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Central heating didn’t come on

Does what it says on the tin
MyNameIsUrl
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Central heating didn’t come on

#456279

Postby MyNameIsUrl » November 7th, 2021, 2:51 pm

A friend has just bought a house but hasn’t moved in yet. I went in on Friday and pressed the ‘extra hour’ switch on the central heating controller and the heating came on. Yesterday I went in and pressed the button again and nothing happened. I had a fiddle with the controller, putting it on ‘continuous’, but no luck.

Clearly I’m not asking for a diagnosis based on the above, but can anyone suggest a checklist of simple things for me to try before I get someone in, just in case it’s something basic I’m overlooking?


A few more details:

Worcester boiler, switched on, blue light, turned to max. (Can the pilot light go out?)

Honeywell digital controller ST9400C, ‘extra hour’ button, can be switched to: off, auto, once, cont. (Could it be a weekend issue in spite of the other settings?)

Hall wall thermostat, turned up to 25

The pump in the airing cupboard was possibly a bit noisy when it was running – could that fail suddenly and stop the boiler firing?

richlist
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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456285

Postby richlist » November 7th, 2021, 3:14 pm

* Have you checked if the electric meter has tripped out ?
* The boiler usually also has a trip button.....worth checking.

Watis
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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456288

Postby Watis » November 7th, 2021, 3:25 pm

Resolved a similar issue at the mother in law's just the other day.

The batteries in the wireless thermostat had gone flat. Replacing them fixed the problem.

If this property had a wireless thermostat, it's the next thing I'd check, although if the heating worked yesterday, it's less likely to be the problem. Are you sure the boiler actually fired up yesterday, and didn't just make some 'preparing to start up' noises before going back to sleep? M-i-L's did this when I was fiddling with the boiler controls before I turned my attentions to the thermostat.

HTH,

Watis

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456293

Postby Redmires » November 7th, 2021, 4:11 pm

Is there a little pressure gauge on the boiler. If so, is it 1 bar or above ? Low water pressure could cause a boiler not to fire up.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456302

Postby wanderer » November 7th, 2021, 4:50 pm

Redmires wrote:Is there a little pressure gauge on the boiler. If so, is it 1 bar or above ? Low water pressure could cause a boiler not to fire up.


This is always the first thing to check. In all systems, the pressure will reduce over time. This can usually be resolved by topping up the water on the filling loop. Location of the filling loop varies by installation but is usually near the boiler or the water tank. You'll recognise it when you see it - a small loop of pipe (usually flexipipe) with a valve at either end. Top up the system to around 1.5 or 2 bar and then close the valve again. Good luck!

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456306

Postby MyNameIsUrl » November 7th, 2021, 5:04 pm

Thanks all

I don’t recall seeing a pressure gauge – I think it’s likely not a pressurised system but has a header tank, but I will double-check

I’ll check if the boiler has a trip button, but I know the electricity hasn’t tripped out

I’ll also check if the thermostat is battery-operated, but from memory I doubt it very much as I suspect it’s too old

It definitely worked on Friday, as the radiators got hot

The house has been empty for a few weeks – is that likely to have caused anything particular as the heating probably has been switched off. I mentioned that when it was working I have a recollection that the pump was noisy.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456336

Postby quelquod » November 7th, 2021, 6:45 pm

A failed pump wouldn’t normally prevent the boiler from at the very least trying to fire up. Depending on the type it might shut down again immediately thereafter though.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456339

Postby csearle » November 7th, 2021, 6:55 pm

MyNameIsUrl wrote:A friend has just bought a house but hasn’t moved in yet. I went in on Friday and pressed the ‘extra hour’ switch on the central heating controller and the heating came on. Yesterday I went in and pressed the button again and nothing happened. I had a fiddle with the controller, putting it on ‘continuous’, but no luck.

Clearly I’m not asking for a diagnosis based on the above, but can anyone suggest a checklist of simple things for me to try before I get someone in, just in case it’s something basic I’m overlooking?


A few more details:

Worcester boiler, switched on, blue light, turned to max. (Can the pilot light go out?)

Honeywell digital controller ST9400C, ‘extra hour’ button, can be switched to: off, auto, once, cont. (Could it be a weekend issue in spite of the other settings?)

Hall wall thermostat, turned up to 25

The pump in the airing cupboard was possibly a bit noisy when it was running – could that fail suddenly and stop the boiler firing?
You anywhere near Kent? For a pint of beer I could take a look next Friday?

