Discuss Upgrade to Smart Heating Controls on an existing system in the Central Heating Systems area at ElectriciansForums.net

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E

E.Alien

I rent out a holiday cottage in the middle of nowhere (Inverie, Knoydart..only accessible by boat) and would like to be able to control the system over the Internet , IPad /iPhone app.

The controls would I think also need to be operated in the house , not using an app/Internet. The house has fairly reliable hi-speed broadband (although Abigail has just caused some service interruptions . It happens.)

The boiler is oil fired, with underfloor heating upstairs and downstairs. Each room has a wired thermostat.

There is an unvented hot water cylinder.

There are also three bathroom towel rads - two have TRVs.

The existing control /timer unit is a Horstmann Centaur Plus C27 .

I will need to get an electrician to install but am researching the options. The nearest electrician doesn't have any experience of Smart Controls.

Some further info , something which I'd like advice on if possible , (may in fact be a total red herring!! and no I'm not a plumber!! )

With the timer , it it is not possible to set the heating to come on without the water . The water comes on when the heating is on.

It is possible to have the water on without the heating( but rather surprisingly all the bathroom towel rail radiators also heat up when the water alone is on).

I 'd love to know if it is is indeed possible to have the heating on without the water; whether this is simply happening because of the way the timer has been wired up? (I know there is a difference between gravity and pumped systems, but I don't know what this system is , nor do I know what to look for to find out? ) The system is quite a new one - maybe 7 years old or so.

The reason this is that I'd like to leave the underfloor heating on very low in winter , without heating the hot water tank and bathroom radiators at the same time .


I'd be most grateful for any advice . Many thanks.
 
I surprised no one has replied as yet, they must all be very busy. I'm no expert on CH systems, but dependant on how your plumbing has been done it is possible to control water & CH separately. Perhaps you could take a picture of the heating controls/valves as a start, and then some of the other more conversant chaps will come along to advise. It may also be possible, to add some 'Smart' controls, dependant on the control valve system you have.
 
Thank you Midwest,

Yes photos would be a good idea. I am though presently 375 miles away from the property, but can try to get someone to take photos and send them onto me to post here . It could take a little while.

I wonder though if it's possible to advise about Smart controls irrespective of the independent heating/ hot water issue - perhaps even assuming that it remains as is currently set up?
 
You either have, or used to have a gravity system. The hot water channel on the programmer fires the boiler and the heated water gravitates to the hot water cylinder. The heating channel only operates a pump which pumps heated water through the radiators but does not fire the boiler.
So the hot water must be on for the heating to work.

There will be a switch on the back of the programmer to set it to either gravity or pumped system. It may be that the switch is set incorrectly or you may have a gravity system and be stuck with it working like that.
 
Thanks Davesparks. So, I wonder then if it's possible to test if it's simply an incorrect switch setup - if the programmer switch was changed and set up to operate them separately - the outcome would be either only a) that the heating wouldn't heat up , or b) it would . ???
 
Hi E.
It sounds like the hot water circulation is connected to the towel rails. To know exactly what is going on I would suggest you get a good plumber in to map out the plumbing configuration. Honeywell evohome is your best solution for your needs and is 100% reliable.
 
Superfast broadband in Knoydart, wow! but well done, I am in Aberdeen City and on 'go slow' broadband, all the big Oil companies got upgraded but the minions got left behind, so much for government promoting fibre for everyone.
 
Superfast broadband in Knoydart, wow! but well done, I am in Aberdeen City and on 'go slow' broadband, all the big Oil companies got upgraded but the minions got left behind, so much for government promoting fibre for everyone.


Yes, HebNet - a community broadband project with a radio link to Mallaig from a mast on the headland. Small Isles also part of the project, and Much better than the Avanti satellite broadband it replaced.

http://www.hie.co.uk/common/handlers/download-document.ashx?id=59021d4e-61bf-4696-9bdb-a202b15aaa12
 
The Avanti initiative has never worked well. Much better to have your own connection. More and more locations on the west coast are looking at these community broadband projects, I know we are.

Do you know what the boiler type and model is? Is it located outside? Many in this neck of the woods are combi boilers?
 
Done one a few years ago we used small alarm panel with dial up relay, kept very simple, dial in input code heating on dial in again enter code heating off. Unless you want full control ?
 

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