Can't switch water off when Central Heating is on. Need help please!

[Andy™]

a simple wire between terminal 4&5 and switch the power back on - that should get you CH only. if it does, programmer. if it doesnt then fault elsewhere

also appears to be 2 wires from terminal 5, id only excpect the link from L to 5, although they may have simply used 5 as an additional outgoing to save having too many wires in L

 

[Creakyride]

Ok, thanks Andy, I will try that tomorrow. I will make sure I switch the mains off first.

 

[Barx]

Like I said on a previous post, I am unable to get to the valve because of mobility problem, and i wouldn't trust my brother to touch it.
I too like to live life a bit on the edge... but I am not desperate.

Sorry, it would be the programmer, not the valve.
After my post, I saw yours and Poni's photos of the rear of programmer, Poni's mentions interlock on the little knob thing near the battery. If it was my own, out of curiosity more than anything else, I would slide that to the little indicator arrow and re-fit it, see what happens.
Obviously, up to you if you do that.

 

[Creakyride]

Sorry, it would be the programmer, not the valve.
After my post, I saw yours and Poni's photos of the rear of programmer, Poni's mentions interlock on the little knob thing near the battery. If it was my own, out of curiosity more than anything else, I would slide that to the little indicator arrow and re-fit it, see what happens.
Obviously, up to you if you do that.

I am waiting for the washing machine to finish before I switch the mains out for adding the link to 4 and 5.

Are you talking about the little toggle switch located in vertical strip next to the battery?
What is the purpose of this thing? I can do that but only if is applicable to the problem.

 

[Murdoch]

^^ you should isolate the boiler, isolation of the entire circuit shouldn’t be necessary

 

[Andy™]

^^ you should isolate the boiler, isolation of the entire circuit shouldn’t be necessary

DIYer. probably safer to isolate everything

 

[Geoff1946]

Are you talking about the little toggle switch located in vertical strip next to the battery?
What is the purpose of this thing? I can do that but only if is applicable to the problem.

It would be used to lock the hot water to always on with CH, for the previously discussed gravity hot water system. However, it looks to be already set to the correct position for your pumped system.

 

[Creakyride]

The linking of 4 and 5 made no difference. I tried to switch the central heating on the programmer ON but it is only enable if the hot water is also ON.
So, what is there left to check?

I guess the HW valve or I guess, the wiring in the junction box, next to the boiler. Could that be a possible cause? I won't be able to look in it as is located too far for my reach.

By the way, I have removed the link and everything is back as it was.

 

[Creakyride]

^^ you should isolate the boiler, isolation of the entire circuit shouldn’t be necessary

Thank you for the info.
I looked for the labels on the consumer unit indicating which one is for the boiler and there isn't any there is one for Immersion, so I though it was best to switch everything OFF. Anyway, it was just for a couple of minutes. Ill post a photo of it now.

 

[Andy™]

The linking of 4 and 5 made no difference. I tried to switch the central heating on the programmer ON but it is only enable if the hot water is also ON.
So, what is there left to check?

dont refit programmer, just wire between 4&5 and switch it on

 

[Creakyride]

Thanks Poni.

I tried that and it didn't make any difference. I set the thermostat to full and went to look at the boiler but there was only the pilot light.

 

[Murdoch]

where in the South East are you?

 

[Andy™]

Thanks Poni.

I tried that and it didn't make any difference. I set the thermostat to full and went to look at the boiler but there was only the pilot light.

what exactly is happening with the link in? same as before, hot water & heating? if so, then its not the programmer thats at fault, there is nothing wired to tell the hot water valve to open from the programmer

 

[Creakyride]

Oxford

 

[Creakyride]

what exactly is happening with the link in? same as before, hot water & heating? if so, then its not the programmer thats at fault, there is nothing wired to tell the hot water valve to open from the programmer

I tested only for CH... as this is what I thought you wanted me to test. No activity from boiler when calling for CH by turning the thermostat to full.

 

[Andy™]

I tested only for CH... as this is what I thought you wanted me to test. No activity from boiler when calling for CH by turning the thermostat to full.

you were testing for CH only, it should have started the heating only and not the hot water. odd that you didnt get any activity from the boiler

 

[Murdoch]

Oxford

Too far away from me

 

[Creakyride]

you were testing for CH only, it should have started the heating only and not the hot water. odd that you didnt get any activity from the boiler

No activity.
One thing I noticed thought, when I picked the front of the programmer to put it back on the wall plate, I heard some tiny sound of some loose plastic and when I turned it over with the pins facing me and keep rotating up and down, I saw that the small selector next to the battery is loose... It freely travels inside the vertical slot, just by rotating gently shaking the programmer.

Also, you can see on the photo I previously uploaded, that the tiny round bit you put the screwdriver in (next to the battery), half is missing!

I wouldn't be surprised if the installer tried to set it up and it broke and maybe the position it set wrong.

 

[Andy™]

think you might need to find someone who knows heating systems to do some proper fault finding

there should be a junction box near the boiler / valves. can you get a photo of the wiring in there?

 

[Creakyride]

think you might need to find someone who knows heating systems to do some proper fault finding

there should be a junction box near the boiler / valves. can you get a photo of the wiring in there?

Yes Andy, I already mentioned on a previous post that there is a junction box, next to the boiler, but I can't reach it. It needs someone to get inside the airing cupboard, which is located on top of the bannister, on the landing. Someone need to use a two step ladder, or a chair for that.
...Or, have arms longer than an orangutan.

Nevermind, we tried.

I am waiting for a survey for an Air Source Heat Pump if they can be bothered that is. If it's not viable, then I will have a new, more efficient boiler. My wife is on at me not to spend money that could be put towards a better solution.

We have HW and CH, so it's not an emergency. It would have been nice to have the option of switching the HW off while the CH is on. We have put up for 37 years, a bit longer will have to do.

Thanks for your help everyone!