Communal heating issue

playlister82

My mum recently moved into a block of flats (council housing) that has communal heating, so all the heat comes from one central boiler on the ground floor. I had never heard of this system before, apparently it can save money for the tenants. Unfortunately, when she moved in the thermostat that controls the internal temperature of the flat wasn't working, so she cannot turn her own heating on at the moment.

My question is, does anyone have experience of these types of systems, and does anyone know if there would be some kind of "switch" within the communal plant room that would control supply to an individual flat? 

An electrician has already come out and told her that they need to replace the thermostat in her property, so we are hoping that that will solve the problem. However, having no prior experience of communal heating I am worried that there could be something else causing the issue, i.e. a switch or button somewhere that may not have been switched on before she moved in. We've checked within the flat and all the mains switches are on, and the hot water (also heated centrally in the block) is all working.

I could be completely wrong, so would just appreciate some advice on this from anyone who has knowledge of this type of heating.

ThisIsWeird

Hmm, I wouldn't touch this - I'd get straight on to the Council to sort it.

Meanwhile, a wee leccy heater should keep t'chill off

playlister82

ThisIsWeird said:

Hmm, I wouldn't touch this - I'd get straight on to the Council to sort it.

Meanwhile, a wee leccy heater should keep t'chill off

Thanks, that's what we are doing. I think the reason for my concern is that the council have already been twice, the first time the engineer just said "wait a week and it might come on," which of course it didn't and which is why someone had to be sent round a second time today. The first engineer also said something about a switch, but was so vague as to be unhelpful and I wondered if they just didn't know what they were talking about.

I think it is a problem with the thermostat, I just want to know if there could be some other switch somewhere controlling the heat to the flat that we don't know about - would that be a normal part of these systems? Or are they normally always switched on centrally and you control the temperature internally with your own thermostat?

ThisIsWeird

playlister82 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Hmm, I wouldn't touch this - I'd get straight on to the Council to sort it.

Meanwhile, a wee leccy heater should keep t'chill off

Thanks, that's what we are doing. I think the reason for my concern is that the council have already been twice, the first time the engineer just said "wait a week and it might come on," which of course it didn't and which is why someone had to be sent round a second time today. The first engineer also said something about a switch, but was so vague as to be unhelpful and I wondered if they just didn't know what they were talking about.
I think it is a problem with the thermostat, I just want to know if there could be some other switch somewhere controlling the heat to the flat that we don't know about - would that be a normal part of these systems? Or are they normally always switched on centrally and you control the temperature internally with your own thermostat?

I really don't know - sorry.

Could you post a pic of the 'stat that you have?

Worth asking a neighbour?

playlister82

I'm not there at the moment but this is an image of the thermostat in working order (from the internet). In my mum's place it doesn't switch on, no matter what button we press.

The neighbours all have their heating working.

ThisIsWeird

By not switching on, you mean it doesn't even light up?!

ThisIsWeird

Danfoss TPOne.

Silly Q - it isn't a battery-powered version, with, er, a flat battery?

playlister82

ThisIsWeird said:

By not switching on, you mean it doesn't even light up?!

That's right, the engineer who came today said that it has to be replaced. 

playlister82

ThisIsWeird said:

Danfoss TPOne.

Silly Q - it isn't a battery-powered version, with, er, a flat battery?

No apparently it is mains powered. 

I will contact the council to ask if there is some mains switch outside the flat that has not been switched on somewhere, just to rule this out. It would be nice if this information was provided when she moved in, but it wasn't.

ThisIsWeird

If it's mains powered, then I suspect you are right - there's an isolating switch somewhere, and someone thought it prudent to turn off the heating whilst the flat was empty. Hey-ho

The CU - fuse box - was presumably checked, to see if any breaker was 'off'?

playlister82

Yes we checked the fuse box, everything is on. 

I know that the communal heating in the block is switched off for everyone at certain times of the year, i.e. summer when it would make sense to do so. I really don't know if there is a separate isolating switch for the individual property, that was my question to anyone who might be an expert or have prior experience with this type of heating. To be honest, I really hope that there isn't a separate switch for the property because 1) it would mean they forgot to turn it on or inform us about it when she moved in - bad, and 2) someone now has to come out and find it to turn it back on.

I'd much rather the engineer who visited today is right and it's just an issue with the interior thermostat being faulty.

If there is anyone who knows more about communal heating, please let me know otherwise...