Gas engineer or sparky?

pinkteapot

The programmer for our boiler isn't working. It's sited directly underneath the boiler and is battery powered, with a wire up into the boiler. It's a very ancient Honeywell.

It was fine last winter and over summer for turning the hot water on and off. However, it is now turning the heating on but not off again. This is going to make for an expensive winter.

Guessing we need a new programmer and I see from the Screwfix catalogue they're not too expensive. Question is, who do we call? Do we need a sparky or a gas engineer to wire a programmer into a boiler? (no, it's not something I'm going to attempt myself )

keystone

Provided you have identified which core does which and you know how the programmer should be wired from the Instructions that come with it you can DIY this easily. If you do an internet search for your existing bit of kit somewhere you will find the wiring diagram for it. You could then take it into your local plumbing and heating place and say I want something to replace that exactly.

Cheers

pinkteapot

I don't have the model number to hand but I think we have the documentation at home somewhere (prior owners kept EVERYTHING!). Honeywell don't make a programmer that looks anything like it anymore.

Is it normal for programmers to be battery powered? Ours is run by 2 AA batteries so the only wire is the one from it to the boiler. Is this normal or do modern programmers have mains power to them?

So if we get one with the same wiring we can change it without touching the boiler... Just wire the cable hanging down from the boiler into the new timer. Only problem I suppose is that we don't know if the current fault is due to a problem inside the programmer unit or something coming loose where it's wired into the boiler...

We do want to change the functionality. At present, we can either have "hot water only" or "central heating and hot water". There is no option to have the heating on without the hot water. As we have electric showers, we use very little hot water so last winter we were heating the water far more than necessary. We'd like a programmer that will do central heating only.

keystone

Can be battery powered, most are mains. Some are both (wireless ones - mains for the receiver and batts for the tx unit). If you can identify what you have now someone (depending on who is logged in when you post the data) can recommend a replacement.

Cheers

pinkteapot

Will post the details tonight... Will be a pain if the new one needs mains power as there's none to the site currently.

keystone

Sorry - I'm beiung really slow today. Are we talking about the room stat or the programmer?

Cheers

pinkteapot

Just the programmer - the thing where you set the times that the CH/HW should come off/on (or where you can override and manually turn them off/on). This is located under the boiler.

I.e. something like this would replace it - http://www.honeywelluk.com/products/Time-Controls/Wired/ST699/ (but I'm guessing that's mains powered as it says it has battery backup. Ours is purely powered by batteries).

Our thermostat is in the lounge - the dial where you set the temperature that you want the heating to kick in at. Thermostat is working fine.

keystone

In which case off the top of my head I can't think of a soley battery powered CH programmer. Most electronic ones have battery back-up in case of mains failure to keep the thing working properly.

However, I suppose there could be an argument that says why bother with the mains - just replace the battery periodically (as long as you can use a soldering iron ).

I think you should just trot along to your local merchant with what you have in your hand and see what he suggests.

Cheers

pinkteapot

It's definitely battery only - we've had to change them (as I said it's just 2 AAs). The batteries are in a battery holder that slots in. If you take them out, the display disappears. But it and the boiler are really old.

I'll post a pic, model and link to the paperwork tonight (we've found it online before).

We're fully expecting the boiler to conk out at some point due to age so it's not going to be worth spending much on a new control system. Fortunately we have a sparky mate so if it's an electrician's job we won't get ripped off. I just wondered whether this required a gas engineer as it's wired into the boiler itself.

keystone

I just wondered whether this required a gas engineer as it's wired into the boiler itself.

Oh I see. Only if doing so requires you to interrupt the gas train which on an old boiler is very unlikely.

Cheers

macman

pinkteapot wrote: »

It's definitely battery only - we've had to change them (as I said it's just 2 AAs). The batteries are in a battery holder that slots in. If you take them out, the display disappears. But it and the boiler are really old.

I'll post a pic, model and link to the paperwork tonight (we've found it online before).

We're fully expecting the boiler to conk out at some point due to age so it's not going to be worth spending much on a new control system. Fortunately we have a sparky mate so if it's an electrician's job we won't get ripped off. I just wondered whether this required a gas engineer as it's wired into the boiler itself.

Not if you choose a modern digital programmer that can be used with any future new boiler.