Hive powering down new Boiler?

[Shawad]

Hi, looking for some advice on my Hive installation and some issues with a new boiler.

So I had an Ideal Classic FF240 system boiler, which is on an S-plan to an unvented tank, two 2-way motorized valves. Hive was installed a few years back and as far as I was concerned worked perfectly. I decided it was time to get a more efficient boiler, so had a Worcester 30i system boiler put in on Monday. Installer muttered something about the wiring, and I've noticed that the new boiler is completely powered off (nothing to the LCD display, can't adjust anything) until the Hive calls for heat at which point it gets powered up and after completing the startup it fires up and starts heating.

I'm a bit concerned at this, as I'd have thought it should be on a permanent live (so the controls work, and so do the sensors etc that it's bound to have) and it's not designed to have the power pulled and re-started every time the Hive thermostat calls for heat. I'm not sure if this would invalidate any WB guarantee if the controls suffered premature failure from repeated power cycling every day.

I don't recall the installer going near the Hive receiver, so he's not done any checking/rewiring in there. I removed the dual channel Hive receiver today to check what's wired to where, and I can see a black wire on N, Red wire on L, nothing on 1 or 2, single yellow wire on 3 and 2 yellow wires on 4. I can't tell how the boiler's been wired as I've not been brave enough (yet!) to open that up.

Can anyone with some Hive wiring knowledge tell me if this sounds like something's wrong? Or should my new boiler really be power cycled every time the Hive calls for heat?

TIA

Alan.

 

[ianmcd]

It is the boiler that has been wired wrong, get the installer back, the boiler needs a permanent live from the fused spur and a switched live from the wiring centre, you will probably have to run a new cable if the old cable was 3 core the boiler now needs 4 core

 

[Shawad]

Thanks Ian, he's actually coming back today to finish the condensate soakaway so I'll make sure he gets it on his snagging/to-do list. Spur powering the boiler isn't fused either - probably too much hassle for him to change it.

Boiler was bought through Heatable, so I'm guessing he wants to spend minimal time installing it for his (fixed) payment.

 

[ianmcd]

Boiler was bought through Heatable, so I'm guessing he wants to spend minimal time installing it for his (fixed) payment.

That is the problem with these schemes, you pay premium prices to get the services of bottom feeders that dont have a clue what they are doing, if it doesnt have a fused spur and you need a warranty call , they will probably refuse to carry out any work, and rightly so, you should insist it is installed correctly and wired correctly, at the end of the day that is what you have paid for

 

[Shawad]

There's a switched spur right next to the boiler - just not fused. I'm actually beginning to wonder if the cowboy builders only installed a switched live from the wiring centre to run the old boiler (if that's possible, I'm speculating and not got a clue) and that's what he's wired up. There's only 1 cable going to the switch and then onto the boiler.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's got a clue, just seems that he's been lazy and taken the easy option with my installation.

 

[ianmcd]

There's only 1 wire going to the switch and then onto the boiler.

I am guessing you mean one cable and not one wire ? your old boiler would only need 1 cable with 3 cores, your new boiler needs one cable with 4 cores

 

[Shawad]

Yes I meant Cable, not wire.

The cable running to the switch next to the boiler is indeed only 3 core, then what looks like 2 core to the boiler, although all 3 cables coming from the wiring centre look to be 4 core, so not sure. There is a spare 4 core wire (Live, neutral, switched live, earth) currently wired into a frost stat/pipe stat that's no longer required as the boiler is now in a converted garage. I'm wondering if that's going to the wiring centre if he could now use that for the boiler (with a bit of rewiring in the wiring centre? Or am I way off on that one...

 

[ianmcd]

Yes I meant Cable, not wire.

The cable running to the switch next to the boiler is indeed only 3 core, then what looks like 2 core to the boiler, although all 3 cables coming from the wiring centre look to be 4 core, so not sure. There is a spare 4 core wire (Live, neutral, switched live, earth) currently wired into a frost stat/pipe stat that's no longer required as the boiler is now in a converted garage. I'm wondering if that's going to the wiring centre if he could now use that for the boiler (with a bit of rewiring in the wiring centre? Or am I way off on that one...

Not really a big job to be honest if you know what you are doing , but it sounds like your installer doesnt