OP
MicraShed
Its a home brew affair. The hot water is gravity fed, only the heating is pumped.stick a timer in the circuit to the cylinder stat, jobs a goodun. (I think, but I'm not entirely familiar with this set up - is the heating circuit pumped or gravity fed as well?).
The cylinder stat is a strap on type:-
The control box is basically a power relay which switches depending on whether there is a "call" from either room stat or cylinder stat.
This one is the original prototype - the one I have on the boiler now is neatened up a little and in a plastic case but is essentially the same:
Power is sent to the boiler controls for the water / heating depending on whether there is a call from the thermostats. A neon on the top of the unit indicates if its the water & heating or just the water that is active (ie if the pump is running or not).
No doubt people will exclaim WTF? But at the time this was necessary to ensure I had hot water when i needed it and heating when I needed it as I work erratic shifts (I might have mentioned Im a nurse these days?) So the house (quite well insulated) remains at a background temp of 17 degrees, when I get up I simply put the heating up to 20, when i go to bed or go out I shut it back down to 17.
Sounds horrific? Well by maintaining a background heat it takes less time to get the house up to a comfortable temperature. Gas use for a four bed semi over 2011 averaged between 13kWh/day (Summer) to 33kWh day (winter).
Last edited by a moderator: