Which heating thermostat

twopenny

b) TIW, I don't have a regular time of going out any more but I am having to adjust to randomly being in and doing little this year with no sign of that changing for a while..

What does happen is that if the sun shines the house warms a lot, sun goes in and it cools.

I don't know from day to day if I am able to go out or I'm in, laying down or gardening.

If I have a bath I'm very warm.

So being able to adjust it quite quickly for hour by hour events would be perfect.

And have found that there are 50% of people willing advantage of those who are unable to help themselves it really makes a difference.

I have been colating all the advice from the lovely people on here. I now have a really good idea of how my heating system works, how each of the thermostats connect and where, can isolate bits of electric (which I'll also need as I've cut the new pull cord on the fan heater too short) and much more.

ThisIsWeird

I totally understand. You want simple, full, instant control over your house temp.
A Prog Stat won't make this 'manual' control any more complex, tho' - in fact, you can leave them in fully manual mode if you like, so all you do is touch/press an up/down button to change the temp at will.
Once you are familiar with that, then you might consider changing it to 'Prog'. All this will add is your best guess at what temps you will want, at whatever times of day and night. At any point you can override it with a touch.
For instance, at the moment I'm guessing you turn your heating fully off overnight? How is that working out? In winter, does the house ever become a bit too cold, so that it perhaps takes a bit too long to get warm again in the morning? Or condensation forms?
A Prog Stat could be set to simply turn your heating down overnight, to - say - 12oC, at whatever time you choose, say 9pm. And then back up to, say, 18oC at 6.30am. In reality, the heating would almost never come on during the night, as your house will almost always store enough heat for it to never - very rarely - go below 12oC.  But - if it does - then you know your heating will take care if it, and stop it from becoming too cold.
Your 'solar gain' issue will/should be taken care of regardless, as soon as you fit a 'stat of either kind. At the moment, your boiler is trying to run all day, regardless of demand. Your TRV rooms are ok - these rads will self-regulate. But your sitting room has no TRV and currently no other 'stat either, so that rad will keep on chugging out whether it's hail or sunshine! However, as soon as you fit the new 'stat, the room will be maintained by your boiler at that temp, and if the sun brings it above the set temp, then - ta-daaa! - your boiler will go off
This is, of course, your call; if utter simplicity of use is the overriding factor, then a manual dial 'stat is as simple as it gets. But, lawdie... I feel duty-bound to recommend a Prog Stat to anyone changing, or adding for the first time, a room 'stat. After all, it's very MSE
I, personally, also find it very useful to be able to see both the actual room temp, and the one 'set' to be achieved. With my Hive (sorry - just switched to the app to turn my heating down...), in t'morn, when wife has set off for work, I'll call up the app and see how close to the set - required - temp the house has got. If it's close, then I'll usually dial back the required temp, as I know the house will continue to warm as the day begins = instant saving. If there's still a way to go, I'll let it run.
But, as I said, you can keep them in fully manual mode if you like.

twopenny

Thanks for the explanation.

Actually I have the heating go off an hour or two before bed. And I open the window even in this weather for fresh cool air so no, don't want heat overnight.

Yes it can make the bedroom chilly in the morning but once window closed and lined curtains half drawn it warms up quickly. Every other room is warm. The house is only small in area.

I'd like it on low for the days when my bits don't work/complain. I used to be able to do that on TRVs.

And to be able to run the pump on 1 so it's quiet.

But once we come out of this never ending cold spell I can go cooler.

I;ll look again though once I'm feeling better.

It's running to 18c at most at the mo. That's very warm for me.

Must be the funny fleecy outfit I wear

ThisIsWeird

twopenny said:

Thanks for the explanation.

Actually I have the heating go off an hour or two before bed. And I open the window even in this weather for fresh cool air so no, don't want heat overnight.

Yes it can make the bedroom chilly in the morning but once window closed and lined curtains half drawn it warms up quickly. Every other room is warm. The house is only small in area.

I'd like it on low for the days when my bits don't work/complain. I used to be able to do that on TRVs.

And to be able to run the pump on 1 so it's quiet.

But once we come out of this never ending cold spell I can go cooler.

I;ll look again though once I'm feeling better.

It's running to 18c at most at the mo. That's very warm for me.

Must be the funny fleecy outfit I wear

Sounds very healthy :-)
Stat no 7 can be sat on your shelf, and even taken to your coffee table so it's easily accessible. 
Anyhoo, let's get winter oot of the way - what a chilly wind. I'm regretting still wearing shorts :-(

Ibrahim5

I installed a smart thermostat for an elderly relative. He was furious. Told me to take it back. Now he loves it. He checks the temperature of his home on his phone from anywhere in the world and turns it on and off with his phone.

twopenny

Ah but I'm stuck in a tiny bungalow with 4 rooms just a few steps each way - when I can walk.

I can tell the temperature with a thermometer. No battery charging, no buttons to press (sorry TIW), I know if I'm too hot or too cold

TIW I do hope your last comment was a joke   

FreeBear

twopenny said: TIW I do hope your last comment was a joke   

String vests & shorts in the depths of winter is common attire if you are from Glasgow.

ThisIsWeird

twopenny said:

Ah but I'm stuck in a tiny bungalow with 4 rooms just a few steps each way - when I can walk.

I can tell the temperature with a thermometer. No battery charging, no buttons to press (sorry TIW), I know if I'm too hot or too cold

TIW I do hope your last comment was a joke   

Yes, but... Put your thermometers away! Set the TRVs in the other rooms to whatever temp you want them at, and forget them (unless to turn them on and off as in bedrooms). '1' for ~10oC, '2' for ~15oC, '3' for ~19, etc.

Then you'll have your wonderful wee Proggie in your sitting room - one glance and the 'set' and 'actual' temps will be seen. If both are at, say, 18c, you have achieved Nirvana, and your boiler will be largely off = no banging, and no waste of gas.

Chilly? Add a half or one degree - and let it do the walkin' for you. Balmy? Then knock off a half or one degree too.

You know this makes sense...

Sadly, no joke - tho' the frighteningly blue colour of my knees during our last walk on t'Burrows gave me pause.