Apologies in advance for the long post but this is something I am just not able to figure out.
We moved into our home 3.5 years ago, the previous owner did the house up with nice electrics, boiler etc. and said that it was top notch stuff. For most of our time here we have had no issues, however, the heating system seem to be breaking down now and unfotunately the way the boiler is set up is very different to anything I have seen before and so I am completely lost.
Gledhill BoilerMate 2000
We have a Gledhill BoilerMate 2000 upstairs. It clearly states on there that the hot water is 'always on' because the mains water is connected to this unit and it goes straight through the plateheat exchanger inside the unit and produces instant hot water whenever we put the tap on. First thing I want to check - does this mean that all our water (taps, shower) in the house is heated via electric (plate heat exchanger) as opposed to gas? If yes, is the only purpose of the gas supply in the house for cooking and for radiators??
The unit also has a analogue timer (one of those where it has '0', 'clock', '1' dials and then little spokes to push in or out on the timer for when you want the heating on) on the front which seems to have completely stopped working regardless of what position it is set at and so the heating on the radiators is always on (smart meter is constantly on amber unless I switch the Gledhill off at the mains, which they advise not to do). There is also an analogue thermostat at the bottom of the house by the stairwell which also has no impact now as the heating stays on even if I turn the thermostat off. To me this sounds like there is an issue with both the analogue timer on the Gledhill and the thermostat downstairs as no matter what combinations I try, the heating is always on and the only way to stop it is by switching it off at the mains.
First significant question - for any experts here, does this sound like a 'replace the entire boiler' job or a 'fix the analogue timer and thermostat' job? I have tried contacting Gledhill a few times with no luck so my next option would be to speak to other companies who will probably suggest a replacement which will cost a few £k.
Potterton Boiler
To add confusion to this, I also have a 'Potterton' boiler downstairs in the kitchen. This is the one where I can see the flame for when the gas comes on and I have always thought that this was the source of the heating for everything but it looks like this only heats the radiators.
Second significant question - please can someone explain to me, like I am an idiot, how the Potterton boiler and the Gledhill BoilerMate work with each other??
The BoilerMate states the water is heated from the Gledhill plate exchanger (electric) so why is it that I hear and see the Potterton boiler (gas) come on when the kitchen taps are turned on? I am really confused as to why there are different heating sources and how this works.
Usage
Finally, with this issue getting worse recently, my smartmeter is showing a usage of 355kwh in gas and 60kwh in electricity for just under a week's usage!! This is a ridiculous amount and there's only 2 of us in the house! I don't even have to ask the question as to if this is normal. I just wanted to check with the experts on here what my best course of action is as at this rate, forking out a few £k might still be cheaper in the long run.
Thank you so much in advance for any help!!
We moved into our home 3.5 years ago, the previous owner did the house up with nice electrics, boiler etc. and said that it was top notch stuff. For most of our time here we have had no issues, however, the heating system seem to be breaking down now and unfotunately the way the boiler is set up is very different to anything I have seen before and so I am completely lost.
Gledhill BoilerMate 2000
We have a Gledhill BoilerMate 2000 upstairs. It clearly states on there that the hot water is 'always on' because the mains water is connected to this unit and it goes straight through the plateheat exchanger inside the unit and produces instant hot water whenever we put the tap on. First thing I want to check - does this mean that all our water (taps, shower) in the house is heated via electric (plate heat exchanger) as opposed to gas? If yes, is the only purpose of the gas supply in the house for cooking and for radiators??
The unit also has a analogue timer (one of those where it has '0', 'clock', '1' dials and then little spokes to push in or out on the timer for when you want the heating on) on the front which seems to have completely stopped working regardless of what position it is set at and so the heating on the radiators is always on (smart meter is constantly on amber unless I switch the Gledhill off at the mains, which they advise not to do). There is also an analogue thermostat at the bottom of the house by the stairwell which also has no impact now as the heating stays on even if I turn the thermostat off. To me this sounds like there is an issue with both the analogue timer on the Gledhill and the thermostat downstairs as no matter what combinations I try, the heating is always on and the only way to stop it is by switching it off at the mains.
First significant question - for any experts here, does this sound like a 'replace the entire boiler' job or a 'fix the analogue timer and thermostat' job? I have tried contacting Gledhill a few times with no luck so my next option would be to speak to other companies who will probably suggest a replacement which will cost a few £k.
Potterton Boiler
To add confusion to this, I also have a 'Potterton' boiler downstairs in the kitchen. This is the one where I can see the flame for when the gas comes on and I have always thought that this was the source of the heating for everything but it looks like this only heats the radiators.
Second significant question - please can someone explain to me, like I am an idiot, how the Potterton boiler and the Gledhill BoilerMate work with each other??
The BoilerMate states the water is heated from the Gledhill plate exchanger (electric) so why is it that I hear and see the Potterton boiler (gas) come on when the kitchen taps are turned on? I am really confused as to why there are different heating sources and how this works.
Usage
Finally, with this issue getting worse recently, my smartmeter is showing a usage of 355kwh in gas and 60kwh in electricity for just under a week's usage!! This is a ridiculous amount and there's only 2 of us in the house! I don't even have to ask the question as to if this is normal. I just wanted to check with the experts on here what my best course of action is as at this rate, forking out a few £k might still be cheaper in the long run.
Thank you so much in advance for any help!!
