New C/H control

[Duke Thrust]

Chaps,

Currently got rather an old mechanical timer on the boiler and would like to replace it. I’d like something with a thermostat control and also the ability to control a least 2 different zones.

It’s a gravity system with a hot water tank, not a combi.

Can anyone recommend a new control system?

[Ferg]

Hmmmm....
If it's a gravity system you haven't got a lot of choice over controlling it. If you aren't intending to move I'd look at fully pumping it, to be honest. Far more efficient.

[Duke Thrust]

Ah sorry, I think I'm confusing matters here - it's a gravity fill, open system, not a pressurised system.

Both the C/H and the H/W are pumped.

[Ferg]

The timer etc are the easy bit. Are you up to speed on the zone valves? Has it been piped for separate zones?

[Ricky_M]

Horstmann do a 3 channel programmer that can be used to control 3 zones independently.

http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/horstmann-h...

[Duke Thrust]

Ferg said:

The timer etc are the easy bit. Are you up to speed on the zone valves?

Not nearly as much as I'd like, no past experience of them.

Ferg said:

Has it been piped for separate zones?

Yes and no. I want two zones, the ground floor and then the floors above. The feed and return T off to serve the ground floor and then continue onto the upper floors. My (possibly flawed) idea was to have a valve on both the flow and then the return just past the T on the 'upper floor side' so when they were shut off the T's effectively become elbows and the system just runs the ground floor.

Utter tosh or feasible?

[Ferg]

If ALL the radiator flows are served by that pipe then a Zone Valve on just the flow will suffice.

Important to ensure that all the returns are commoned BEFORE being tee'd into the boiler return i.e. not some on one tee and some on another.

VITAL is ensuring that you don't obstruct a vent path with a valve.

[Gingerbread Man]

Ricky_M said:

Horstmann do a 3 channel programmer that can be used to control 3 zones independently.

http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/horstmann-h...

Horstman. Horrid horrid things that electricians fit and plumbers don't.

[Ferg]

Gingerbread Man said:

Ricky_M said:

Horstmann do a 3 channel programmer that can be used to control 3 zones independently.

http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/horstmann-h...

Horstman. Horrid horrid things that electricians fit and plumbers don't.

ROFL!! Spot on!!! I'd fit a programmer and a separate time-switch!!

[Duke Thrust]

Ferg said:

If ALL the radiator flows are served by that pipe then a Zone Valve on just the flow will suffice.

Important to ensure that all the returns are commoned BEFORE being tee'd into the boiler return i.e. not some on one tee and some on another.

VITAL is ensuring that you don't obstruct a vent path with a valve.

Thanks Ferg, your advice is alaways gratefully received.

Not sure I understand your point re the returns being commoned before the boiler, would that not always be the case?

[Ferg]

The idea is that they don't come into the boiler return either side of any OTHER zone (for example, the cylinder).

[Duke Thrust]

Ferg said:

The idea is that they don't come into the boiler return either side of any OTHER zone (for example, the cylinder).

Ah, I think I understand.

On the 'zone 1' it's only the down stairs radiators on both the feed and return - everything else is on the rest.

Is there a system you'd recommend for this?

You have mail by the way.

[Gingerbread Man]

Duke Thrust said:

Ferg said:

The idea is that they don't come into the boiler return either side of any OTHER zone (for example, the cylinder).

Ah, I think I understand.

On the 'zone 1' it's only the down stairs radiators on both the feed and return - everything else is on the rest.

Is there a system you'd recommend for this?

You have mail by the way.

Are you after....

One programmer for the heating and hot water. Then two room stats; An upstairs one and a downstairs one controlling two zone valves (the two zones)?

[Duke Thrust]

Gingerbread Man said:

Duke Thrust said:

Ferg said:

The idea is that they don't come into the boiler return either side of any OTHER zone (for example, the cylinder).

Ah, I think I understand.

On the 'zone 1' it's only the down stairs radiators on both the feed and return - everything else is on the rest.

Is there a system you'd recommend for this?

You have mail by the way.

Are you after....

One programmer for the heating and hot water. Then two room stats; An upstairs one and a downstairs one controlling two zone valves (the two zones)?

Yes