Heating controls

Oh Knickers

Registered User
Nov 19, 2016
500
0
Hi,

I hope someone will be able to come up a with a suggested solution. My mother (PWD) has, over the last 6 - 7 years,had a history of fiddling with her heating controls. SHe does one of the following:-
    • fiddles with the thermostat and brings temperature down (manic money saving)

    [/LIST
    • Fiddles with the TRV s on the the rads
    ]
    • Fiddles :eek: with the e boiler and manages to switch it off.

    As a result we got a new thermostat installed in the last year. It is a thermostatic programmer by Hon___ ell. She should not be able to re-programme as it has a lift up cover we have not let on about.

    However, her flat is now 19C when she is used to 23C and it is cold today. Having talked through the controls it is possible she has fiddled and got the thermostat to 26C. She had had it at 32C:eek:. End result, as I am 2 hours drive away, suspect she had switched the boiler off.:eek::eek:

    Now I have had enough. I can organise a transparent cover for the thermostat so she is unable to fiddle, or get it moved out of sight - hopefully - out of mind. end result is likely to be high dugeon at no longer being able to 'control' her own life. I am utterly fed-up as feel in a Ground Hog day loop. What I would be grateful for are suggesitons for stopping her managing to switch the boiler off.

    She is in an excellent Extra Assisted Living block. However, the Manager is not a technical whizz - nor should we expect him to be. Unable to get hold of plumber at the mo.

    Unhappily, unable to to lock the cupboard door in which the boiler sits as her coats go there. But any suggestion would be good.

    Many thanks
 

Sam Luvit

Registered User
Oct 19, 2016
6,083
0
East Sussex
Hi Oh Knickers

Saving money by turning down the heating is also common here :(

I got my brother involved (as she listens to him more), reset all the timers with specific temperatures and told her not to fiddle as it would mess it up and he didn't have time to keep doing it. Is there someone other than you, who she would not want to upset, so might listen to? Even if you actually do the resetting, but they "act" as though it's them.

Or you could move the control panel and out a dummy thermostat in the lounge, she can fiddle to her hearts content, but it won't make any difference. Little white lies and all that :eek:

My mum also kept turning off radiators, so I told her, several times and then again, that turning off a radiator would cost more as the rest of the radiators had to get hotter to try to heat the room with no heating on. Unless that room is totally sealed, it will always pull in cold air!! It's taken a while, but she doesn't mess about with them now. Well, she hasn't for a while anyway

No suggestions on the boiler turning off. Maybe some one else can come up with that. Short of putting a false door, boxing it in so she can't get at it, but that depends on where it is in the cupboard & where she hangs her coat in relation to it, not to mention your DIY skills or money available to sort it out

Hope you find something that works :eek:

Sam
 

Amy in the US

Registered User
Feb 28, 2015
4,616
0
USA
I have seen threads about this in the past and when I can get to my computer, will have a search for you, if you like. I don't know if it's reassuring or not, but you are not the only person on TP to deal with this issue.

Some suggestions I recall seeing mentioned:

A "dummy" thermostat, in plain sight, that doesn't actually control anything. The PWD (person with dementia) can fiddle as much as they like.

Securing the actual thermostat under lock and key, and better yet, out of sight.

Using a thermostat that can be controlled remotely, perhaps from your mobile phone, so you can re-set it without being there. I think these are likely expensive, but possibly worth the cost in terms of your time and sanity.

Others more expert than I can perhaps suggest more ideas. I hope you are able to find something that works. Best wishes.
 

arielsmelody

Registered User
Jul 16, 2015
515
0
You can't easily move the boiler, and it's a safety issue if she has started fiddling with it - I'd say you need to find a new place to store the coats and put a child lock on the boiler cupboard.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
Three problems:-

● TRVs - you can get them with limit stops only accessible by removing the cap.

● Space thermostat - Nest, Hive, and tado° amongst others market system allowing control by a mobile phone,

● Boiler - improvised false cover with dummy switch, read the installation instructions for minimum ventilation space requirements.
 

carpe diem

Registered User
Nov 16, 2011
433
0
Bristol
Hi. The route of this problem is probably anxiety about money.
It might be worth a try posting her a card telling her all the bills are paid from the bank and how lucky she is not to have to worry about money. If she reads it over and over it might settle down.
You can buy child proof covers for plugs, maybe it would go over the switch or try taping it down. Put a sign next next to it saying don't touch, all the bills are paid.
Good luck.
 

la lucia

Registered User
Jul 3, 2011
592
0
I think you need to lock that cupboard with the boiler in it asap. It's not safe for her to access.

The thermostat problem can be solved quite cheaply with a moveable WiFi programable control. I have one for my mother's house. It was a life saver. It cost about 45 quid plus labour to fit (it took 15 minutes).

You can programme it to come on at certain times as usual, programme it to come on any time the temperature drops below a certain level but best of all, you can move it anywhere and hide it.

The TRV problem was answered by Nitram but you could also just take the knobs off.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"... you can move it anywhere and hide it."

