After TWO experienced electricians have fallen at the first hurdle I am wondering why? What's installed is full ufh on ground floor, rads upstairs and dhw. There is a weather compensator to remove (Tekmar) and nobody seems to be able to remove it? Last electrician said it couldn't be removed and system reduced to S Plan. Do I need a bomb disposal squad ?? Help.
Is central heating wiring so complicated
- Thread starter Mike2007
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Heating systems are not basically complicated, providing you can get your brain round it.
After all , its essentially only a selection of switches that are operated by other things.
It just needs a logical approach and some thought. Two attributes that are sadly thin on the ground these days.
Maybe look for a heating engineer, rather than an electrician.
After all , its essentially only a selection of switches that are operated by other things.
It just needs a logical approach and some thought. Two attributes that are sadly thin on the ground these days.
Maybe look for a heating engineer, rather than an electrician.
Yes, so I guess this means all the plumbing is linked into this "brain". Unfortunately the Tekmar "brain" has gone wrong.
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I think your best plan would be to find a Tekmar service engineer, if there is such an animal. Or start with an HVAC engineer.
It may be a simple component failure, you need someone with experience with that specific manufacturer.
It may be a simple component failure, you need someone with experience with that specific manufacturer.
Yes, thats the problem. These electric gadgets are wonderful and exotic when working but should the break its chaos. Tekmar is Canadian, but it seems no so widespread over here.
I think you need a decent spark and plumber, preferable ones that have worked together previously. Not only will rewiring be required, but I would assume replacement valves etc too.
As above it will almost certainly be operating a mixing valve rather than a standard heating zone valve. Though there should be no technical reason why the plumbing can't be altered to a standard S or S+ Plan.
The Satchwell DC1400 is the only one I have experience with, it is quite a common model around this area and works in a similar way if you are looking to replace it rather than ditch the compensation system. It isn't cheap though at around £900, I wonder how long it would take to get your money back.
What is the fault with the one you have? Age related power supply faults a often found in this sort of thing, especially if they are sited in a hot boiler room. Possibly repairable.
The Satchwell DC1400 is the only one I have experience with, it is quite a common model around this area and works in a similar way if you are looking to replace it rather than ditch the compensation system. It isn't cheap though at around £900, I wonder how long it would take to get your money back.
What is the fault with the one you have? Age related power supply faults a often found in this sort of thing, especially if they are sited in a hot boiler room. Possibly repairable.
I did do a big of Googling on Tekmar. Seems failing capacitors is not unknown.
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Industrial electricians have to work on units like shown on the PDF link all the time, but Part P has resulted in electricians having to go either industrial or domestic because of the fees which need to be paid by domestic electricians to their scheme providers. So yes domestic electricians are not normally faced with systems like you have.
Even with an industrial electrician yes likely he could fix it, but at what cost? If I was asked to repair it by my boss I would get in and do it, but if asked if I would take on the job I would back heal it. Just not worth the hassle. With any complex system the method is to get a maintenance contract, that way the firm has to fix it, does not matter if they have to sub contract and get in a Tekmar expert or if they can do it in house, they have to do it.
We have maintenance contracts on the washing machine and TV, originally they were on the fridge freezer and TV but the fridge freezer died and they paid out and we did not need the maintenance contract on a freezer with a 10 year warranty.
It's not that electricians can't fix it, but it's the time it would take. If it takes 2 days to fix then the bill will be likely £600 and electricians know people don't like spending that sort of money, they would likely need to absorb some of the costs, so simple way is just not to take on the job.
If you use Canadian products which do not offer UK support then expect problems getting it repaired. It's hard enough to get British heating installers to even set the lock shield valve correctly, what chance do you really expect to get one to repair a Canadian product?
Even with an industrial electrician yes likely he could fix it, but at what cost? If I was asked to repair it by my boss I would get in and do it, but if asked if I would take on the job I would back heal it. Just not worth the hassle. With any complex system the method is to get a maintenance contract, that way the firm has to fix it, does not matter if they have to sub contract and get in a Tekmar expert or if they can do it in house, they have to do it.
We have maintenance contracts on the washing machine and TV, originally they were on the fridge freezer and TV but the fridge freezer died and they paid out and we did not need the maintenance contract on a freezer with a 10 year warranty.
It's not that electricians can't fix it, but it's the time it would take. If it takes 2 days to fix then the bill will be likely £600 and electricians know people don't like spending that sort of money, they would likely need to absorb some of the costs, so simple way is just not to take on the job.
If you use Canadian products which do not offer UK support then expect problems getting it repaired. It's hard enough to get British heating installers to even set the lock shield valve correctly, what chance do you really expect to get one to repair a Canadian product?
What has fixing central heating got to do with industrial electricians or domestic electricians (whatever they are) and Part P (of the Building Regulations)?
Even plumbers and HVAC engineers no longer need to be registered - Cumbria is in England.
Even plumbers and HVAC engineers no longer need to be registered - Cumbria is in England.
The plumbers we work with can't even do (or can't be bothered to do) S or Y plans. Doesn't bother me but god knows how they get any maintenance jobs done. Have had to fault & replace a motorised valve motor for them in the past.
Make sure you get better plumbers than these!
Make sure you get better plumbers than these!
I'm no expert in these controls nor in central heating, but having read through the bumf it appears to switch on & off the boiler & various motorised valves. I am not sure what you mean by " reducing to an S plan " but I am guessing you just want the boiler & heating controlled by a roomstat instead of this device. As far as I know motorised valves can be changed manually as well as electrically, so you just need the roomstat connected to the output from the device to the boiler & all the valves set by hand, & the device disconnecting. Where in Cumbria are you?
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