boiler programmer operation

aliby21

I am embarrassed to be asking what seems an idiotic question, but ....

moved into a house that has a boiler with a programmer with separate controls for hot water and central heating. If I have the central heating 'on' do I also need to have the hot water 'on'? I have been working on the basis that central heating needs hot water to pump around the radiators, so if I have only CH coming on I will at best get cold water around the radiators and at worst blow something up. Consequently I have the times set so I always have HW 'on' when CH is 'on'. But I have started to wonder ..... have I got that right?

sorry for the numpty question

Dippypud

If you put up the make, model of the boiler it might help...

there are several downloadable manuals on the wibbly wobbly web ... :cool:

I_have_spoken

Need a bit more information!

I had a system with a hot water tank in airing cupboard which had both an electric immersion heater and also a feed of water from the boiler.

When you programme the controller for HW, the boiler will fire-up and a 3-way valve opens to allow hot water to circulate to heat the water in the tank. You should find a thermostat strapped to the side of the tank that prevents the tank contents getting silly hot.

When you set the programme for CH, the boiler fires and the valve opens to allow water to circulate through the radiators.

Of course you can have HW and CH at the same time as the 3-way valve allows water going all ways but you can certainly have HW and CH at separate times!

golfergirl28

I wonder if OP is asking if it's necessary to have the hot water switched on when you have the heating on? In other words will the heating being on produce hot water?
I accept I'm possibly talking nonsense!

aliby21

Dippypud wrote: »

If you put up the make, model of the boiler it might help...

there are several downloadable manuals on the wibbly wobbly web ... :cool:

Ooops, sorry, i thought they'd all work the same - I really am clueless.

The boiler is oil, "starflow model 50/70". The programmer says "lifestyle, model LP722"

golfergirl, yes, in a nutshell that is what I was trying to ask 'is it necessary to have the hot water switched on when you have the heating on? In other words will the heating being on produce hot water' thank you for putting it more clearly than I managed

comeandgo

The hot water coming out of your taps is not the same hot water going around your radiators - for one the radiators may have antifreeze in them

Biggles

aliby21 wrote: »

If I have the central heating 'on' do I also need to have the hot water 'on'?

No. The CH setting fires the heating, the HW setting fires the water.

Your system understands that CH needs water to work!

aliby21

OK, thank you comeandgo and biggles. I can now economize by having only CH on without worrying i am going to blow things up!

Biggles wrote: »

No. The CH setting fires the heating, the HW setting fires the water.

Your system understands that CH needs water to work!

My system is more intelligent than I am!!!!!!!