Q: how to turn gas heating off for summer?

macman

isleofdogs wrote: »

In the airing cupboard, there is a BG box which (I think) is the timer. It has 2 buttons: hot water on the LHS and heating on the RHS. I can press each button for: off, timed, once and on. So I presume that if I want the heating off, I just press the button to the off position? But, I am not sure if the timer will override it. I have not altered the timer set by the landlord when he lived in the house. On the occasion when I have had visitors staying, I turned on the heating button and all the radiators would come on. But, if I turned on the hot water button (because the water tank is quite small) so visitors could have showers, then the radiators on the middle floor came on as well. So, it seemed the thermostat does not control all the radiators?

So switch the heating off for the summer using the programmer. Off means off and on means on-the timer will not override it, it only operates when it's set to timed.

macman

isleofdogs wrote: »

1. I just checked and each radiator has 2 knobs - one for on & off, and one for varying the heat from 0 to 5. When I turn the thermostat controller to 20 or below, the 3 radiators on the ground floor stay cold (I did not touch either knob). But, all the radiators on the 1st and 2nd floors still have full heat come out of them - so I turn their heat flow buttons down to 0.

The one marked 0-5 is a TRV (thermostatic radiator valve). That's how you control the temp for that room or zone. The other valve is not 'on/off, it's the lockshield valve and should not be disturbed at all, as it balances the flow to each rad. It should only be altered by the installer.
It sounds like the whole system now needs rebalancing if you have altered those valves.
If switching the hot water to 'on' is causing the rads to heat up, then you probably have a sticking 3 port valve which need attention. The whole system sounds poorly maintained. Were you supplied with a landlord's gas safety certificate on taking up occupancy? This is a strict legal requirement and the consequences for non-compliance are severe.

isleofdogs

macman wrote: »

The one marked 0-5 is a TRV (thermostatic radiator valve). That's how you control the temp for that room or zone. The other valve is not 'on/off, it's the lockshield valve and should not be disturbed at all, as it balances the flow to each rad. It should only be altered by the installer.
It sounds like the whole system now needs rebalancing if you have altered those valves.
If switching the hot water to 'on' is causing the rads to heat up, then you probably have a sticking 3 port valve which need attention. The whole system sounds poorly maintained. Were you supplied with a landlord's gas safety certificate on taking up occupancy? This is a strict legal requirement and the consequences for non-compliance are severe.

Thanks, macman, for the above explanations. I have not altered anything. The plumber who installed the new boiler a few months ago said he checked everything and all worked ok. No, we did not receive a gas safety certificate when we moved into the house. However, last year a BG engineer came to check things (as part of the landlord home maintenance policy, I think) and he said everything was ok. I asked him about the heating, and he was not helpful - just said the landlord might need to replace the boiler (which landlord did). Because we are the tenants and not owners, so no one wanted to explain anything to us ...

Wywth

isleofdogs wrote: »

Thanks, macman, for the above explanations. I have not altered anything. The plumber who installed the new boiler a few months ago said he checked everything and all worked ok. No, we did not receive a gas safety certificate when we moved into the house. However, last year a BG engineer came to check things (as part of the landlord home maintenance policy, I think) and he said everything was ok. I asked him about the heating, and he was not helpful - just said the landlord might need to replace the boiler (which landlord did). Because we are the tenants and not owners, so no one wanted to explain anything to us ...

See, I said it sounded like you have a right dodgy LL ... and now you've just proven it. :eek:

Fire_Fox

isleofdogs wrote: »

Thanks, macman, for the above explanations. I have not altered anything. The plumber who installed the new boiler a few months ago said he checked everything and all worked ok. No, we did not receive a gas safety certificate when we moved into the house. However, last year a BG engineer came to check things (as part of the landlord home maintenance policy, I think) and he said everything was ok. I asked him about the heating, and he was not helpful - just said the landlord might need to replace the boiler (which landlord did). Because we are the tenants and not owners, so no one wanted to explain anything to us ...

Have you received a landlord's gas safety certificate since? You should be getting them annually, ask the landlord for a copy. Perhaps e-mail the manufacturers of the boiler and any other appliances and ask for an instruction manual.

isleofdogs

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Have you received a landlord's gas safety certificate since? You should be getting them annually, ask the landlord for a copy. Perhaps e-mail the manufacturers of the boiler and any other appliances and ask for an instruction manual.

Not sure what the gas safety certificate looks like. But, last year a British Gas engineer came to do the annual check (as part of the landlord's maintenance agreement with BG), and he left a copy of the report which I emailed the landlord. Is it the same thing? I will email the landlord again. He moved to Scotland 18 months ago, for work. He had been living in the house before renting it to us.

When the plumber installed a new gas boiler a few months ago, he showed me briefly how to operate it and also left all the manuals for me. I did have a quick look through the ops manual.

Fire_Fox

isleofdogs wrote: »

Not sure what the gas safety certificate looks like. But, last year a British Gas engineer came to do the annual check (as part of the landlord's maintenance agreement with BG), and he left a copy of the report which I emailed the landlord. Is it the same thing? I will email the landlord again. He moved to Scotland 18 months ago, for work. He had been living in the house before renting it to us.

When the plumber installed a new gas boiler a few months ago, he showed me briefly how to operate it and also left all the manuals for me. I did have a quick look through the ops manual.

It's not the same as a service report, tho both might have been done at the same time. Amateur and first time landlords are notorious for flouting the legislation. See here
http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/advice/gas_certificates.aspx
Presumably you have a functioning smoke alarm and, ideally, a carbon monoxide detector?

A bit off topic but is your damage deposit lodged with one of the three schemes? Again you should have received specific prescribed information within a few days of the last (or only) time you signed a tenancy agreement.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/paying_for_a_home/tenancy_deposits/deposit_protection_and_tenancy_deposit_schemes

macman

Your landlord faces a potentially unlimited fine and a potential prison sentence if he does not supply you with an annual GSC, and injury or death results. Otherwise it's a maximum £5,000 fine.
I suggest that you urgently remind him of his responsibilities.