British Gas rant

[newbiejim]

I got remote central heating installed during summer, it has never worked properly, due to the wireless thermostat not being able to communicate robustly with the receiver sited at the boiler. I told the installer it was unlikely it would prove to be robust (as it has three solid brick walls and metal obstructions etc), cheeky chappie says course it will, I bow to his superior knowledge..............only to find it doesn't work, it's signal is intermittent with the receiver...........anyways I call another one out and I again express my opinion.......... nah we'll try another unit as this one might be faulty says he.............(I`m thinkin, ok but 99% sure it wont work), of course its the same.............anyways as its summer I don't hassle them as heating not essential and I can get it to work if I sit the thermostat on the window sill close to where boiler is and leave door open (internal).........I then schedule an appointment for the first day of my precious annual leave, this coming Monday 16th Sept...................today they call me and say its been cancelled as they have a large amount of calls from people with no hot water or heating so I have to reschedule..........I then had a massive rant at the stupendous incompetence of the organisation etc lol........ (they let me down with apt before and didn't even phone when I had taken half a day off). Oddly today their backend was down yet again........I tried phoning but a message told me that due to the high level of boiler related callouts they were closing the line, seriously, WTF?.

I paid £200 for remote and circa £27 a month for their 'cover' , I`ve sent them a moan email asking for comp and refund of £200 if they cant fix the remote etc. Utterly exasperating experience with this mob and I WILL move provider due their rubbish service.

Anyways, rant over lol

 

[newbiejim]

Where have you sited the wireless stat? Why don't you move it closer to the boiler?

Yes, I had to. It just wont work where it is required/desired. I have had to take it off the wall and sit it on downstairs toilet window sill............ far from ideal. Thing is I TOLD them it may have issues with connectivity, and according to their website I meet all the requirements for it to work.

 

[newbiejim]

Ps. did you have an old room stat before the wireless was installed? if so where was it? closer or right where you want the programmer now? if so you could move the receiver to the old stat location and use the old wiring to send the signal the rest of the way to the boiler

Just need live, neut and switch live at the old stat location, so just depends on what wiring your old stat used

Yup this is exactly what I suggested to the engineers, I guess they cba, they will now or its getting returned.

Most wireless stats are, unfortunately, utter ****. They're fine if you've stud walls between the boiler and stat but otherwise best to stick with hard wired ones. Site it in and appropriate location for the house/floor/zone and you're laughing.

I wholeheartedly agree after this debacle.

All they can really dois installed a wired stat. I'd start planning a route for that cable.

Existing one in place from old stat so they should just do it.

 

[newbiejim]

Do you mean old school wireless controls or the new net connected one?

You can get wireless booster plugs for the net connected version, probably works with the older non net wireless version as well i guess? might be worth suggesting and see if they will give you one?

(assuming this boosts between programmer and receiver, not the new hub and programmer, but signal is signal so should do both?)

Also what do you expect with wireless, its doesn't work, always find any wireless product unreliable, i mean how long has the mobile network been going now, 20 years? still doesn't work a lot of the time/in a lot of places.

Also the guy installing can't change the laws of physics, he has a product he has no control over, if the wireless radio/antenna is crap, what is he gonna do redesign it on the spot for you.

so basically the installer is stuck with:
limits of the product
limits the customer places on him, location of receiver and programmer
construction of property
laws of physics!

Ps I know cancelling appts on you is bad but if its true that they are doing it to fix actual breakdowns then what do you want them to do, fix your inconvenience or help families with young kids and little old ladies with no heating or hot water! - tbh they should just hire enough staff, but name a company that does have enough staff nowadays!

Its the net connected one.

Both engineers didn't seem overly keen to attempt a BEST solution, happy to wing it and let me have the hassle, not good. They MUST know the limitations yet knowingly leave the customer with a far from best solution.

I know the limitations of wireless, that's why when I saw the install I suggested it may be less than robust.

Yes the absolutely should hire more staff, like the cutesy cartoon guy in the advert!

Tbh when they asked if I had heating working I could have said no, if I was a cba type of person I would just call them immediately it didn't work without even taking the thermostat to the boiler to make it work.

 

[newbiejim]

Was it a British gas engineer or a electrician contracted in?

It was BG guys, pleasant enough but ultimately failed me, I`m sure they are under pressure to get as many jobs done etc and I sympathise on that level, the organisation is an utter shambles tho.

 

[newbiejim]

That I agree with! I used to actually install for British gas. Next time you get hold of someone with half a brain, tell them you want a hard wired stat. Don't assume the wiring for the old stat will work with the one BG supply their engineers though. They may have to install a 3 core.

cheers m8, thing is dunno if they do a hard wired stat that also communicates with the supplied 'hub' (which is connected to my router) that I assume connects via vpn back to their backend logic/my remote app

 

[newbiejim]

So basically, if they check for 3 core at the old stat, then reverse some of the wiring changes they made to connect that 3 core back into the boiler wiring hub, then fit the wireless receiver where the old stat was = job done

So i suggest
1 - try the above first
2 - if no 3 core at the old stat and you don't want disruption of running cable - try wireless signal booster plug
3 - Have 3 core run to old stat location (or wherever is easiest and will work)

I have my receiver fitted where the old room stat was about 2" below the new programmer/room stat, logic was easier to fit, less hassle, better signal and with programmer/room stat where the old room stat was gives even heat, if you where happy with the heat before with old stat location

Yup, that's what I suggested to them before,excellent responses guys thanks, I have watched the receiver to see it flipping out so to speak, red light then green goes off and boiler stops firing, does the receiver and stat use keepalives?, as the issue is intermittent and random, I was guessing if a keepalive fails it bombs out?

 

[newbiejim]

Hmmm, when I press override as in this GUIDE ( mine is badged British Gas WR1 but looks same unit)the boiler doesn't fire nor does the green light come on.

 

[newbiejim]

override should always work unless the receiver is faulty afaik, try turning boiler off at the spur for 30 secs and back on to try again, maybe a faulty receiver?

I did this and it DID work when I pressed overrride....................once, then back to just not doing it, it does work most of the time ok with thermostat but it seems there may well be an issue with the receiver, cheers

 

[newbiejim]

We've recently had a new boiler fitted by BG and they were great, we also have the wireless thermostat.

The receiver (WR1) is in the airing cupboard with the boiler and the stat is in the living room 1 floor down and the other side of the house (med size 3 bed semi) and we havn't had any problems with connection.

The nano hub is in my man cave connected to the internet which is next to the airing cupboard, am I right in saying that the nano hub connects to the room stat and not the WR1 ?, again the nano hub has no problems connecting to anything.

Yes the 'nano' hub is connected to their backend logic and in turn connects to your thermostat.