, full draindown no way i'd work in that space with water held on vac.

    if you are south of watford £600 is probably not too far off, up north you should be able to get it done a bit cheaper.
    but if you have used this guy before, and he's done good work, i'd stick with him.

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  17. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    sorry but just to hijack this thread,anybody know how easy it is to replace a manual dial room stat with a digital one,its a danfoss with programmer on one side of wall and room stat on opposing side,just want to upgrade as have to turn more for it to click on for heating,oh and its on a combi boiler,cheers

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  19. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    If it's a 2 wire easy.
    If the old one is 2 wire and the new one needs 3 wires theres a complication.
    So see what you have inside the old one and compare to the wiring requirements for the new.

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  21. #11
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
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    I replaced mine with a remote Honeywell, not good at elecs but I did it and it is fantastic,keeps the room temp spot on but cost about £130.
    John

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  23. #12
    I’ll definitely get a few more quotes, but It’s strange because this company has always been very good in the past.
    Keeping koi has taught me many new skills, but central heating is not one of them. It’s good to know there is somewhere I can get an honest answer from people who know what they’re talking about.
    Thanks to all of you
    Mark
    19,000 litres
    Nexus 320 with Dracodrum and submersible UV
    Blue Eco 320
    Eazy Pod on skimmer
    Dura+ 10kW Heat Pump
    15 koi

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  25. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    you might get an honest answer,doesnt really mean we know what we talking about,my best mate is google lol,,,,,,andi

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  27. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai gt350's Avatar
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    Just like to ask a question regarding boilers etc.sorry to hijack this thread,My boiler /heating works fine, tap water is hot.But when the heating comes on the radiators get warm but not hot,my girlfriend has the same boiler a worcester boiler and hers gets red hot very quickly.I have bled the radiators a few times .the radiators were put in when the house was built in 1974.cheers mark

  28. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    Bleed radiators cold starting downstairs then upstairs.then turn heating on and check pressure on boiler as it may need topping up.also when did you last have it serviced and protector added to system.they may need power flushing due to sludge build up.but try the cold bleed first....andi

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  30. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    Start with the obvious, what setting are thermostats at?
    Room stat, TRV's more important heating stat on the boiler?

    How many layers of paint are on the 45 year old radiators?

    Probably need it checking dodgy thermister?

  31. #17
    Member Rank = Sansai f15hie's Avatar
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    Could be the pump ageing and slowing down but if its been going since "74 maybe sludge is your enemy. Be careful with de sludge as it will move it around but will also possibly un block any small holes or surface areas inside radiators leaving them weaker. 45 years on one system is good but beware that it may need changing soon. If its microbore an upgrade to larger pipes will give better flow and be more efficient.
    When I’m dead I hope my Mrs doesn’t sell my fishing gear for what I told her they cost!

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  33. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai gt350's Avatar
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    Hi guys sorry for late reply, been so busy.The boiler is about 7 or 8 years old,but radiators are old.last time the boiler guy fitted the new boiler he didnt fit a thermostat so it comes on for a couple of hours a few times a day on the timer.Not had the cleaner stuff put in since the new boiler was fitted.Do you think a power flush would help? and any idea of cost? also do I need a thermostat? thanks mark

  34. #19
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    There are lots of variables as to system setup and possible issues. You haven't given many details.

    Best get someone take a look, might seem there not doing much but experience means that with a look at what's happening or not, what's getting hot to what temperature or not will reveal what's needed.

    Anyway, is it a combi, system, open vent?
    S plan, Y plan?
    What's the temperature difference on flow and return at the boiler?
    Where are the radiators cold, are areas COLD, lukewarm, hot?
    Is there a magnetic attachment at the neutral point, is there one? Etc, etc, etc.

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  36. #20
    Senior Member Rank = Sansai gt350's Avatar
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    lol lots of questions there.thanks I will get some one in.thanks for advice.shame your not near manchester

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