Smart Thermostat

Bendy_House

Hi AAZ.

We need to start with some basics!

(AND we need to know the make and model of your boiler, and the controls you currently have; how do you currently time your boiler to come on, and how do you adjust the room temp? And, how do you adjust the heat in EACH radiator? Photos would be great. Is your boiler a 'combi', or do you have a hot cylinder?)

Bendy_House

Ok, basics 1...

When you turn your boiler on, usually via a timer/programmer, it heats up water to a temp determined by a temp control on the boiler front. So, identify this control, and see what it is set at.

For the best boiler efficiency, you want this temp control to be as low as possible that still works in effectively heating your home. It should make sense that, in winter, this water temp will need to be higher, and it can be lowered as it becomes mild again. Most folk don't bother, and will have their boiler running too hot - an efficiency waste. Anyhoo, that's largely bytheby at the moment - just understand that your boiler just heats water, and at a temp determined by a control on the front.

So, timer/programmer goes click at the set time, and the boiler comes on. The hot water gets to the rads and heats them up. The rooms warm up too.

In MOST rooms, the rads should have TRVs, which are large-headed control knobs with a scale from 1 (or 'frost' = * ) to 5. These numbers correspond roughly to actual room temps, with 1 being around 10oC (I think), 2 being ~16o, 3 is 20o, 4 is 23-ish, that sort of figure. So, in a bedroom, which you might want at, say, 18o, you'd set the TRV at just under 3, and the rad 'should' come on (IF the room temp is less than ~18o) and heat up. As the room temp reaches the TRV setting, it should shut off the flow to the rad, maintaining that temp - Ie, it'll come back on, and off, as required.

So, what's on your rads, and do they do this? 

Bendy_House

Basics 2. 

Your boiler will keep trying to run until a control tells it to turn off. Eg, the timer/programmer that turned it on in the first place, or a room wall thermostat that has sensed that room has reached temp.

Bendy_House

A 'Programmable Thermostat' combines the timer and the room stat. With this you can set the room heating to what you want, at the time you want it. So, 20o at 7am, 16o at 8.30am, 21o at 5pm, that sort of stuff.

A 'Smart' ProgStat adds App control, which is really great, and I'd recommend it. It makes the schedule super-easy to set, and override at will. It allows you to control your heating from your armchair, or from the pub. It gives a record of temps and when your boiler was running - that sort of stuff.

AAZ

Boiler and thermostat one for downstair and one for upstair

AAZ

Bendy_House said:

Ok, basics 1...

When you turn your boiler on, usually via a timer/programmer, it heats up water to a temp determined by a temp control on the boiler front. So, identify this control, and see what it is set at.

For the best boiler efficiency, you want this temp control to be as low as possible that still works in effectively heating your home. It should make sense that, in winter, this water temp will need to be higher, and it can be lowered as it becomes mild again. Most folk don't bother, and will have their boiler running too hot - an efficiency waste. Anyhoo, that's largely bytheby at the moment - just understand that your boiler just heats water, and at a temp determined by a control on the front.

So, timer/programmer goes click at the set time, and the boiler comes on. The hot water gets to the rads and heats them up. The rooms warm up too.

In MOST rooms, the rads should have TRVs, which are large-headed control knobs with a scale from 1 (or 'frost' = * ) to 5. These numbers correspond roughly to actual room temps, with 1 being around 10oC (I think), 2 being ~16o, 3 is 20o, 4 is 23-ish, that sort of figure. So, in a bedroom, which you might want at, say, 18o, you'd set the TRV at just under 3, and the rad 'should' come on (IF the room temp is less than ~18o) and heat up. As the room temp reaches the TRV setting, it should shut off the flow to the rad, maintaining that temp - Ie, it'll come back on, and off, as required.

So, what's on your rads, and do they do this? 

There is TRV in each room and sometime the radiator does not switch on even though I have increased temp on my thermostat , may be it is to do with TRV sensing the room is already at that temp.

I was planning to instal a smart thermostat so it is easier to control temp and switch it on and off more easily through app
I was only looking at Hive and Nest but I should also look at Drayton wiser

macman

If the boiler is responding to the room stats but not all the rads are getting hot, then it may be that you have air in the system, in the pipework or rads? Have you tried bleeding the rads?  If that is not the cause, then the system may simply be full of sludge and needs flushing. Or perhaps the system is not properly balanced?
I'd check the circulation before you start upgrading the controls

BUFF

AAZ said:

Bendy_House said:

Ok, basics 1...

When you turn your boiler on, usually via a timer/programmer, it heats up water to a temp determined by a temp control on the boiler front. So, identify this control, and see what it is set at.

For the best boiler efficiency, you want this temp control to be as low as possible that still works in effectively heating your home. It should make sense that, in winter, this water temp will need to be higher, and it can be lowered as it becomes mild again. Most folk don't bother, and will have their boiler running too hot - an efficiency waste. Anyhoo, that's largely bytheby at the moment - just understand that your boiler just heats water, and at a temp determined by a control on the front.

So, timer/programmer goes click at the set time, and the boiler comes on. The hot water gets to the rads and heats them up. The rooms warm up too.

In MOST rooms, the rads should have TRVs, which are large-headed control knobs with a scale from 1 (or 'frost' = * ) to 5. These numbers correspond roughly to actual room temps, with 1 being around 10oC (I think), 2 being ~16o, 3 is 20o, 4 is 23-ish, that sort of figure. So, in a bedroom, which you might want at, say, 18o, you'd set the TRV at just under 3, and the rad 'should' come on (IF the room temp is less than ~18o) and heat up. As the room temp reaches the TRV setting, it should shut off the flow to the rad, maintaining that temp - Ie, it'll come back on, and off, as required.

So, what's on your rads, and do they do this? 

There is TRV in each room and sometime the radiator does not switch on even though I have increased temp on my thermostat , may be it is to do with TRV sensing the room is already at that temp.

I was planning to instal a smart thermostat so it is easier to control temp and switch it on and off more easily through app
I was only looking at Hive and Nest but I should also look at Drayton wiser

I would also look at Tado. With Black Friday coming up there should be some good deals across "smart" thermostats.
& of course Vaillant have their own.

Btw that Siemens RDH10RF & RCR10/433 set up is a Class IV thermostat. I haven't a clue about the Honeywell but having 2 wireless receivers+thermostats from different  companies seems an unusual set up to me.
Do you have a zone valve?

Bendy_House

AAZ said:

Boiler and thermostat one for downstair and one for upstair

Where, exactly, are these two stats located? In which rooms?

And where is the 'timer'? The clock that tells the boiler when to come on, and go off?

FreeBear

macman said:

If the boiler is responding to the room stats but not all the rads are getting hot, then it may be that you have air in the system, in the pipework or rads? Have you tried bleeding the rads?  If that is not the cause, then the system may simply be full of sludge and needs flushing. Or perhaps the system is not properly balanced?
I'd check the circulation before you start upgrading the controls

Or it could be the pin in the valve under the TRV head is sticking. Possibly even the TRV head itself at fault..