Whaddaya make of this "pro" effort?

[ABCwarrior]

Ok....wee bit of background on this to make sense of it. We have a multifuel stove, in event of power failure they installed a thermosyphon/gravity radiator which is controlled electrically by a valve (Honeywell V4043B "Normally Open"). Power fails, valve opens(current keeps it closed), water goes to thermosyphon rad and thermal store doesn't boil/explode.
That's the theory.
Last Dec lost power 26 hrs, rad never went warm, thermal store boiled...
Company that installed it finally appeared last week and lifted floorboards next to it. Valve to plumbing was shut so water would never go through it, Honeywell valve wasn't connected(Think John Wayne at this point and you're getting there...). They did this and left. Now rad is on permanently....Just did a wee check and turned off power at the mains, disconnected the 3 wires to the valve in the choc box and connected a table lamp, power on, no light....so then traced the cable to the wall and found a junction box with this f***ing mess inside...

Untitled

• ABCwarrior
• 14 Apr 2012
• 2

Now, from what I've traced the thermostat cable comes into the box, it has L,E, a black and a grey cable. The wire from the Honeywell valve (L,N,E) has been part spliced to it. As in the Live from the valve is connected to the Grey of the stat, The earth is common earthed in some other bit and the Neutral is connected to F**K ALL...

To say I'm disgusted with this is such an understatement. Can anyone advise from what you can see whether I should just piggy back the LNE for the valve to recognised LNE connectors there or get them back to sort this shambles out. They have to come back at some point as they installed an internal spec sensor choc box on the roof for the thermal solar panel and two hard Scottish winters have seen to them all right...

Yeee haaaa round em up!!!!!!

 

[jj4091]

If it is just for protection in the event of a power failure then why should it need a connection to a thermostat. It would appear there may be a bit more to it than you suspect & I would suggest you leave it to the suppliers to rectify. Thats what you paid for after all.

 

[ABCwarrior]

Yeah, that's a good point....Why is it spliced to the grey from the stat? Must be a reason?(though it could very well be like that through sheer incompetence though knowing the company involved)
It's supposed to be closed when power is on, then if power fails it opens, but why that should involve the thermostat is bizarre.... Surely if it relied on some kind of heat sensor/ input to open it, it would have more than a basic LNE cable attached to it?

 

[matt1e]

where is the stat located?
on a pipe or in your upstairs hall where the rad is?
if the latter and it is a room stat then it may need a neutral connection to it. If it does need one, then the grey core should really have used as neutral but you say that the valve brown is connected to this .
I would be temped to get the installers back to finish the job they started
but it is likely that the valve neutral just needs connecting.

Matt

 

[ABCwarrior]

Hi Matt- the stat is the cylinder one on the side of the thermal store. As I say the cable is grey/black/earth/live. I am tempted to strip the end of the blue, and connect it to a block that is clearly blue only.
At the moment because there's no power to it I've shut both valves on the hot/cold feed to the rad.
If I connect up the neutral I could then open these valves. If the rad heats up then there is probably no live(ie no current so the valve will be open). I could then disconnect the brown from the grey and connect that to a clear and obvious brown and repeat the test with the valves to see if that works. I can't see WTF the thermostat should have to do with it. its a power failure safety device after all...?

 

[matt1e]

I can't see WTF the thermostat should have to do with it. its a power failure safety device after all...?

no it's primarily an overheat/control device the stat is part of the safety/control system
if the thermal store gets too hot/to temp it will open the valve and the excess heat from the stove gets dumped in the Rads
similary if the power fails and the system shuts down the excess heat fron the stove gets dumped in the rads.

Matt

 

[ABCwarrior]

But surely that's what would happen in a power cut? Or is this in case the thermostat goes faulty when it goes over say 90c it will open the valve? I seriously don't think it's that complicated.
Anyway- just been up and connected the "spare" blue/N wire to a cluster of quite clearly blue/N. I connected up the light again and hey presto this time it works. Reconnected the Honeywell valve and opened the two water valves- while the power was off the big rad started warming up. I've since powered up and will see what happens. No big deal didn't want to go messing with that grey wire but a Neutral is a Neutral and should go somewhere...just hope this is it sorted. Will wait til the fire's roaring then see if it's still cold, then kill the power and see how the radiator fares....

 

[OwainDIYer]

To say I'm disgusted with this is such an understatement. Can anyone advise from what you can see whether I should just piggy back the LNE for the valve to recognised LNE connectors there or get them back to sort this shambles out.

You should get them to send out a qualified electrician to sort this shambles out.

And by 'qualified electrician' I mean someone with City & Guilds certificates and photo id to ensure the certificates actually belong to the person who turns up.

If they can't do that then tell them you've lost faith in their ability to perform the contract to a reasonable standard and you'll employ your own electrician and seek recovery of all your costs against them in the Sheriff Court.

My mother could do a better job than that.

 

[ABCwarrior]

I'll second that Owain. like a third world effort...I got a bit of flak on here for installing a new CU and shower, doing all the plumbing too. ok i couldn't test it but the workmanship compared to this is exemplary. And its all fine still alive!! This work is supposedly done by a pro....jaw dropping...