Currently I have a boiler with a controller that simply turns it on (for CH) during pre-programmed hours. Rads have thermostatic valves.
I'd like to add a room thermostat in the living room [running additional wiring isn't an issue] but need to know if it can simply be put in series with the timer-control.
I realise that the heat in the rest of the house will suffer if the living room is warm enough, but surely that's a natural consequence of any room thermostat.
Have you considered a wireless programmer/thermostat in place of your control? That gives you the option of a portable control so e.g. if you wake up early you can turn the heating on early or turn the heating up. Of course there are options to do the same and more with a smart phone but a wireless programmer/thermostat starts at c. £50.
AIUI traditional boiler wiring has the timer and thermostat operate (relay) contacts in series to interrupt the mains to the boiler. So an additional thermostat in series would turn the heating off when it has deemed it up to temperature. It wouldn't allow a call for heat if an existing thermostat or controller is open.
Theo
So presumably the boiler short cycles when the timer says on but the rad valves have all shut, pushing up your energy bill...
That should work boiler will only fire when the timer is on and the 'stat says cold. However I'd fit a programable thermostat rather than the simple on/off kind.
It'd wire in just like a normal stat but the boilers heating time switch would be set to constant giving the programmable stat control of the temperature for each time period. Programable stats often preempt the first target temperature of the day. Turning the boiler on just early enough for the target temp to be met at the set time.
It would be more usual to put the room stat in say the hall and set a little low (as a hall is generally cool) so it knocks off the heating when the rest of the house is up to temperature. Which ever room the room stat is in it should have a radiator with its thermostatic valve fully open or disabled. Otherwise the two stats may "fight".
I'd use a programmable thermostat in the living room then either remove the existing timer, or set it "on" 24x7.
the new stat can then have different temperatures at different times of day, or days of week. Use a wifi prog-stat if you want to control it from a browser or phone.
In message snipped-for-privacy@outlook.com, at
12:07:16 >> Currently I have a boiler with a controller that simply turns it onI'm trying to keep it simple.
In message <t6E* snipped-for-privacy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 12:16:55 on Thu,
8 Oct 2020, Theo <theom+ snipped-for-privacy@chiark.greenend.org.uk> remarked:I don't have an existing thermostat.
In message snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net>, at
12:49:27 >Yes, that's one of the two things I'm trying to prevent.
The other is that if I'm comfortable in my living room (which also has a wood-burner) there's no need to keep any of the rest of the house heated by the boiler. Because I'm not in any of the rest of the house
Do you mean different temps at different times of day?
Ideally, I'd have zoned stuff, so for example the bathroom was heated at
6am, but the rest of the house not. However that's more ambitious than my current project.I don't mind having a cold hall.
Yes, I think I'd open up the living room rad.
In message snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net>, at 13:11:43 on Thu, 8 Oct
2020, Andy Burns snipped-for-privacy@andyburns.uk remarked:Sounds a bit complicated.
I have never been particularly impressed with them. They cease up during the summer and require persuasion to work properly again every winter.
Increasingly you can get wireless room thermostats that you can carry round from room to room and has smart start that calibrates itself so that if you specify a temperature at a given time it puts the heating on in advance to hit that target set point based on ambient temperature.
Some will even let you control your heating over the web but beware of those with a tie in to some server or other that may vanish if the supplier goes bust or gets taken over.
In message <rln7u3$t3q$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org>, at 15:32:35 on Thu, 8 Oct
2020, Mart>> Currently I have a boiler with a controller that simply turns it onAll vastly too complicated.
My question was about a simple wiring issue.
Not quite the same, but I have a switch by the back door going to the boiler "room thermostat" terminals that are normally shorted for thermostatic rads. Electrically, it's doing what you propose.
I have this switch so that it is easy to turn the house off and on if it is going to be empty for a few hours. I guess in the fullness of time I might make this "remote actuated" but like you, I'm in favour of keeping it simple.
In message snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk>, at
16:47:11 >> Currently I have a boiler with a controller that simply turns it onI'll need to look a my boiler to see if it has such terminals. But thanks for the heads-up.
Wouldn't put the stat in a room with a heat source it's not controlling. Wood burner makes living room nice and warm, stat is satisfied and rest of house doesn't get any heat.
Yes, far better than the single temp kind.
heating
That's fine you set the stat to what ever is required to knock the heating off when say the bedroom is at the temp you want. As you have a wood burner in the living room the hall, provided it has a radiator, is probably as good a place as any, or perhaps your bedroom. This is where a wireless programable stat comes in handy as you can experiment to find the best place for it.
In message snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net>, at
19:45:29 >But I'm not in any of the rest of the house, Dear Liza.
Go for a smart system, we have Hive and each radiator has a smart valve except the bathroom. It is possible to heat just one room or as many as you want and we can do it all using Alexa.
Richard
Then add one that is wired in series with the programmer.
Just like we use to do before all this smart control happened.
ie the s**te that costs a fortune to buy and never works.
That is simple. You replace your existing programmer with a new one that talks to a thermostat.
Andy
*Any* heat, even if it's blowing a gale and -10 C outside...
Remember with your current short cycling, if a room cools bit that radiators thermostatic valve opens a bit and warms the room. With the room stat satisfied this won't happen as the boiler is forced off.
That's what I do - main controller is set CH on for 24/7 (off during the summer months). The thermostat replaces the timer for CH on the main controller.
Programmable thermostat set for frost protection temperatures overnight and up to 4 different temperature slots during the day. When I was working different times for weekdays and weekends.
I originally had a fixed thermostat in the hall which, in retrospect, was in the wrong position and for the past 10 years or so a wireless model with the sender positioned in my main living room. If the OP used a wireless model the wiring and positioning of the receiver could be close to his existing controller.
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