Discuss No switched live to boiler? in the Central Heating Forum area at PlumbersForums.net
Yes, that is the proposal.Grand so, that's the way to do it alright.
Does the boiler still need a permanent live though as well as the (proposed) switched live, most boilers do for overrun etc.
Hi CheshireYou are right Basher, the orange ones are on 10! And of course I could check whether there is voltage on 10 (I am just a bit reluctant to open an electric panel before switching off supply, I never usually do that...), although I am totally convinced that there is, following all the logic of a standard S-Plan. But the voltage on 10 is not taken anywhere, so I am now convinced that the solution would be to connect terminal 10 on my S-Plan wiring to the Switched Live terminal on my boiler (x2 connector no 1 on the Intergas Compact HRE). Question 1: Would you concur from what you can see?
I have also thought about how the UFH zone valve could be brought into play, as this valve is directly connected via L, N, E, only to the UFH wiring centre. If I connected the grey wire from this valve (currently unused) to terminal 1 permanent live (alongside the grey wires from the other two valves), and the orange wire (currently unused) to Terminal 10 (alongside the orange wires from the other two valves), I believe that the microswitch in the UFH zone valve would close when the valve is activated, and provide a live to the no 10 terminal, just as the other two valves do via their orange wires. Question 2: Does this make sense to you?
I have read the boiler instructions, and connecting one wire from the wiring centre to one connector in the boiler is a 5 minute job. No other wires would have to be changed. I may have to take out the link between 6 and 7 on the x4 connector, which I believe makes the boiler think that it needs to be permanently on. I would obviously do this with the power supply turned off. This should then result in the boiler coming on and off when valves are opening or closing. Question 3: Does this make sense, and would this require any other setting change to the boiler?
Thanks for all the help, it is all clear in my head now, would just appreciate some additional views!
I think I will rather continue to seek advice than do a bang test - very grateful for the hints and tips, which is exactly what helped me discover the two point of supply issue. It was not me who wired it up in the first place!OP .. you seem to have made up your mind what you are going to do so crack on with the bang test
AND you shouldn’t have 2 points of supply to your central heating system - it tends to irritate the guys who service them as they don’t like getting shocks ..
Indeed, all of that, plus I believe replace power supply to UFH valve with power supply from wiring centre (solving the two supply source issue, I do think this needs to be done for safety), and use cable between UFH wring centre and S-Plan wiring centre to connect to boiler enable on the UFH wiring centre, wiring it into S-Plan like a thermostat for another zone.Yes, that is the proposal.
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Hi Cheshire
The consensus seems to be that what you described earlier is the way to go.
ie get electrician to:
Replace present 3 core cable to boiler with 4 core to carry both a perm live, and a switched live from terminal 10
wire UFH valve grey wire to live
wire UFH valve orange wire also to term 10 (there may be a spare core to implement that?)
job done!
It’s a bog standard one, mine is iflo but the Drayton ones look identical. Definitely not volts free...it is the live feed going through for CH and HW. I am puzzled how this could be wired up like this only two years ago. As I said, luckily I removed circuit breaker before looking at wiring and did not touch anything before building up a through understanding, but the wiring centre could definitely be receiving a live feed from programmer even when boiler switch is off!the dreaded 'borrowed neutral'
before answering, I wondered what model the programmer Is, and how it is wired. If it just switches the wiring centre via 'volt free' contacts with the live coming from the wiring centre and returning via the appropriate core, there would not be a hazard in the way you describe.
Oops, why does it not integrate with boiler switch/thermostat? I just put a saved search on eBay for the LW934 as it is no longer sold anywhere. Is it not just like a timed switch that you can schedule, activate via app, or indeed press manually?I used a Lightwave electric switch LW934 to control a water heater, and scheduled it with the app, but that won't integrate with a Lightwave thermostat controlling the boiler switch. And the boost button would be your phone!
it does all those things - schedule, activate by app, and press manually, yes. Sorry, the integrate comment is misleading - I was thinking you might want to 'talk to it' via the boiler switch/thermostat.Oops, why does it not integrate with boiler switch/thermostat? I just put a saved search on eBay for the LW934 as it is no longer sold anywhere. Is it not just like a timed switch that you can schedule, activate via app, or indeed press manually?
I reconnected the boiler, and power cut out again immediately...Interestingly, the fuse is not blown. I tried various fuses in the process, so it was not down to one specific one. How can the power to the entire wiring centre be cut, with the fuse remaining operational?
