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Towerstat RF receiver failed?

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Neal

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Oct 21, 2009, 4:53:57 AM10/21/09
to
I have a Towerstat RF thermostat controlling my central heating (about
a year old).

http://www.tfc-group.co.uk/assets/graphics/static/STT%20RF.pdf

After the summer (when it never started because the temperature did
not drop), I have now noticed it is not working

The transmitter bit seems to be fine, but the reciever has no light on
it, and reading that doc above suggest it should.
No idea when it failed.

There is an on/off switch on the receiver, but this has no effect. I
have inspected the electrical connections and they are all still fine,
and the boiler itself works fine for hot water, so it is getting
power.

Is there a fuse of some sort inside this receiver unit? Or any other
obvious reason for failure?

JimK

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Oct 21, 2009, 8:43:26 AM10/21/09
to

sure you haven't switched the CH part of the (seperate) programmer off
for summer and not turned it back on for winter? - that would show the
symptoms you describe...

JimK

Neal

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Oct 21, 2009, 10:28:30 AM10/21/09
to

No, the transmitter part shows that it thinks the heating is on.
(little fan symbol)

Harry Bloomfield

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Oct 21, 2009, 1:09:36 PM10/21/09
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on 21/10/2009, Neal supposed :

> No, the transmitter part shows that it thinks the heating is on.
> (little fan symbol)

Read the instructions, it may have lost its 'pairing'.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk


Dave Liquorice

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Oct 21, 2009, 1:28:41 PM10/21/09
to
On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:09:36 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

>> No, the transmitter part shows that it thinks the heating is on.
>> (little fan symbol)

That doesn't answer the question that was asked. Have you checked
that any programmer/switch before the *reciever* is also on.


> Read the instructions, it may have lost its 'pairing'.

I'd check any batteries first then check the pairing (or more likely
just go through the pairing sequence).

I expect the light on the Rx only comes on when it has correctly
received a call for heat from the Tx.

--
Cheers
Dave.

JimK

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Oct 21, 2009, 1:58:32 PM10/21/09
to

mmm yeah i don't mean the towerstat transmitter thing i mean the
programmer next to your boiler that the towerstat receiver is
connected to..... you with me?

JimK

JimK

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Oct 21, 2009, 2:08:26 PM10/21/09
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On Oct 21, 6:28 pm, "Dave Liquorice" <allsortsnotthis...@howhill.com>
wrote:

my similar sounding Towerstat RF jobby turns from red led to green led
when heat is called.
...and of course when CH channek of programmer is "off" no LED at
all...... that's my guess--- OP??

JimK

Neal

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Oct 23, 2009, 8:18:54 AM10/23/09
to

apologies for slow response - internet failure

1) boiler and bolier controls all set ready to turn on when called by
the swiched live from the thermostat
2) Thermostat transmitter part is callling for hot water (fan symbol)
3) no lights AT ALL on thermostat receiver. From reading the manual I
posted I am expecting a permament red light, and a green light only
when heating is actively on.

So, as I said, it appears the termostat receiver has failed.

JimK

unread,
Oct 23, 2009, 9:38:18 AM10/23/09
to

or there is no power getting to the receiver perhaps because the CH
channel of your central heating proogrammer is switched off for
summer.... or maybe a wiring fault.... or maybe the receiver has
died ...

So deducing from what you have said :- the receiver bit was showing a
red LED since the weather warmed up in spring (and your transmitter
stopped calling for heat)? until it stopped showing a red led? if
that's the case and NOTHING ELSE has been changed, then yes I would
tend to agree the fault may be with the receiver.

Cheers
JimK


The Natural Philosopher

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Oct 24, 2009, 6:55:30 AM10/24/09
to

My sunvic did the same. They wouldn't sell me a receiver, or fix it, so
I bitched and moaned that I would never by sunvic again. They sent me a
free replacement.

I did fiddle with ity a bit and found the rail voltage was too low.
Something had shorted inside as when I set it up on a 9v supply it
worked, just not from the mains.

