Mystery thermostat - can't work out what it is for

[aaronwood66]

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with this. I am nearing the end of my narrowboat renovation and have got my head around everything thrown at me so far. However, I can't work out what this is/what it does/or where it is connected.

 

I am in the process of replacing an old Alde gas boiler with a Webasto diesel boiler, and but the one thing I am not replacing is my calorifier. This thermostat device has been resting on the floor here, with these 2 wires running up inside the wall. I can't really remove the wall or surrounding area easily, so wondered where they were going to, and if it had anything to do with the old Alde, or is this for the calorifier? I have no idea what to do with this, or how it works?

 

Sorry, I have been trying to search for an answer but just can't seem to type the words to get me an answer!

[jonesthenuke]

The red wires must go somewhere so can you see them back at the boiler?

 

[blackrose]

I suspect it's an external thermostat fitted to the mains immersion heater in the calorifier (assuming you have one fitted?)

 

Normally the thermostat settings are on the electrical end of the immersion heater under a plastic cap. But if the end of the calorifier with the immersion heater isn't easily accessible then an external auxiliary thermostat might make sense.

Edited October 25, 2022 by blackrose

[GUMPY]

That is a cylinder/pipe stat, as in the name it connects onto a cylinder or pipe held on by a spring on the back. Used to switch boiler on/off when temperature is not correct.

Can be used fir other things I had one controlling the extractor fan in my engine bay

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/flomasta-cylinder-thermostat-230v/6803k

Edited October 25, 2022 by Loddon

[blackrose]

Ok I stand corrected.

[StephenA]

if the Alde routes through the calorifier then its probably a tank thermostat to turn the Alde pump on and off.

[Opener]

An unlikely answer...... My Alde lived in a cupboard. Overall water temperature depended upon the setting of the black control knob. But operation of the pump to circulate water depended upon the setting of a switch+thermostat in the cabin space. A low setting meant the pump would not operate. Turn switch on and turn thermostat up to make pump work. 

But a control thermostat in enclosed space sounds unlikely unless it is set high so that it "commands" all the time.

[StephenA]

They are usually bolted to the cylinder. Ours is wired in parallel with the Alde room thermostat.

[springy]

Have you tried adjusting it - you can usually just hear the click as it opens and closes, then see what works or stops working. 

 

springy

Edited October 25, 2022 by springy

[Ken X]

This is our calorifier Thermostat which turns the boiler on and off. Do you have an oblong hole in the calorifier insulation anywhere?

[MtB]

I'm not convinced the OP's thermostat is a cylinder stat. Note the range on the cylinder stat in the post above this, 40C to 90C. 

 

The OP's thermostat goes right down to 10C, unnecessarily low for a cylinder stat. My money is on it having been manufactured as a pipe thermostat. Whether or not that is what its being used for in his installation can only be determined by careful examination of the whole system including drawing a wiring diagram. 

[pete23]

It’s a pipe stat.

I had one on the hot pipe of the fire back boiler, when it got to a certain temp it kicked a circulation pump in and pumped hot water through the rads.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, pete23 said:

It’s a pipe stat.

I had one on the hot pipe of the fire back boiler, when it got to a certain temp it kicked a circulation pump in and pumped hot water through the rads.

 

 

Yes I agree. 

 

The OP seems to think there is some sort of universal design all narrowboats are built to but this is just not true. That pipe stat could have been installed and used for just ANYTHING. 

 

Given they are installing a new Webasto diesel boiler they should just follow the installation instructions religiously. If this pipe stat fits in with what the manual says then great. If not, then do/install whatever the manual says. Period. 

[Tracy D'arth]

Its a pipe stat for sure. Hopefully with that wiring it is low (12v) voltage so likely to switch a pump on when the selected pipe gets to a temperature.

[ditchcrawler]

Why is it so difficult to just follow the wires.

[IanM]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Why is it so difficult to just follow the wires.

 

Quite.  As the OP is coming to the end of his narrowboat renovation I would have thought the first thing to do before starting to renovate said narrowboat is to work out where everything goes and what it does!

[Momac]

[GUMPY]

25 minutes ago, MartynG said:

 

That's  a screenshot from my link in post 4

 

[Momac]

18 minutes ago, Loddon said:

 

That's  a screenshot from my link in post 4

 

Sorry I didn't see that 

These days you can search for images on Google - which found it 

 

 

[MtB]

53 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Sorry I didn't see that 

These days you can search for images on Google - which found it 

 

 

 

 

The temperature range on the OP's thermostat is clearly different from the cylinder stat photos being posted. Also the OP's stat has the bobbins on each side for fixing it to a pipe. 

 

[Momac]

16 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

The temperature range on the OP's thermostat is clearly different from the cylinder stat photos being posted. Also the OP's stat has the bobbins on each side for fixing it to a pipe. 

 

The Screwfix item can be used  as a pipe thermostat according to the advert.

The temperature range is only slightly different. Is that significant?

 

[MtB]

1 hour ago, MartynG said:

The temperature range is only slightly different. Is that significant?

 

Well yes, it differentiates the pipe thermostat from a cylinder thermostat. As I keep saying! 

 

I'll be impressed if you can attach a cylinder thermostat to a pipe (without resorting to gaffer tape, lol). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Momac]

7 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Well yes, it differentiates the pipe thermostat from a cylinder thermostat. As I keep saying! 

 

I'll be impressed if you can attach a cylinder thermostat to a pipe (without resorting to gaffer tape, lol). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The screwfix item can be attached to a pipe according to the screwfix advert. 

It seems to me to have the same means of fitting as the OP's item

Here is another that is dual pipe/cylinder thermostat 

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by MartynG

[aaronwood66]

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this, and for identifying it as a cylinder or pipe thermostat (more likely the latter).  And from everyone's explanations, I now understand (at least in theory) what this kind of thing is used for - many thanks!

 

From what everyone has said, it sounds like whatever reason this was installed for, it will not be necessary with my new Webasto install.
 

On 25/10/2022 at 21:52, Ken X said:

This is our calorifier Thermostat which turns the boiler on and off. Do you have an oblong hole in the calorifier insulation anywhere?

 

Thanks for this suggestion - I will take a closer look to see if this has been done on mine

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, aaronwood66 said:

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this, and for identifying it as a cylinder or pipe thermostat (more likely the latter).  And from everyone's explanations, I now understand (at least in theory) what this kind of thing is used for - many thanks!

 

From what everyone has said, it sounds like whatever reason this was installed for, it will not be necessary with my new Webasto install.
 

 

Thanks for this suggestion - I will take a closer look to see if this has been done on mine

So what is it connected to at the moment?