Turning off the boiler programmer thing

A question about : Turning off the boiler programmer thing

I just had a new boiler installed, and it has a little thing next to it which I believe is the programmer. When you press it it turns green from red, and when it is red the boiler doesn't come on. Is it okay to switch this off, or will it harm the boiler? I used to switch my old boiler off at the mains between uses but read how that can cause damage, even if the boiler normally goes five plus hours between uses. I know it'll save little money, but it's more an energy saving thing. Thanks.

Best answers:

• Post more details of what you think is the programmer (name, model etc)- better still add a photo of it.
  From what you've said you'd need a crystal ball to give advice!
  Russ
• Read the instructions for the programmer, if the installer didn't give you any ask him for them or put the model number into Google.
• Little point in switching a programmer of at the mains, as then the boiler won't fire up without manual intervention. So you'll wake up to a cold house.
  The electricity consumption of a modern programmer is so small as to be insignificant.
  Your installer is supposed to take you through the operation of the boiler and it's controls as part of the commissioning process, which you will have been asked to sign for-was this not done?
• There are a few good reasons why you should not turn a boiler off at the mains except for maintainance work. On standby they will only consume a tiny amount of electricity anyway.
  Firstly you disable any boiler frost protection facility. Secondly you disable the pump over run facility that is really important for most modern low water content high efficiency heat exchangers. They can warp and leak or even split if they are allowed to overheat by being turned off suddenly and not allowed to dissipate the heat gradually over five to ten minutes. Finally if you have a combi the hot water preheat will not work. Now some people disable that facility anyway, so thats not all that important to be honest.
  I would just advise that the best way to run your new boiler is the way the maker intended and that it is not really good practice to turn it off at the mains. I regard it as somewhat eccentric behaviour as much as anything. No heating engineer will ever instruct you to do it that way, and with good reason.
• Thanks, all.
  It's all Logic + Combi 24. Cost the landlord over two grand to get it installed, so I imagine it's decent.
  Seronera,
  Is pressing the button on the programmer that turns the light on it from green to red putting it in standby? And if so, is that okay for the boiler, less harmful?
• What's the make & model of the programmer?
• Thanks, both.
  Couldn't find the make of the programmer, don't actually have any instructions for it.
  The ''pump overrun'' thing, I don't think I have seen that yet. I used to see it all the time on the boiler in my last place. I think this one just says the boiler is switching off.
  I imagine it is decent, for the cost. My landlord was a bit shocked when the plumber told him the cost on the phone. I made the plumber tell him so I didn't have to
• Sounds like your turning off the receiver for the wireless CH stat so all your doing is turning off the heating, you could just turn it off at the stat. Run a hot tap and see if boiler fires when light is red to confirm. I wouldn't turn boiler off from mains at all as explained earlier.