Running a combi boiler with the cold water turned off
- Thread starter Blitherer
- Start date
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Yes, but don't drain the water as an empty secondary heat exchanger can lead to the combi keep reheating the secondary heat exchanger.
Mike
Mike
B
BigBurner
Why would anyone turn off the water on hols? Only a fool would ask that.
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i think bengas's point is why would you only do half the job. 
.
op bengas has a point. either drain the whole house or just dont bother at all. you're probly better off leaving the heating set to constant with the roomstat onabout 10degrees unless your away for a month or more. you're better off just getting a neighborto check the house every couple of days, plus he can do you bin and stop the junk mail building up.
.op bengas has a point. either drain the whole house or just dont bother at all. you're probly better off leaving the heating set to constant with the roomstat onabout 10degrees unless your away for a month or more. you're better off just getting a neighborto check the house every couple of days, plus he can do you bin and stop the junk mail building up.
close but no cigar.
my point is: your installation (house) should be such that it can withstand normal local weather conditions, without the need for turning water off, draining pipes, tanks, cylinder, washer, dishwasher and what have you.
turning off and draining generally causes more problems then it solves.
if you go on holiday, the house does not get much colder than that you are there, so if it does not blow when you are in, chances are it won't when you are out either.
how much do you guys earn a year from repairing frost damage?
my point is: your installation (house) should be such that it can withstand normal local weather conditions, without the need for turning water off, draining pipes, tanks, cylinder, washer, dishwasher and what have you.
turning off and draining generally causes more problems then it solves.
if you go on holiday, the house does not get much colder than that you are there, so if it does not blow when you are in, chances are it won't when you are out either.
how much do you guys earn a year from repairing frost damage?
very little to be honest. but i have seen a 10 bedroom house ruined by it. we cut the boiler off due to fsd failing to operate. the customer kept blowing us out for 2 months until i got called out for a water leak at the house. this 10 bed house was an unnoccupied second house for the lodon dwelling owner . well as there was no heating and january arrrived, the cold mains split in the loft and must have run for days before the postie noticed it. the customer tried to blame us as we had cut the boiler off and made me speak to the home insurance company. i explained that we'd made at least 5 attempts 2 months previously but she was allwas too busy to drive 20 miles to the house. they said thanks, you're not to blame and btw we wont cover the damage either as she made no effort to protect the house. if she'd not tried to unfairly blame us and just told the insurance she'd have probly gottena payout, but alsa she got landed witht the bill for a full refurb .
. well as there was no heating and january arrrived, the cold mains split in the loft and must have run for days before the postie noticed it. the customer tried to blame us as we had cut the boiler off and made me speak to the home insurance company. i explained that we'd made at least 5 attempts 2 months previously but she was allwas too busy to drive 20 miles to the house. they said thanks, you're not to blame and btw we wont cover the damage either as she made no effort to protect the house. if she'd not tried to unfairly blame us and just told the insurance she'd have probly gottena payout, but alsa she got landed witht the bill for a full refurb .
i always turn my water off when away, and leave the heating on if it is winter, i have a combi so if rad leak happens it won't be too much water but mains will run for ever, thats my gamble and better than leaving water on IMHO, a leak can appear any time (wash machine hose etc,) nothing to do with frost but will cause great damage, usually someone goes in to check house lift mail etc when we are away but even if they go in twice a week that means the water will run for 3-4 days, sis in law phoned me the other night with a flood from bathroom, she switched off water as soon as she seen it coning through ceiling but it still made a mess, turns out cistern had cracked, no interference from anyone so must have been a fault in casting, i fitted it about 4 years ago with no prob till now, imagine mess if she was on hols, i'm actually going to fit a sure stop to save me emptying cupboard etc, how lazy is that!!!!!!
B
BigBurner
A responsible man would have isolated the main water supply when isolating a boiler in a empty house.
When turning off the mains supply, just make sure the pipes are under pressure. The combi will have 1 bar against the plates in the plate heat exchanger. Turn off the mains supply and open the taps and there will be zero on the other side. OK the plate is supposed to cope with this. But if the plate is oldish it may create a problem.
a responsible owner would have shown up the next day and the following 5 appointments and not said they were too busy and actully accepted the free repair 4 MONTHS before the leak happened.
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