Is my boiler wired right?

[rewireIT]

Just looking at my boiler wiring out of interest, and just wondering if it's wired correctly.

So perma lives, neutrals and earths in the right place, but i can't figure out the switch lives to the controller.

If i follow the circuit it seems like the earth of the 4 core is acting as some sort of live to the controller even though the perma live is already there. If i volt stick it, the earth is live at both ends at all times, the black is showing 50v amperage only sometimes and then dead others.

From the wiring diagram i would have assumed the 4 core would go to the switch as L N E and the black would act as the sole switch wire.

What am i missing?

(Ps thanks for your help - i'm trying to get more into the domestic side of stuff having grown sick of site work so this is my first foray into stuff like boilers.)

PPS the controller is not a stat, it's just on/off. Timer/temp etc is built onto the boiler.

 

[davesparks]

Nah was just having a look inside out of interest, boiler works perfectly - i just click the controller on and the boiler comes on, click it off for off.

Disconnect it from the boiler terminals and see if this voltage remains at the boiler terminals.

When i just stick one pin of the voltmeter into the black i sometimes get 50v AC.

Then there's probably something up with your tester if it is displaying a voltage when only one probe is connected to something. You can't measure a voltage at a single point, it is always a measurement between two points.

On second thought it could just be the voltmeter showing that as part of showing an AC current since i wasn't measuring across more than one wire.

A voltmeter does not show current, it measures a potential difference in Volts. An Ammeter measures a current in Amps

I don't think there's a problem i'm just trying to work out in my head how the circuit works - who said house bashing was easy!

The circuit is a simple switch, a thermostat is just a switch which is operated by a change in temperature. When the temperature is lower than the set temperature the thermostat switches on and connects the two control terminals of the boiler together.
In your case the thermostat also has a permanent live and neutral supply to power it's electronics.

Domestic circuits, including heating controls, are at the relatively easy end of the spectrum.
Domestic installation work, or at least good work, is a skillset in its own right and can be hard as anything else.

 

[Avo Mk8]

It's supposed to be wireless? No other equipment i'm afraid, just that and the boiler. I was gonna get a smarter thermostat but can't justify a couple of hundred quid to do what i can simply do manually.

What you have is a wireless receiver, and back in the day would likely have had the HCW80 room stat paired to it somewhere in the house. Pic below in case you've seen that on the wall somewhere. It's battery powered.
It's been superseded by newer designs now, but you might pick one up on Ebay if you ever felt like it. It would need to be the old model to be able to pair it with your receiver.

The general view seems to be to replace with newer version if you need it, eg:

Honeywell RF thermostat

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, can an admin please move it if necessary. My multi fuel room heater/boiler has a Honeywell HCW80 thermostat paired to a R6660D receiver. I'm beginning to think the HCW80 is faulty. It had lost it's pairing with the receiver due to dead batteries over the...

www.plumbersforums.net

 

[MJPD29]

Voltage stick is as good as a chocolate fireguard, you need to measure it with a proper meter. Using g/y as anything other than earth does not comply with regulation and I’d advise you to get it fixed. Also, 50v is voltage, not amperage.

 

[brianmoooore]

Using g/y as anything other than earth does not comply with regulation

Bad practice at any time, but not actually contravening regs until the recent amendment, as long as it was sleeved with a 'live' colour at each end, (which this one isn't.)

 

[Avo Mk8]

Voltage stick is as good as a chocolate fireguard, you need to measure it with a proper meter.

To be fair to the OP (see post #7) he is using a Fluke voltage tester, a lot more use than a chocolate fireguard.
It's not a 'proper meter', but safer as a basic tester than a cheap multimeter!

Electrical Tester | Fluke T90 Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester | Fluke

Fluke T90 Two-pole Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester. This voltage tester is the basic tool you need to check voltage presence. Slim design and fast answers available anywhere

www.fluke.com

 

[rewireIT]

To be fair to the OP (see post #7) he is using a Fluke voltage tester, a lot more use than a chocolate fireguard.
It's not a 'proper meter', but safer as a basic tester than a cheap multimeter!

Electrical Tester | Fluke T90 Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester | Fluke

Fluke T90 Two-pole Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester. This voltage tester is the basic tool you need to check voltage presence. Slim design and fast answers available anywhere

www.fluke.com

To be fair to me, i was using it to test whether the power was off, so basically using it for what it's made for. Just noticed it was giving voltage on what should be the switch live.

I also accidentally called it current above - i don't know what else to call AC but it flashes up AC when voltage is detected. I figured since it's 50v AC i could call it 'AC current' since AC is alternating current. Is there some other terminology i should be using?

 

[MJPD29]

To be fair to the OP (see post #7) he is using a Fluke voltage tester, a lot more use than a chocolate fireguard.
It's not a 'proper meter', but safer as a basic tester than a cheap multimeter!

Electrical Tester | Fluke T90 Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester | Fluke

Fluke T90 Two-pole Voltage and Continuity Electrical Tester. This voltage tester is the basic tool you need to check voltage presence. Slim design and fast answers available anywhere

www.fluke.com

My apologies, thought it was a non contact volt stick. I won’t admit I was wrong because I’m too stubborn, I just wasn’t totally right.

 

[rewireIT]

My apologies, thought it was a non contact volt stick. I won’t admit I was wrong because I’m too stubborn, I just wasn’t totally right.

Oh no i learned very early on to basically shove that to the bottom of the bag and forget about it.

 

[oscar21]

Bad practice at any time, but not actually contravening regs until the recent amendment, as long as it was sleeved with a 'live' colour at each end, (which this one isn't.)

Which new reg is that and how are you supposed to know about them unless you read all 6000 pages of wafle

 

[loz2754]

Which new reg is that and how are you supposed to know about them unless you read all 6000 pages of wafle

As a practising electrician, you should make it your business to be aware of any changes in the regulations, which are not waffle, but are designed to improve the safety of electrical installations. There are update courses, and numerous YouTube videos outlining the changes.

 

[davesparks]

Which new reg is that and how are you supposed to know about them unless you read all 6000 pages of wafle

You are supposed to know by keeping yourself up to date with changes to the regulations, laws, developments in technology and scientific advances.

 

[DefyG]

Which new reg is that and how are you supposed to know about them unless you read all 6000 pages of wafle

Looks like Ive been short changed as there only about 600 in my copy!

 

[rewireIT]

I read my copy to the kids of a night time, gets them off to bobies nice and quick

 

[DPG]

Which new reg is that and how are you supposed to know about them unless you read all 6000 pages of wafle

If you don't keep up with changes then you will likely end up doing some things that are not compliant. Surely it's part of being a professional electrician.

 

[brianmoooore]

Surely it's part if being a professional electrician.

Exactly this. An integral part of the job.