Old underfloor heating - wont cool down

[vcb1981]

We live in a ground floor flat, have underfloor heating which is split into 2 - the living room and the hallway/kitchen (2 separate wall controls). The flat is about 30 years old, so the underfloor heating is prob that old too! No gas in the flat (not sure if it makes any difference).

The past few years, in the summer, we have just turned off the switch in our airing cupboard (next to the boiler) and the underfloor heating is off for the summer (cant think of any other way to get it of). We dont really get hot water in the flat (the shower is electric but still works when switch is off and we have to use kettle for washing up!) so turning the hot water off isn't a problem in the past.

This year, the heating in the living room has gone off ok as normal but the underfloor heating in the hallway and kitchen is still on! We have tried playing with them temp gauge on the wall (it's as low as it will go), tried turning it on and off again, tried turning off various switches on our electric power board but nothing!

We did have a flood last year and no wondering if we could of knocked something when in the middle of the night tried to turn off the water form the airing cupboard or maybe something has come lose on its own? It is strange that the living room heating has gone though and we have even tried turning of various switches from the elec power board but it still heats away!

Any advice that we could try? Our skills are reasonably basic (we aren't in the trade) but aren't affraid to have a try with something as money is tight at the moment but cant handle the heat in our flat at the moment!

Thanks, Vicki, Birmignham

 

[mysteryman]

You need to establish whether it is electric or wet underfloor heating, and then look for switches and/or valves.

 

[vcb1981]

Stupid question coming up - how do i find out if it is electric or water??!!

Sorry... I know I should know!

 

[JohnD]

does it get hot when the boiler is on, and cold when the boiler is off?

if it is electric you will have an enormous electricity bill and the meter will never stop spinning while the UFH is on.

edited
you say you have no gas in the house, so it will be electric wires, not water

There should be an electrical room thermostat in each room with UFH (turn it down to 15C or so) and there will be fuses or breakers in your consumer unit ("fusebox") most likely blue or 15Amp, one for each room. there may even be a separate CU for the UFH and you can turn it off for the summer.

It is not usual to find that people who don't worry about the electricity bill turn up the room stats in the completely wrong belief that it makes the room heat up faster.

 

[vcb1981]

Thank you. Yes, no gas and our electric bills are very high in the summer!

At the moment both are turned down to as low as they will go - cant remember what the temp is. They are very old looking things with just a turn dial. We usually have them about half way in the winter but always have to turn on the boiler switch for it to work.

We did turn off one or 2 of the switches (fusebox) over night to see if that would help but didn't notice any difference in the heat in the hall way. Will have another look though tonight.

If that didn't work, what would be the next step?

Thanks both for your help so far. it really is appreciated!

 

[JohnD]

if you haven't got gas, you haven't got a boiler (unless oil or solid fuel?)

I think perhaps you mean a hot water cylinder.

Please describe or photograph the switch you mean.
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

 

[vcb1981]

oh dear, how embarrassing. Yes, I mean a hot water cylinder.

Not at home at the mo so don't have a pic unfortunately. It looks like a light switch though with a red light to indicate when it on. Right next to cylinder. Just does on and off (light a light switch!).

I cant find a picture of one either!

Sorry