Nothing is actually tripping. The fuse in the spur is also intact. Just a ll the devices connected to the spur stop working. Last night, I fully disconnected the boiler, other devices were fine again. Then I put everything in the boiler back to the state it was in before (6,7 connector on x4 back in, removed switched live from 1 in x2), and connecter it all into the wiring centre in the same places as yesterday. Now the boiler is running again, in the old (non-switched) manner. I just cannot explain at all why other devices lose mains power, too, without anything actually tripping...What is tripping? MCB? RCD?
Could it be a dodgey connection? Maybe a bit of sleeving slightly under a screw terminal somewhere? Otherwise needs diagnosis with a tester or multimeter when it's in 'fault' mode!Nothing is actually tripping. The fuse in the spur is also intact. Just a ll the devices connected to the spur stop working. Last night, I fully disconnected the boiler, other devices were fine again. Then I put everything in the boiler back to the state it was in before (6,7 connector on x4 back in, removed switched live from 1 in x2), and connecter it all into the wiring centre in the same places as yesterday. Now the boiler is running again, in the old (non-switched) manner. I just cannot explain at all why other devices lose mains power, too, without anything actually tripping...
Sorry I wasn't suggesting there was anything wrong with the boiler connections. I was thinking more of the mains supply to the spur, and wonder if anything had been disturbed during removal of the original programmer, unless I have misunderstood the extent of your upgrade.This is a possibility of course, but I am trying to understand the logic...Why would there be no more feed to the hot water switch if the boiler connection was 'dodgy'? Why did the 3 AMP fuse not blow (get destroyed)? Could a short circuit of some kind create a scenario in which this could happen?
Nothing is actually tripping. The fuse in the spur is also intact. Just a ll the devices connected to the spur stop working. Last night, I fully disconnected the boiler, other devices were fine again. Then I put everything in the boiler back to the state it was in before (6,7 connector on x4 back in, removed switched live from 1 in x2), and connecter it all into the wiring centre in the same places as yesterday. Now the boiler is running again, in the old (non-switched) manner. I just cannot explain at all why other devices lose mains power, too, without anything actually tripping...
Permanent live - as I had before. The idea was to introduce a switched live, of course, plus some other upgrades (wireless controllers etc. - which all work fine).What do you mean by the non-switched manner?, is the boiler now stopping/starting from the programmer/mid position valve in all modes or have you a permanent live from somewhere and the boiler is permanently on just starting/stopping on its boiler stat?.
So far I have not tested with a multimeter - I do not really like opening the wiring centre when the power is on. So it could of course be a neutral connection. If I 'lost' one neutral (say the boiler neutral, which was the latest change when I swapped from 3 core to 4 core cable, was 'dodgy'), could that cause other devices attached to the spur to stop functioning (even though they worked fine before)?How were you testing for a feed? With a multimeter? Sure you've not lost a neutral somewhere?
Yes, I can do that once I am convinced that it is now working OK again without the switched live - as mentioned I reconnected everything this morning so I may have eliminated a 'dodgy' connection. Boiler has been running fine all morning in permanent live mode.Can you connect say a 100W test lamp or bulb across the switched live in the wiring centre and switch between the three different modes and see what happens.
I do have a multimeter, I am not taking any chances with electricity. But so far I never even had the wiring centre open when the power was (supposedly) on. I understand what you are saying about the voltage, even without any component operating.This really needs to be tested with a multimeter and by someone experienced. If you lost a neutral or have a dodgy connection at the boiler then the boiler won't engage, likewise if there was a dodgy connection in the wiring centre it will have the same affect on all system components. As Murdoch said above the live/lives could well be carrying full voltage but without a neutral there is no loop created and no function of components.
The only real way to test this is with a multimeter, checking for 230 volts between live and neutral and live and earth, not with a terminal screwdriver I suspect you've used?
I would appreciate this. The wiring centre which I purchased is a Danfoss WC4B which is purpose made for S/Y-Plan wiring, and the small clips in the neutral and earth blocks came pre-installed.@Murdoch can ypu explain to him the requirements in this case. My understanding is any wires or links should be of suitable size and insulated. If not then I can see potential arching, which would obviously cause things to trip as well as potential fire hazards.
All wires are insulated and fitted with insulated ferrrules. Links between Live terminals are made with 1.5mm insulated links. It is just the earths and neutrals that are fitted without ferrules, alongside the 'clip links'.Those links are supplied with the wiring centre and are already in place for how the wiring should be done. They are ok but all other wires should be insulated.
I started 'meddling' because I paid somebody who fed two live feeds into the wiring centre that were not isolated by the boiler switch, left the messiest of wiring centres and did not include a switched live to the boiler. I appreciate the advice not to take risks with electricity, but I do find it very helpful to understand what is going on, even if I then ask somebody to implement. Thanks for all the help so far!My advice is to stop meddling and pay somebody .
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