CH on heats HW, and HW on heats CH (Ed.)

[Shimlasun]

We’re trying to help my mother in law…
She has EPH thermostat and controller. The controller has control buttons for hot water on one side and heating on the other side. Oddly, putting the heating on also seems to bring on hot water. And also putting the hot water on, puts the heating (radiators on)! We don’t know if it’s been wired incorrectly, or whether a valve related to the boiler pipes might not be working properly to switch between sending hot water to radiators vs taps. She has an oil boiler (Worcester danesmoor). Any ideas? Very grateful if anyone has advice on what might be going on here…

 

[terryplumb]

Motorised valve issue,show us pics of motorised valve
( Small box on pipework with electric cable going into it , usually close to the pump)

 

[cross thread]

Not the sort of thing that can be sorted on here ,but should be easily diagnosed when the system is in front of a competent engineer

 

[Shimlasun]

Motorised valve issue,show us pics of motorised valve
( Small box on pipework with electric cable going into it , usually close to the pump)

Thank you very much, see picture attached

 

[Shimlasun]

Not the sort of thing that can be sorted on here ,but should be easily diagnosed when the system is in front of a competent engineer

Thanks will definitely will be contacting a professional, but input from Terryplumb is extremely helpful to have some sort of idea what is going on and to contact the right professional as we had been going to contact an electrician about dodgy wiring but if seems like a heating engineer would be more sensible if the valve is at fault.

 

[terryplumb]

Thanks for picture ,that's a pump !!

 

[Shimlasun]

Ahh right! I’ve looked up what the motorised valve should look like and have searched around and can’t find one on any of the pipes. We’ll have another hunt around in daylight (it’s out in a garage). Thank you again, at least we know to contact the correct professional!

 

[Stuckinarut]

Ahh right! I’ve looked up what the motorised valve should look like and have searched around and can’t find one on any of the pipes. We’ll have another hunt around in daylight (it’s out in a garage). Thank you again, at least we know to contact the correct professional!

It’s often in the hot water cylinder/airing cupboard.

 

[Shimlasun]

Thank you. We’ve just had a good look in the airing cupboard where the hot water cylinder is and can’t find it, and nowhere to be seen near the boiler either. Is it possible we don’t have one? I hope it’s not buried in a wall or ceiling cavity somewhere!!

 

[Stuckinarut]

Thank you. We’ve just had a good look in the airing cupboard where the hot water cylinder is and can’t find it, and nowhere to be seen near the boiler either. Is it possible we don’t have one? I hope it’s not buried in a wall or ceiling cavity somewhere!!

It’s possible. Can you take a photo of the cylinder cupboard?

 

[Shimlasun]

Sorry bit messy! Does this capture it adequately?

 

[cross thread]

Looks like gravity hot water, rads upstairs are probably getting hot as no anti gravity valve

 

[RandomGrinch]

She has EPH thermostat and controller

Related to @cross thread s comment about a gravity system - what model is the EPH thermostat and controller?

Oddly, putting the heating on also seems to bring on hot water

And has the controller always done this ?

 

[Shimlasun]

Thank you for helping. It’s 2 Zone A27-HW. I’ve just asked, she’s not entirely sure but thinks it has been doing this since around the controller was installed. “It’s never been right”. Do you think that means it might be the controller not installed correctly?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

And also putting the hot water on, puts the heating (radiators on)! We don’t know if it’s been wired incorrectly, or whether a valve related to the boiler pipes might not be working properly to switch between sending hot water to radiators vs taps. She has an oil boiler (Worcester danesmoor).

Has it always behaved like this, or is it something new?

Some system, had a manual valve, and you had to adjust the valve, to CH, or HW.