HELP - central heating is not working - bbrrrrr

[Shaq]

Hello,

OK completly and utterly clueless about these things but the heating in my house has stopped working Just after any pointers on what the problem could be as IF I do need to get someone in don't want to get fleeced etc.!

Here's the situation - I'll try and explain the best I can..!

In our airing cupboard we have one of these (right hadn one)...

Don't know if its a shoe or paddle type, as I wouldn't know the difference from looking at them.

There are 3 screws holding it down and one was un-done and reading the online manual it says do them all up equally which I have now done.

The lever on the side was on Automatic, which makes sense as I presuem this box of tricks gets a signal from the control unit with the LCD screen and opens and closes as necessary, turning the heating/flow of water on and off. Well it doesn't..!!

IF I push the level up manually to manual - the heating kicks in and it works fine, you turn the thermostat and it comes on/off accordingly, so that must be fine. Also when selecting manual there is a winding noise and some resiatance, sounds like a wind up toy when you force it...lol and using a torch and looking behind the unit by the pipes its turning and I am guessing opening the valve.

So I am guessing it maybe this valve thats knackered or not getting a signal from the control unit. I have re-set the LCD control unit but nothing. The LCD control unit acts as it should, coming on and going off on the screen at the correct times and it even clicks as if its saying I'm on now BUT upstairs nothing happens and the heating doesn't come on and the little valve (above) does nada/nothing/zilch.

Any idea's clues pointers etc?!?!

Thanks in advance for your help

Cheers
C

p.s. We can't do the system any harm by selecting manual can we?? Except in the fact of the HUGE bill if we leave it on by accident...lol

 

[kevplumb]

p.s. We can't do the system any harm by selecting manual can we?? Except in the fact of the HUGE bill if we leave it on by accident...lol

no

check the spindle is free
then look at the head (ooooh errrr misus)

 

[Shaq]

p.s. We can't do the system any harm by selecting manual can we?? Except in the fact of the HUGE bill if we leave it on by accident...lol

no

check the spindle is free
then look at the head (ooooh errrr misus)

lol!!

Thanks for your qucik reply!

OK spindle - you mean on the valve control unit? The thing that turns behind it when it goes from auto to manual?? It looks free and when you move it to manual from auto it moves resasonably easily but I don't want to un-do all three screws as I don't know what might happen...lol! Is this what should be done or is there another way of checking?

And my heads fine thanks, presume you mean one in the heating system but erm where

Cheers
C

 

[kevplumb]

but I don't want to un-do all three screws as I don't know what might happen.

the motor will come off
then you can see if it's moving

 

[Shaq]

but I don't want to un-do all three screws as I don't know what might happen.

the motor will come off
then you can see if it's moving

YOUR right, it came off...lol

Does nothing not moving at all

Does this allllll point to a K N A C K E R E D motor?!?! Sounds relatively small job if it is, unless its not getting power or the signal etc

Cheers for your help so far

C