I which case it will control the temperature where it is hidden, this may not bear any relationship to the living space. In a modern system it's only function is an energy saving one, it switches the boiler off when all individual zone temperatures have been reached. It's location can be critical.

The TRV problem was answered by Nitram but you could also just take the knobs off.

This would leave them all set at maximum.

<As an aside, if your radiators don't warm up after their summer rest one of the things to investigate is whether the pin is free. Remove the cap and using pliers/WD40/light tap with a small hammer make sure it comes up when pushed down>
 

la lucia

Registered User
Jul 3, 2011
592
0
"...

you can move it anywhere and hide it."


I which case it will control the temperature where it is hidden, this may not bear any relationship to the living space. In a modern system it's only function is an energy saving one, it switches

It's not..... I have one and it's extremely good. And cheap (relatively speaking).

Obviously you don't hide it in a hot cupboard but it's easy to keep it out of sight and set it multiple times per day or to react if the temperature drops outside programmed times.

It's not a theory - I set it up for my mother when I had to work abroad for a week and she only had carers/people popping in. It worked perfectly including when the weather changed dramatically midweek. My mother never found it.

I now keep it in my room but the temperature is fine throughout the house.

Before I bought it we had endless problems with my mother and the heating.
 

Pinkys

Registered User
Nov 13, 2014
157
0
South of England
There are two problems here, maybe? The need to fiddle, and that can be sorted with a thermostat that is not attached. I agree about getting someone in to see if boiler can be boxed in. (Perhaps tell her it is new regulations??)

The other problem is her anxiety about bills. She wants the house cooler as it will cost less. No answer to that, though my mum had a deal where it was flat rate based on size of property. Perhaps someone else will know which company offers this to the elderly? However, despite this deal, my mother became obsessed with turning off the lights and sitting in the cold dark, so it is only a stop gap, at best.
 

Oh Knickers

Registered User
Nov 19, 2016
500
0
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.The trouble with mother is she has a memory of a guppy (5 seconds). So she does things and then denies she has done them. Also her comprehension is on the way out.

The programmer I got her means that if she turns the heating down - or up - it will return to what has been set for her. Turning down has been the main issue. Hence the change of controls. On the old dial thermostat she kept turning it down to 15C - rather too chilly and she is now feeling the cold. How am I meant to sort her heating out being 2 hours away? Her logic on money is totally hit and miss so no real logic about turning heating down.

However, the turn up for the story is - there wasn't enough water in the system. The home manager managed to have a fiddle and fix it short-term. Logically, when the plumber came a few weeks ago to fix the bathroom radiator, it is probable he did not check (uh Duh) the water levels in the central heating system. So not mother at all!

However, I will be taking some suggestions raised here further such as organising a cupboard door to hide the boiler so mother does not fiddle with it. More concerned about her having a fiddle and causing an explosion.

Fortunately, the programmer is doing the job keeping her warm. Mother still feels she has control of her heating as she can fiddle with the up and down buttons but remains warm as it is short-term.

And thank you for all your kind thoughts.
 

Witzend

Registered User
Aug 29, 2007
4,283
0
SW London
I think that by the time the person cannot remember any instructions, and will take no notice even if they're in big red letters right in front of them, the only way is to have some sort of locked cupboard or unit fixed over them, so that they cannot get at the controls.
I wish we'd thought of it for my mother, who fiddled endlessly - our taping over controls and signs in big red writing saying DO NOT SWITCH OFF! had no effect whatsoever.
 

Sam Luvit

Registered User
Oct 19, 2016
6,083
0
East Sussex
Short term memory is an issue you just have to work around :D

Every month mum gets her credit card statement and thinks that is how much money she has, so heating goes down, lights go off ..... etc

It's trying, but every month I go through the same thing, here is your bank statement, here is the balance, you are ok :eek:

Box in the boiler so she can't get at it, fit a remote thermostat so you can control it (think one us hive, control from your phone), leave a dummy she can fiddle with

I also got mum an oil filled radiator, cheap to run, so she could feel in control. She would have it in the breakfast room with her, she felt she was being careful, I knew she was warm

It's hard thinking ahead to what will worry her next, but lots of people on here to help, there is always going to be someone who has tried something you could try

Hope you find something that works for you :)

Sam
 

Sam Luvit

Registered User
Oct 19, 2016
6,083
0
East Sussex
Time to "lose" the credit card?

Hi Canary

I have thought about that, but she barely uses it, it's on a regular standing order, so no chance of being missed & she likes to have it

Presently she is very good (too good) with money, she doesn't know how to do on line shopping or TV offers & I'm with her when she is out, so I'm not worried at this stage about her running up a bill

I do get a bit tired of the conversation about how little money she has, but now I recognise the signs, it's getting easier

I will lose the card, tell her it's an age thing, put my name on it etc when I think she needs the protection.

I know I have to parent my parent, which is hard to do, just want her to "feel" as in control of her life as it's possible

Oh the lives we lead & the lies we tell :eek:

Sam