"Clever" controller for central heating?
Discussion
Further to my thread about heating (link below), can anyone recommend a controller that would allow us to set different temperatures for different time sectors (ie to drop the temp at night but then set it warmer for getting up time?).
At the moment we have a Drayton controller which is very basic and a separate wall stat - is is straightforward to replace the controller with something more sophisticated?
Cheers
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
At the moment we have a Drayton controller which is very basic and a separate wall stat - is is straightforward to replace the controller with something more sophisticated?
Cheers
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
In my last two houses I had a HorstMann Centurstat 7. It replaces the std mechanical thermostat on the wall and runs of a couple of batteries which last years. (You set the boiler to "constant")
It seeks to a particular temperature for early morning, daytime, evening and night - plus it has different settings and times for weekends. Very simple and reliable.
http://www.horstmann.co.uk/downloads/ElectronicDoc...
It seeks to a particular temperature for early morning, daytime, evening and night - plus it has different settings and times for weekends. Very simple and reliable.
http://www.horstmann.co.uk/downloads/ElectronicDoc...
I just did exactly what you are describing with a Honeywell programmable 'stat that runs on a a couple of batteries and lets me set different temps 5 times a day for seven days (or something like that). As it was replacing a standard Honeywell 'stat the wall mounting points were the same so did not even need to get the drill out.....
We have this one http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&...
Very happy with it, especially the holiday mode.
Very happy with it, especially the holiday mode.
Just bought a new house, and while the heating works, the thermostat doesn't.
Basically, the timer switches on the heating and hot water (it is a basic timer and cannot control heat/water separately on timer), but the room thermostat is simply ignored.
I had narrowed down a replacement to the exact Honeywell room thermostat recommended here.
A question though- I was going to replace the timer and hot water cylinder thermostat with the Honeywell ones too (they do a kit which includes all three), although the current ones do seem to work. Would this be worth doing or should I simply concentrate on getting a new room thermostat sorted?
Basically, the timer switches on the heating and hot water (it is a basic timer and cannot control heat/water separately on timer), but the room thermostat is simply ignored.
I had narrowed down a replacement to the exact Honeywell room thermostat recommended here.
A question though- I was going to replace the timer and hot water cylinder thermostat with the Honeywell ones too (they do a kit which includes all three), although the current ones do seem to work. Would this be worth doing or should I simply concentrate on getting a new room thermostat sorted?What you want is a Programmable Room Thermostat. Another vote for the Honeywell CM927.
You can set the temperature for 6 different times of the day for each day individually.
It has a built in frost stat that switches the heating on if the house drops below a certain temp.
Holiday Mode, which keeps the house at a sensible temperature, 15 degrees usually, while you are away and resumes the normal function on the day of your return so the house is nice and warm for you.
It has a few other handy features, but most importantly it has a big backlit screen and is easy to use.
You can set the temperature for 6 different times of the day for each day individually.
It has a built in frost stat that switches the heating on if the house drops below a certain temp.
Holiday Mode, which keeps the house at a sensible temperature, 15 degrees usually, while you are away and resumes the normal function on the day of your return so the house is nice and warm for you.
It has a few other handy features, but most importantly it has a big backlit screen and is easy to use.
I assume I need to change the timer switch in the airing cupboard too as currently it cannot control heat and hot water separately. Therefore the new wizzy room thermostat would handle the heating, but I'd have to have the water heated 24/7 too, without getting something that can control them separately.
Edited to add: Ahh, I think I've seen the light!! I leave my current timer to Always ON for the heating and Auto for the Hot Water so it only controls the hot water. I then use the Honeywell Room Thermostat to control the heating. Although my current timer cannot control heating/hot water separately via its timer, it does allow control of one or both manually. This was confusing me.
Edited to add: Ahh, I think I've seen the light!! I leave my current timer to Always ON for the heating and Auto for the Hot Water so it only controls the hot water. I then use the Honeywell Room Thermostat to control the heating. Although my current timer cannot control heating/hot water separately via its timer, it does allow control of one or both manually. This was confusing me.
