I've recently moved into a house with a Greenstar 24Ri boiler, which (it transpires) hasn't been properly fitted. For the past 6 years, give or take, it hasn't had control of the pump (the fitter obviously decided it was too much like hard work to cable it back) and therefore the pump simply goes off when the room/tank stats stop calling for heat (or the programmer switches off). The boiler doesn't even have a permanent live; it either has power (in which case it's on and the pump is running), or it doesn't (and the boiler goes off and the pump stops).
The boiler however seems to be OK, although it has started kettling when the demand goes off and I'm sure the heat exchanger isn't "as new". I'm getting quotes to fix things properly.
However, in the meantime I have access to a delay-off timer, and I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be a better way of controlling the pump than I have at the moment without any major wiring work. Ie: the timer would take a maintained live and the switched live from the programmer (which currently controls the pump); the pump would be powered through the timer's relay which would come on when the switched live comes on, but would stay on for a period after it goes off.
Is there any good reason to avoid this temporary fix? If it's OK, how long should I set the timer for?
Just to be clear: I am not suggesting this as a long term solution. There are other issues (eg 15mm gas supply to the boiler) and I think the system could do with a flush (in which case I'd probably change the boiler at the same time). I just want to delay making major changes until spring/summer, and give the boiler an easier life in the meantime.
The boiler however seems to be OK, although it has started kettling when the demand goes off and I'm sure the heat exchanger isn't "as new". I'm getting quotes to fix things properly.
However, in the meantime I have access to a delay-off timer, and I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be a better way of controlling the pump than I have at the moment without any major wiring work. Ie: the timer would take a maintained live and the switched live from the programmer (which currently controls the pump); the pump would be powered through the timer's relay which would come on when the switched live comes on, but would stay on for a period after it goes off.
Is there any good reason to avoid this temporary fix? If it's OK, how long should I set the timer for?
Just to be clear: I am not suggesting this as a long term solution. There are other issues (eg 15mm gas supply to the boiler) and I think the system could do with a flush (in which case I'd probably change the boiler at the same time). I just want to delay making major changes until spring/summer, and give the boiler an easier life in the meantime.