Gas boiler gone into overheat?

twopenny

Not getting an answer on my long diatribe about the noises from my heating so hope you don't mind me asking a quick question.

Pipes been making lots of noises, 2 gas reg peeps called and all seemed ok.

Now the boiler has switched itself off on Overheat.

Should I switch it off at the mains (light switch thingy) or leave it as it is.

I'm really scared after trying to search the net which gives all sorts of dreadful scenarios and hoping someone knows.

ThisIsWeird

I presume you want to stop using it until someone takes a look? If so, yes - either 'off' on the boiler control panel, or just flick the supply switch with the red neon.

You're having someone come out soon?

ThisIsWeird

But don't worry - your boiler shut itself down, just as it should when summat is wrong. They very very very rarely explode

twopenny

Thanks for the reassurance, means a lot.

The new actuator put in last week is very hot and still running. It's quite noisy and driving me nuts. Can't find a way to stop it.

I've turned the immersion down to 50 because the pipe to the tank is still very hot and the boiler down to 1

I've emptied the airing cupboard where it is and I'll put a smoke alarm in there - though I have a good one in the hall.

I have been in touch with the good guy, he's coming tomorrow at 8.30. Poor man, I sent a message at 6pm but didn't realise it had gone into drafts and not been sent so the conversation was 9.30. Bet he wished he'd never answered my call this morning.

He hasn't said to turn the boiler off - but the timer I've set each to the off position. There's no master switch for it.

ThisIsWeird

twopenny said:

Thanks for the reassurance, means a lot.

The new actuator put in last week is very hot and still running. It's quite noisy and driving me nuts. Can't find a way to stop it.

I've turned the immersion down to 50 because the pipe to the tank is still very hot and the boiler down to 1

I've emptied the airing cupboard where it is and I'll put a smoke alarm in there - though I have a good one in the hall.

I have been in touch with the good guy, he's coming tomorrow at 8.30. Poor man, I sent a message at 6pm but didn't realise it had gone into drafts and not been sent so the conversation was 9.30. Bet he wished he'd never answered my call this morning.

He hasn't said to turn the boiler off - but the timer I've set each to the off position. There's no master switch for it.

This is a motorised valve? And it's near the hot cylinder? It sounds either faulty, or the wiring to it is wrong - it shouldn't be much warmer than the pipe it's connected to, and shouldn't be making a constant noise. If you want it to stop, then switch off the whole system power at the red-light switch near the boiler.

This is the actuator to the hot cylinder, then? If your cylinder is hotter than the set 50oC - and it would appear to be - and the boiler keeps running (ditto), then it sounds as tho' the actuator is stuck in the 'open' position, or is being held there by a constantly spinning motor, and this also has the effect of keeping the demand for the Hot Water going; your boiler will keep running, and your cylinder 'stat will be ignored - it'll just keep heating and heating! Well done - you did the right thing by turning the boiler down to '1', as this will limit how hot the delivered water will be - that should calm things down.

Could you take a photo of it? And also of the controls you use - for the CH and the DHW.

Meanwhile, make sure the 'demand' for the hot water is off - turn off the timer/programmer for the DHW - turn off the power to the whole caboodle (that red neon switch) - and hit that actuator with a lump of wood.

(Oh, and also look at the wee lever on its side - take a close-up photo, please, and check whether it's loose and can be moved by your fingers from end to end.)

After thumping the actuator, keep the DHW timer 'off', and turn the power back on - does the actuator make a noise again?

JReacher1

I had a similar problem recently and it turned out to be a micro leak on the valve that meant water was getting into the switch and shorting it. This meant the boiler was constantly running. 

twopenny

Well he came this morning. Checked the controls etc and the boiler - really just looked.

Said the noise was the pump still running and showed me what to turn off is I needed. It echoed in this plasterboard place down every radiator. Unnerving and not sleep inducing.

Thanks for the humour Weird, made me chuckle.

The pump is on 2 midway, the actuator he said was ok.

Summary was impossible to tell, possible to put some chemical into the pipes, contact the guy who did the radiator flush and new trv's.

The noises basically I was exagerating and it was normal with plasterboard build but I don't wear that. I've lived here for 4yrs and it's been fine.

So it was ok this morning when he turned it on for an hour and it was all  fine, it''s on the timer now but as I write the first crack from the ceiling.

The radiators are getting too hot. Scalding even on 3.5 trv. I've turned them down to 2 and those are cooling.

I guess I just turn it off let it cool down then on again as that seems to work but goodness knows what it's doing to consumption. Could be better, worse or equal until something really gives. Not great as I can't go out for a morning and come home to a warm house and relax.

Happily it's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow for a few days.

lesalanos

The TRV will not control the temperature of the water in the radiator, just the temperature that it stops the water flowing in.  Water temp is controlled by the boiler

twopenny

Thanks Lesalanos, another bit of info to add to my understanding

I'm desperately needing a break from this but it's tapping/knocking away in the ceiling making it difficult to ignore.

Thermostat in garage set at 60.

So the boiler is firing every 2mins or so, for 30 secs.

The radiators are just warm trvs on 2-2.5 which is lower than normal but the house is warm enough. I'm not a hot house flower.

The tapping noise in the ceiling is in between this mainly on shut down. No wonder it's driving me nuts!

I need to time it with the trvs set higher to see what the difference is.

But now I need to cook and have a shower..........

I'm thinking 2 things. A thermostat somewhere is not functioning right or there's air in the system. No one has bled the rads though they seem ok.

Is it alright to bleed them when the system is on? I used to do that with my last house as I could then see if the heat was even but that was a different kettle of fish.

plumb1_2

That’s a frost stat, not a room stat.

twopenny

Ok thanks Plumb, more info to stash away.

Think I'm going to need another notebook!