What sort of tradesman do I need - a heating engineer or an electrician?

missbunbury

Hi all, I have some sort of enormous problem with my central heating and/or electric and I am hoping someone will be able to help me work out who to call as I have no hot water!

I bought my first home meaning to replace the whole central heating system as it's ancient. I have a back boiler downstairs (behind the wall on which sits an equally ancient fire thing that says Baxi Bermuda on it. Then upstairs in the bathroom is a cupboard with a hot water tank, a timer with switches for hot water/heating and also a separate switch that looks like a light switch with a red light next to it. Normally, this switch goes on, then you switch the heating and hot water switches, then you get hot water and the radiators come on. Both switches have to be on to get hot water and the timer doesn't work at all, hence I have meant to replace the whole thing, but I don't hae the money yet.

Now to today's problem - when I switch the heating/hot water switches, a fuse blows in the main fuse box downstairs, every time. It;s the fuse marked central heating but popping it back in doesn't help as it just goes again when you switch the hot water on.

I am hoping that someone will tell me what type of tradesman I need as I don't want to waste money calling out the wrong person. Is it an electrician I need (because the problem is in the fusebox)? Or a heating engineer (because it's obviously caused by the heating system)?

I really appreciate any advice.

phill99

It doesn't sound like a heating problem. it sounds like it is shorting somewhere. I would get an electrician out and ask him to investigate.

Plumberman

Doubt the problem is with the fusebox. Sounds like it's working just fine, it is supposed to trip when there is a problem elsewhere .

It sounds like an elec fault, but without more info it's hard to say.

Canucklehead

Hi,

You need a plumber who is familiar with central heating systems and their controls. This usually equates to someone Gas Safe Registered as the two are interlinked.
A recommendation from family or friend will narrow down the search GSR if you don't have any luck there.


Personally I would start with the pump.

GSR.

missbunbury

Plumberman wrote: »

Doubt the problem is with the fusebox. Sounds like it's working just fine, it is supposed to trip when there is a problem elsewhere .

It sounds like an elec fault, but without more info it's hard to say.

I can answer any questions, but I am largely stupid in the DIY department so my answers are not necessarily helpful! I'm getting a bit freaked now in case something's wrong with the electrics, they are pretty ancient too, does anyone think there is a fire danger here? Cos I am hoping to get someone out on Thursday when I'll be home all day, don't really want to call an emergency person as they are so expensive. Am I safe to leave it a couple of days do you think?

Meatballs

missbunbury wrote: »

Then upstairs in the bathroom is a cupboard with a hot water tank, a timer with switches for hot water/heating and also a separate switch that looks like a light switch with a red light next to it. Normally, this switch goes on, then you switch the heating and hot water switches, then you get hot water and the radiators come on. Both switches have to be on to get hot water and the timer doesn't work at all, hence I have meant to replace the whole thing, but I don't hae the money yet.

The switch with the red light sounds like its an electric immersion heater switch. If there's a cable that comes out of it and goes to round block on your tank then it definitely is.

If the hot water isn't working unless you have that switch on then you're using electricity to heat your water (expensive), and something needs fixing with your gas boiler controls.

It may be worth playing around with the heating controls more to make sure you are using them (and the timer) correctly as they can be confusing and illogical!

If you can put up a picture of the controls and cupboard might be able to suggest things as someone will have had those controls before

missbunbury

Meatballs wrote: »

The switch with the red light sounds like its an electric immersion heater switch. If there's a cable that comes out of it and goes to round block on your tank then it definitely is.

If the hot water isn't working unless you have that switch on then you're using electricity to heat your water (expensive), and something needs fixing with your gas boiler controls.

It may be worth playing around with the heating controls more to make sure you are using them (and the timer) correctly as they can be confusing and illogical!

We've been here a few years and the hot water has only ever worked when all switches (immersion, central heating and hot water) are switched to on.

The problem I am having now happens when I switch either of the switches on the timer (hot water and heating) - the immersion switch will switch on ok but this doesn't heat the water on its own and never has.

aboard_epsilon

if it's the imersion heater ..what usualy goes wrong with them is the copper of the heater corrodes...over time.

when it finally corrodes through, the electric heater elements inside the copper core are exposed and they short into the water ..causing it to trip the power.

all the best.markj

Meatballs

missbunbury wrote: »

We've been here a few years and the hot water has only ever worked when all switches (immersion, central heating and hot water) are switched to on.

The problem I am having now happens when I switch either of the switches on the timer (hot water and heating) - the immersion switch will switch on ok but this doesn't heat the water on its own and never has.

It may not be an immersion heater but a fused connection to the boiler or controls?

Or possibly your heating controls also control the immersion heater.

It took me two years after I'd moved out of a flat to realise that the second switch on my immersion heater would have been for economy 7

Guilefox

Just posted a question next to yours and can see why it's tricky as you need someone who really knows a bit about both. I take it you have an RCD on your fusebox? Most experienced plumbers I know do have learn the basics and do a little bit of wiring for various devices including electrical heat valves, intellistats and boilers and you know its a central heating fuse so its coming from a specific place. I would lean more towards a decent plumber.

Just an idea but my sister recently got her landlord inspection (for her house she was about to rent out - and which was a mess and had fuses tripping on RCD all the time) she got one of these from here what I liked about this is the guy came out and checked very thoroughly everything inside and out in terms of gas and electrics. Then wrote a list of faults (recommendations) he took over 3 hours to check it all! (guess he hoped he would get to do the work) When you look at the cost and what they check it is good value (He found downstairs lights were not earthed properly and some other faults) He offered to fix it all. At this point I told him I knew people in trade (I do have friends who are plumbers/electricians) so he said to get them to do it as BG charges are £77 per hour and he could not fix how long it would take! Might be an option in terms of diagnosing the problem. Or you might think this wont fix it and it's money down the drain!

DVardysShadow

I would say - as you are obviously less than sure of what you have and how it works, that you should get an electrician in to fault find and to fix if it is not a plumbing component problem. Many electricians will happily fix immersion heaters. And if the electrician narrows it down to a part of the heating system, you need a plumber or heating fitter.

Your difficulty is controlling your labour - not knowing how these things work means that you probably have to call in 2 people, whereas if you could isolate the fault, you would only have to call 1. Not knowing is expensive.