Edited by page3 on Sunday 2nd January 17:45
page3 said:
Just bought a new house, and while the heating works, the thermostat doesn't.
It's possible, but pretty unlikely, that the thermostat is faulty. Your other post about not being able to control the heating and hot water separately is also odd - systems in the "old" days were almost always like this but not now, and you wouldn't have a cylinder 'stat if it wasn't separately controllable.I think you should get the builders back - sounds like you might have a wiring issue.
page3 said:
I assume I need to change the timer switch in the airing cupboard too as currently it cannot control heat and hot water separately. Therefore the new wizzy room thermostat would handle the heating, but I'd have to have the water heated 24/7 too, without getting something that can control them separately.
Edited to add: Ahh, I think I've seen the light!! I leave my current timer to Always ON for the heating and Auto for the Hot Water so it only controls the hot water. I then use the Honeywell Room Thermostat to control the heating. Although my current timer cannot control heating/hot water separately via its timer, it does allow control of one or both manually. This was confusing me.
Edited to add: Ahh, I think I've seen the light!! I leave my current timer to Always ON for the heating and Auto for the Hot Water so it only controls the hot water. I then use the Honeywell Room Thermostat to control the heating. Although my current timer cannot control heating/hot water separately via its timer, it does allow control of one or both manually. This was confusing me.
Edited by page3 on Sunday 2nd January 17:45
A simple timer in the airing cupboard will have a mechanical dial for you to set your times up on, and triple throw switches (on-off-timed) for the heating and the water.
Replace your stat with a clever one (whether wireless or not), then switch heating to "on" and let the stat take the strain. Then set up the airing cupboard timer to heat water when you want and leave it on timed (or replace for a digital one if you want).
skilly1 said:
So Can I replace this for a Honeywell CM927 - if so is it easy? Are there just two wires I need to connect to the new controller?
CM927 is wireless, isn't it? Normally the receiver would be fitted near the boiler and then the transmitter can be installed anywhere you like.You'd probably be better with a simpler programmable (non-wireless) 'stat unless you have good access to the thermostat wiring at the boiler end.
Your old one may have up to 4 wires - live, heating call, neutral and earth. The new programmable theremostat will normally be battery operated and had voltage free contacts so you just need to connect live and heating call across the contacts - doesn't matter which way around.
That is the exact stat I pulled off the wall. IIRC there were 2 wires, and I needed to link two terminals on the back of the wall unit.
This is the read I started this time last year when I was looking into it myself - hopefully it will give you some answers!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
ETA: top post of page 3 shows you what you need to do wiringwise...
This is the read I started this time last year when I was looking into it myself - hopefully it will give you some answers!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
ETA: top post of page 3 shows you what you need to do wiringwise...
Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Sunday 2nd January 19:14
skilly1 said:
So Can I replace this for a Honeywell CM927 - if so is it easy? Are there just two wires I need to connect to the new controller?
There are three wires plus an earth in there. Make the Neutral safe either here or in the heating junction box, then switch the other two wires with a new programmable thermostat.NiceCupOfTea said:
Bloody hell, have I nothing better to do!!??
Ferg said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
Bloody hell, have I nothing better to do!!??
Bit of a thread highjack, but I have a similar question. Following on from my badly installed boiler (electrics) thread, I would like similar control to the honeywell CM927 except with control over the water side of the system as well. Whilst the heating would need to run at regular temperatures until midnight, the water heating could be cut at 9pm - there's plenty of water in the tank for a couple of showers, and no need to heat it until the next morning. Also if we're on holiday or out for the day there's no need for water heating at all.
So is there a controller that allows variable temperature settings through the day, is capable of optimisation, and will also manage the water heating including the holiday programming?
So is there a controller that allows variable temperature settings through the day, is capable of optimisation, and will also manage the water heating including the holiday programming?
oldcynic said:
So is there a controller that allows variable temperature settings through the day, is capable of optimisation, and will also manage the water heating including the holiday programming?
Not that I've seen for a while, I have to admit. Normally just a programmer set to constant on the heating side and a programmable room thermostat on the wall.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff