Ideal classic RS50 with Honeywell control

[George Owenson]

Boiler works OK, but regardless of 'ON' or 'OFF'position of heating slider, radiators come on at same time as hot water. This control has one clock with option of two on-off per 24 hours: separate slide for heating and hot water. Didn't do this last year. Just that I don't want heating on every time I need hot water.

 

[doitmyself]

Possibly a motorized valve fault.

You should have one or two motorized valves - usually near the hot water cylinder. How many and what type - Flow (straight through pipe) or Mid-position (pipes in a T)?

 

[George Owenson]

I have seen these in other systems, but (believe me) there are non either near the Hot Water cylinder nor at the boiler. And I don't recall seeing any under the floor either !

 

[doitmyself]

How many pipes connected to the boiler - ignore the gas pipe?

 

[George Owenson]

Hi doitmyself - thanks for your help on this. Two water pipes lead in to th topof teh boiler. One cold in and one hot out. The hot put has several connections off gojng elewhere, with one back to teh cylinder. The boiler has two additional blanked-off pipes, one each at inlet and outlet. Hope you understand this explantion

 

[doitmyself]

Two water pipes lead in to the top of the boiler. One cold in and one hot out. The hot out has several connections off going elsewhere, with one back to the cylinder.

I think I've got that.

The boiler has two additional blanked-off pipes, one each at inlet and outlet. Hope you understand this explanation

That means the system must be fully pumped.

Do you have a thermostat on the side of the HW cylinder -about a foot up, usually help in place by a strap round the cylinder?

 

[George Owenson]

The Cylinder is like an octopus with pipes all over. Hot in and out, also cold in at the bottom, and another disappears round the back.

But no strap and no thermostat !

 

[doitmyself]

Can you post a photo of the Hot water cylinder and all the surrounding pipework etc?

 

[George Owenson]

Will do, but Wednesday - got appointment tonight. Thanks, hope you'll come back tomorrow!

 

[doitmyself]

Will do, but Wednesday - got appointment tonight. Thanks, hope you'll come back tomorrow!

I'll get an email when you post!

 

[ferret]

George you haven,t said whether its always been like this or not , we can understand better with a full sp ,its very unusual not to have any MV,s

 

[George Owenson]

Thanks to all helpers. Photo of cylinder. Hot from boiler bottom left (cock/tap). Large cold pipe continues to upper floor behind cylinder. No more connections out of frame. Coiled mains cable is for immersion heater. Green sludge is very old. This is a new problem.

 

[doitmyself]

Definitely no sight of a cylinder thermostat or motorized valve.

So how was the hot water temperature controlled?

You say that last year you could have the HW on without the heating. Are you talking about in the summer or the winter?

Do you have a room thermostat?

Make and model of the timer/programmer?

Where is the pump located?

Photo of boiler and surrounding pipework, please.

 

[George Owenson]

So how was the hot water temperature controlled?
At Boiler


You say that last year you could have the HW on without the heating. Are you talking about in the summer or the winter?
Any time

Do you have a room thermostat?
No, thermostatic valves throughout

Make and model of the timer/programmer?


Where is the pump located?
At Boiler again I think

Photo of boiler and surrounding pipework, please.

 

[doitmyself]

Has any work been done to the system recently? If so what and by whom?

 

[George Owenson]

No work apart from routine check/service by usual contract.

Actually, as I have examined this closely while replying to comments, I am stumped with the pipework. Hot water & Central heating from same output, so where IS the separate control. The control unit certainly does have two sliders and two sets of wires leading to the boiler. I will have another search around the house and under the floor to see if there is another control point. Otherwise, I am beginning to doubt that there was ever two separate heating/water systems. Maybe this cheapskate control put in just to give a time clock? I should say that this was installed about 15 years ago, replacing the original 1970's old warm-air system.

 

[doitmyself]

When was the check/service last carried out?

Has the fault developed since then?

Are you sure you could have the HW on separately from the heating in the winter? There does not appear to be sufficient controls to do that!

 

[George Owenson]

When was the check/service last carried out?

Mid May

Has the fault developed since then?

At least discovered since then

Are you sure you could have the HW on separately from the heating in the winter? There does not appear to be sufficient controls to do that!

We could not switch them on at different times, but could have eg water on twice and heating on once per 24 hours

 

[doitmyself]

Mid May. At least discovered since then

So you did not discover the problem until you turned the heating on.

We could not switch them on at different times

That's understandable as HW and CH share the same on and OFF times (top slide switch). The only difference is how you use/ignore the set times.

could have eg water on twice and heating on once per 24 hours

So HW would use 1st On; 1st Off; 2nd On; 2nd Off: and CH would use 1st ON and 2nd OFF.

But, without a motorized valve to stop the water circulation through the coil in the HW cylinder, this setting is meaningless: the HW would continue to heat up between the 1st Off and 2nd On times.

 

[ferret]

George mate that is open vent and cold feed off the flow pipe from the boiler not h&c , it looks like you have heating control only from the clock with the cylinder taken off as a radiator would be looking at the 15mm pipework , the gate valve would be to try and balance the supply , the water would get as hot as the boiler control stat. all in all a shocker , but you could (cheapest option) fit a tapstat to it to give you some control or go for the full montey if you can afford it and have it all replaced!

 

[George Owenson]

Hi @doitmyself & @ferret.

On checking the hardware properly to respond to your queries I was beginning to think the system 'promised' more than it could deliver. It looks like a cheapskate job to replace the old warm-air system - before I got the house. Bummer, but at least I still have HW and rads. have to make better use of the thermostatic valves meantime. Thanks for all you guys advice.