can lead to premature failure of one or more components of the boiler 100 the short cycling prevention state affects the operation of the standby and or running modes for example the short cycling prevention state can adjust one or more set values to a default value e g automatically change the temperature differential to three degrees celsius change a temperature set point etc can adjust a set value e g increase the temperature differential of the normal state by one degree celsius hour until the short cycling condition ceases and or can force a minimum amount of time to elapse before allowing cycling to occur e g delay a call for heat for a minimum of at least 180 seconds after the last call for heat one result of the short cycling prevention state is the delaying of one or more cycles such that the number of cycles in a time period is reduced for one construction the controller 205 issues an alarm informing the user that a short cycling condition occurred when the controller 205 enters the short cycling prevention state for this construction the controller 205 stays in the short cycling prevention state until the user acknowledges the condition in another construction the controller 205 operates in the short cycling prevention state for a time period upon detecting the short cycling condition after the time period has lapsed the controller 205 returns to the normal state or other applicable state to determine whether the condition causing the short cycling has resolved itself if not then.