Chris

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456349

Postby MyNameIsUrl » November 7th, 2021, 7:16 pm

csearle wrote:You anywhere near Kent? For a pint of beer I could take a look next Friday?

Chris

Thanks Chris but my friend is in the West Country

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456351

Postby Imbiber » November 7th, 2021, 7:17 pm

If you are in Kent the best pub, and possibly the cheapest is the New Inn, Canterbury. A superb choice of ever changing ,mostly local ales.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456353

Postby csearle » November 7th, 2021, 7:22 pm

MyNameIsUrl wrote:
csearle wrote:You anywhere near Kent? For a pint of beer I could take a look next Friday?

Chris

Thanks Chris but my friend is in the West Country
Well I do periodically visit my 99 year old mum in Cornwall... ...could take a look on the way?

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456363

Postby richlist » November 7th, 2021, 7:44 pm

Is the water turned on ?

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456373

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » November 7th, 2021, 8:26 pm

MyNameIsUrl wrote:A friend has just bought a house but hasn’t moved in yet. I went in on Friday and pressed the ‘extra hour’ switch on the central heating controller and the heating came on. Yesterday I went in and pressed the button again and nothing happened. I had a fiddle with the controller, putting it on ‘continuous’, but no luck.

Clearly I’m not asking for a diagnosis based on the above, but can anyone suggest a checklist of simple things for me to try before I get someone in, just in case it’s something basic I’m overlooking?


A few more details:

Worcester boiler, switched on, blue light, turned to max. (Can the pilot light go out?)

Honeywell digital controller ST9400C, ‘extra hour’ button, can be switched to: off, auto, once, cont. (Could it be a weekend issue in spite of the other settings?)

Hall wall thermostat, turned up to 25

The pump in the airing cupboard was possibly a bit noisy when it was running – could that fail suddenly and stop the boiler firing?

Has the extract fan got stuck? May need a bit of WD40 on it

AiY

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456377

Postby Mike4 » November 7th, 2021, 8:34 pm

quelquod wrote:A failed pump wouldn’t normally prevent the boiler from at the very least trying to fire up. Depending on the type it might shut down again immediately thereafter though.


It would if the boiler has a flow sensor.

We need to know WHICH Worcester boiler the OP is asking about. They have made hundreds of different models, all different. One of my (many) hobby horses about why Worcester are not quite all they crack themselves up to be.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456432

Postby 9873210 » November 8th, 2021, 5:12 am

Find the model number.
Google the manual.
RTFM.
If it's less than about fifty years old:
Find the blinking LED.
Count the blinks.
Search the manual for the page on blinking LEDs.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456459

Postby quelquod » November 8th, 2021, 9:43 am

Mike4 wrote:
quelquod wrote:A failed pump wouldn’t normally prevent the boiler from at the very least trying to fire up. Depending on the type it might shut down again immediately thereafter though.


It would if the boiler has a flow sensor.


Of course, however what I meant by ‘at the very least trying’ is that it would at least try to measure an adequate pressure differential from pumping.

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456460

Postby servodude » November 8th, 2021, 9:46 am

quelquod wrote:
Mike4 wrote:
quelquod wrote:A failed pump wouldn’t normally prevent the boiler from at the very least trying to fire up. Depending on the type it might shut down again immediately thereafter though.


It would if the boiler has a flow sensor.


Of course, however what I meant by ‘at the very least trying’ is that it would at least try to measure an adequate pressure differential from pumping.


Ah the Worcester uncertainty principle in all its glory! (With apologies to Heisenberg) ;)

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456462

Postby quelquod » November 8th, 2021, 9:52 am

Servodude:
“Ah the Worcester uncertainty principle in all its glory! (With apologies to Heisenberg) ;)

Well I suppose a cat might have got stuck in it somewhere but you’d need to open the case up to see whether it was still alive. ;)

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456465

Postby servodude » November 8th, 2021, 9:56 am

quelquod wrote:Servodude:
“Ah the Worcester uncertainty principle in all its glory! (With apologies to Heisenberg) ;)

Well I suppose a cat might have got stuck in it somewhere but you’d need to open the case up to see whether it was still alive. ;)


No one told me it was a Schrodinger's Boiler?

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Re: Central heating didn’t come on

#456512

Postby UncleEbenezer » November 8th, 2021, 12:25 pm

servodude wrote:Ah the Worcester uncertainty principle in all its glory! (With apologies to Heisenberg) ;)

Wouldn't that be Heizkesselberg? Or something?


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