I can't find the fuse for the heating system

zug · 23 Oct 2017

Hello.
I have a combi boiler in a Y plan system. I have an airing cupboard with the pump and valve upstairs and the boiler, controller and thermostat downstairs. I believe all of the electrics go into the junction box upstairs which then feeds the valve, pump, boiler and controller downstairs.
However, there is no electric to any of those components. I have checked the mains feed coming into the junction box and it's dead.
So I thought this would be a fuse that has blown. I have read that these systems are usually fed from a 3Amp spur. However, I cannot find the fuse anywhere. The RCD hasn't tripped, there is no isolated feed from the RCD to the heating system - only the Water heater which works fine. Every socket in the house still works.

So I am at a loss. Should I expect to see a fuse box somewhere for the heating system? Is it likely to be near the airing cupboard or the boiler/controller?
I have looked everywhere but cannot find it.
Thanks!

ban-all-sheds · 23 Oct 2017

It'll be somewhere.

It's likely to be wherever the idiot who thought the right thing do do was to hide it hid it.

You'll just need to follow the supply cable back....

JM2 · 23 Oct 2017

Depending upon age, often the main feed is via a fused spur to the boiler or boiler's timer/programmer.
The fused spur or switched spur is what is hidden but if you have a flex from the boiler itself or the programmer you can follow that.
- The Y plan kit elsewhere is often fed from the programmer.

Taylortwocities · 23 Oct 2017

As above. It should be near the boiler or the wiring centre..

zug · 23 Oct 2017

I can see the mains coming into the back of the programmer which I think is then going onto the boiler and upstairs to the cupboard.
However I checked the mains input with a multimeter and there is nothing. No sign of a fuse near by either. I've called an electrician to come and have a look.

stem · 23 Oct 2017

You should be looking for something similar to this?:

Untitled

stem
23 May 2012
1

The location of it depends upon the preference of the installer, but normally as has been said it is located near to the boiler so that it can easily be switched off when it's serviced, or near the wiring centre which is usually the airing cupboard (occasionally it is connected to the one for any immersion heater) or it may be next to the programmer.

Has the boiler been moved or replaced at some point? if so the original FCU might have been used.

If it's in the kitchen has this been altered? I found one once behind a wall mounted cupboard.

zug · 23 Oct 2017

Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for. I can't find it anywhere.

zug · 23 Oct 2017

Nevermind - I have just found it. Can't believe I didn't see it all along.

footprints · 23 Oct 2017

If it is a combi chances are it is a replacement, I bet the isolation is in the same position as the original boiler was sited.
Where was it then?

winston1 · 23 Oct 2017

Good, if a 3 amp fuse has blown, it probably because it should have a 5 amp. Don't worry about causing any damage, the boiler will be internally protected. Don't go above 5 amp though. Elsewhere in Europe boilers are on 16 amp circuits and there no reports of fires or electrocutions.

JohnW2 · 23 Oct 2017

winston1 said:
Elsewhere in Europe boilers are on 16 amp circuits and there no reports of fires or electrocutions.

You're quite probably right (about electrocutions and fires not being due to boilers being on 16A circuits) but, as a matter of interest, where did you get your information on "fires and electrocutions in the EU"? If the rest of the EU is anything like the UK, getting useful data on such matters, other than crude totals of electrocutions and of fires which the Fire Service, maybe through lack of better ideas, deem to be 'electrical', is next-to-impossible.

Kind Regards, John

EFLImpudence · 23 Oct 2017

I know it isn't what you wrote - but the implication, if what Winston wrote is not true, is that they just put up with fires, injuries and deaths for the want of an FCU?

stillp · 23 Oct 2017

Taylortwocities said:
As above. It should be near the boiler or the wiring centre..

Or, as in my house, both. That took some working out!

JohnW2 · 23 Oct 2017

EFLImpudence said:
I know it isn't what you wrote - but the implication, if what Winston wrote is not true, is that they just put up with fires, injuries and deaths for the want of an FCU?

I suppose that would probably be the implication. There are certainly national differences - for example, in the US they seem to 'put up' with numbers of deaths due to a number of causes which I doubt we would find acceptable in the UK.

However, I was giving Winston the benefit of the doubt and assuming that he was telling the truth. I've spent a lot of time and effort looking for decent detailed statistics on injuries, deaths and fires due to electricity and have failed fairly miserably. I therefore wondered whether Winston had located a 'secret' source of such data that I had so far not been able to find.

Kind Regards, John

stillp · 23 Oct 2017

JohnW2 said:
decent detailed statistics on injuries, deaths and fires due to electricity and have failed fairly miserably

There are, or were, some on Eurostat, but I can't find them now since they reorganised the EU web site.

diynot

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.

Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

I can't find the fuse for the heating system

Similar threads