Jeremy

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Feb 25, 2017, 2:44:10 PM2/25/17
to
replying to JimK, Jeremy wrote:
I have had several Towerstat RF receivers fail and I am writing here with a
fix. The problem is a capacitor that becomes faulty. It is a large yellow
capacitor labelled Tenta 0.56uF on the circuit board. I was unable to find
this particular capacitor available online. A similar one from another
manufacturer was too large and stopped the unit fitting back together
properly. I solved it by using a 0.47uF Tenta capacitor which was physically
small enough that it worked. The small difference in value seems not to make
any difference to the operation.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/towerstat-rf-receiver-failed-590959-.htm


Brian Gaff

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Feb 26, 2017, 3:51:45 AM2/26/17
to
These dry out or go open circuit with age and heat. Don't make em like they
used to, obviously.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Jeremy" <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote in
message news:c8lsA.247082$2w2.2...@fx42.am4...

Graham.

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Feb 26, 2017, 10:46:28 AM2/26/17
to
On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 08:51:42 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
<bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>These dry out or go open circuit with age and heat. Don't make em like they
>used to, obviously.
> Brian

I imagine it was the capacitive dropper He was wise to use the smaller
value but it was unnessasary to source the same make. As long as it
was X2 and 275vAC rated he would have been OK. I'm saying this to you
Brian, because Homewreckers rarely return.
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

charles

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Feb 26, 2017, 10:57:41 AM2/26/17
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In article <o8u4uv$tdp$1...@news.albasani.net>, Brian Gaff
<bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> These dry out or go open circuit with age and heat. Don't make em like
> they used to, obviously. Brian

They made them like that in the 1960s. I used to be a maintenance
supervisor at BBC TvC. "Change C1" was the standard cure to one particular
fault. (they were yellow, too)

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England

Jeremy

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Feb 27, 2017, 7:44:06 AM2/27/17
to
replying to Graham., Jeremy wrote:
Yes of course it was not necessary to use the same make. However there are
not many options available for this value and specification (X2, 275V as you
say). I tried a Panasonic ECQU2A564KLA which is widely available but it was a
couple of mm too tall and it turns out that the couple of mm meant that it
pushed against the tops of the electrolytics on the other board and prevented
the unit from assembling properly. I did spend some time trawling for a
replacement before I discovered the 0.47uF ones, and I hoped it would be
regarded as a useful post in case anyone else has the same difficulties as me
in sourcing a capacitor that is physically small enough to fit.

Graham.

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Feb 27, 2017, 8:18:04 AM2/27/17
to
On Mon, 27 Feb 2017 12:44:04 GMT, Jeremy
<caedfaa9ed1216d60ef...@example.com> wrote:

>replying to Graham., Jeremy wrote:
>Yes of course it was not necessary to use the same make. However there are
>not many options available for this value and specification (X2, 275V as you
>say). I tried a Panasonic ECQU2A564KLA which is widely available but it was a
>couple of mm too tall and it turns out that the couple of mm meant that it
>pushed against the tops of the electrolytics on the other board and prevented
>the unit from assembling properly. I did spend some time trawling for a
>replacement before I discovered the 0.47uF ones, and I hoped it would be
>regarded as a useful post in case anyone else has the same difficulties as me
>in sourcing a capacitor that is physically small enough to fit.


Sorry I was rude Jeremy, but it was more frustration at Homeowners Hub
than you personally.

Hopefully this should explain why.
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Home_owners_hub
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Jeremy

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Feb 27, 2017, 11:44:04 AM2/27/17
to
replying to Graham., Jeremy wrote:
Accepted, and I know that this thread was started in 2009 which I guess is
what you were referring to. But while I have seen plenty of questions on
various fora about this fault in the Towerstat RF receiver, I have not seen
any adequate solutions proposed. Most people wrongly assume that it is a
pairing issue and point people to the dip switches. This was the only way I
could think of to share my experience that there is a relatively
straightforward fix that would get picked up by search engines.

Greg McCawley

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Jan 28, 2019, 12:14:06 PM1/28/19
to
replying to Jeremy, Greg McCawley wrote:
> http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Home_owners_hub


Hi, I can confirm that Jeremy is absolutely correct about the 560nF capacitor
(equivalent to 0.56 micro Farads). I had exactly the same symptoms of the
Receiver failing, found this thread and when I disassembled the Receiver I
found the exact same capacitor as described ( I ordered a new one
(https://vod.ebay.co.uk/vod/FetchOrderDetails?itemid=273357520826&transid=2102521971017&qu=1&ul_noapp=true)
replaced it and the Receiver immediately worked. I had checked the dimensions
on the Wurth website and it is 1mm less in the critical height. Thank you,
that has saved me £55 less the cost of the capacitor - Keep up the good
work!> --
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