Combi boiler - do I need an appliance switch?

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kamil99

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Hello,

We bought a house and in the kitchen, right next to the kitchen ceiling light switch there's an appliance switch (20A neon type) controlling the combi boiler installed upstairs in the bathroom.

It's very confusing having 2 switches for 2 completely different things right next to each other and I imagine the boiler one being accidentally switched from time to time.

Is this switch mandatory? There already is a switched fused spur switch next to the boiler in the bathroom cupboard. Can this kitchen switch be removed from the circuit? Would it be possible to simply permanently connect all the wiring together and cover it with a blanking plate? Does it have to be done by a qualified electrician being it in a kitchen?

I appreciate your help.

Regards,
Kam
 
There must be A switch which isolates the complete heating system.

Why do you think there are two?

Depending on which switch does what, you may be able to do as you want.
There are no restrictions because it is in a kitchen.
 
There are 2 switches.

Where the boiler is wired into the system there is a fused spur switch which is switched. That switch sits with the boiler in the bathroom cupboard.
In the kitchen there's another switch which looks just like a regular light switch (except for the additional neon light) which switches the power to the boiler on or off.

It wouldn't bother me at all if the kitchen switch was hidden out of the way. It's right next to the kitchen light switch. I mean right next to it - they're touching each other.
You come in to the kitchen and there are 2 'light' switches. Except that 1 is the actual light and the other is boiler. I remember which is which but house guests would probably flick the boiler one first being it closer. It amazes me somebody actually thought this was a good place for this switch.
 
Yes, I understood.

I meant why do you think somebody has put the switch next to the light switch?
Is it of any benefit?

As I said, you will need to determine if one of the switches (hopefully the one by the boiler) turns off the whole system - all wiring to boiler and other parts such as thermostats, any zone valves etc.
If the two switches are separate and isolate different parts then some rewiring will be needed before you can remove it.
 
The kitchen is an extension to the house so the layout around it used to be different.
My guess is the switch in the kitchen was there first as it looks really old. Very old fashioned and badly yellowed.
The switch upstairs is new and it looks like it was fitted with the boiler ~1 year ago.

Apart from the boiler there isn't anything electrical in the heating system. This is an old '30 house with simple central heating.

I'm going to have to have a closer look at it or maybe get somebody in.

Thanks for your input EFLImpudence.
 
If the switch by the boiler turns off the neon on the other switch and there are no other parts in the heating system it would probably be alright to do as you want.
 
If it turns out that the one in the kitchen is not simply in series with the one in the bathroom, you could replace it with a key switch.
 
Hi, if i follow your post correctly, you have a 20a switch supplying a FCU which is next to the boiler. You want to remove the 20a switch completley as its next to the light switch.
I would suspect that this circuit was for the immersion heater in the past. You could remove the 20a switch and connect the wiring through and fit a blank plate.

Regards,

DS
 
deadshort said:
Hi, if i follow your post correctly, you have a 20a switch supplying a FCU which is next to the boiler. You want to remove the 20a switch completley as its next to the light switch.
I would suspect that this circuit was for the immersion heater in the past. You could remove the 20a switch and connect the wiring through and fit a blank plate.

Regards,

DS
Click to expand...

I think the same as DS.

Often immersion switches could be put in such convenient places to save going upstairs to switch on the immersion.

Assuming everything is as you've described, you can join the cables with 15 or 30 amp connector blocks. If the back box is metal, make sure it's earthed.
 
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