Changing central heating controls, question

I currently have a digistat3 digital controller for the gas central heating, It does my flippen head in as I can never get to grips with digital stuff (I have the same prob with the tv, controls for everything and lets not talk mobile phones) I have to set mon-fri and 3 seperate time zones and then others for Sat & Sun. Before this winter I would like to get a simplified version. Like one of those round dials that has 15 minute segments and you push it in or out for on and off and then have a seperate thermostat for room temperature.

Whats a likely cost for parts? And is it an easy conversion. (I am not an electrician, ok with basics)

thanks

Reply to
ss
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What sort of boiler? in particular is it a combi?

If its not a combi, then the programmer would need to handle hot water and central heating times separately.

Mechanical stat, about a tenner, a programmer 20 - 40 quid depending on what you want.

Yup, probably easy enough. However, before you go down that route, what is it that you are having difficulty with on the current one? Is it just that its not a well implemented example of a prog stat and hence difficult to use, or is it something else?

If the former, it might be worth changing for a similar but different stat that is more intuitive since that would be simplest to do.

Reply to
John Rumm

Thanks for the reply John, its a combi. The problem is me, as I get older I just want on / off switches. I can sit down with the instructions and get it all set up but then when I want to make any amendments I can never remember how I did it so have to sit down and go through the instructions again step by step, I generally as we progress in to better weather adjust settings to come on later and off earlier and the reverse when the colder wether starts to kick in. With the type I mentioned above it is easy just to flick another 15 minutes on the 'clock dial' I have the same prob with the tv although very rare if I watch it but if I press the wrong button I am screwed for the rest of the day until my wife comes home. (its an age thing I am sure). The older I get (60) the more complicated these controls appear to be.

Reply to
ss

Understood, there is a lot to be said for a knob you turn one way for more and the other for less! ;-)

Obviously doing what you propose, is possible and probably not too difficult. Alternatively you could make it more automated rather than less, so that it takes care of itself.

From example, fitting an optimising stat, would take care of the need to tweak the timings back and forth with the changing seasons - it will work that out for itself. Likewise a simple to use prog stat can be left well alone mostly. We never change ours, and don't even bother turning the heating off in the summer - just leave it to the stat. Once its warm enough it won't call for heat. Ours also has + and - buttons on the front, so if you are feeling a bit chilly or too warm just nudge the desired temp up or down. If you forget to set it back again later it does not matter since the temperature will revert to the next programmed one at the appropriate time.

Reply to
John Rumm

I also understand. I often feel that manufacturers never field-test their instructions - especially with the technophobic - which are almost certainly written by someone pretty familiar with the device.

I get by OK, but my wife is wary and so for a similar room-stat to yours, I have written a simple list of steps on an A4 sheet, which gets the job done.

At the end of the temperature setting list, you can add the extras like adjusting the clock, although my latest one now copes with that. A simple list of steps is far less intimidating, than the invariably pages of tiny writing.

I also now find it easier to refer to my list than the manual. Give it a try before going to any great expense.

Andy C

Reply to
Andy Cap

The Digistat3 is a programmable thermostat and programable stats do need a change of mind set to really get to grips with. Instead of

*when* you want heating you set *how much* heating you want.

Why? Does your daily/weekly schedule really change significantly with the seasons?

With a programmable stat, like the Digistat3, you set up a temperature profile for each day. At your selected times of day the set temperature is automatically adjusted to what you desire. We have ours set to 18.5C from 0700 to 1600, 20C from 1600 to 2300 and 15C (effectively "off") 2300 to 0700.

If you are tweaking the on time to save heating the house to the correct temperature too early in the morning the Digistat3 has "Intelligent Delayed Start", the default for which is off. When "on" this should delay the boiler firing up too early in the morning but still ensure the desired temperature is reached by the set time. This normally only applies to the first set point of each day.

As has been mentioned if you feel a bit warm or cool just nudge the temperature up or down a degree or so with the nice big + and - buttons. It'll revert back to the programed temperature profile at the next set point so no woory of leaving the temp too low or high.

We just let ours get on with it all year, no switching the heating "on"/"off" in autumn/spring.

60 is not old! You have another 20 or 30 years before you are "old".
Reply to
Dave Liquorice

The digital ones usually have a boost for an hour or on/off until next timed event override which is usually good enough.

I'd urge the OP to write down the sequence of actions he needs to program it rather than replace the existing unit with an inferior one! (and check and replace the internal battery if it needs the time setting or reprogramming more than once per decade)

I must admit on my somewhat more complex separate pump and two boiler configuration I was considering adding an external temperature sensor for simple weather compensation so that the CH system pump could be disabled automatically (leaving just hot water) if the exterior temperature rises above a set point. (~14C I estimate empirically)

Heating oil is so expensive now that saving it is very worthwhile.

This would allow it to take care of the rapid variation of spring days which has spanned everything from snowing to sweltering hot in the past fortnight. CH is currently on twice daily with overrides as needed.

The rules would have to be more complex since the pump must come on if the wood burning stove is about to overheat or the other override is on.

Reply to
Martin Brown

60 you are?

Old you are not

The force should be a recent not distant memory

Regards

Reply to
TMC

I recall being part of a group which was asked to test out timers by the co= nsumers association for Which magazine. The one I recall was one which I wa= s able to programme successfully, but I though the user interface was fairl= y poor - at one point in setting it you had to press one button precisely e= ight times; if you pressed the wrong number of times or left too long a gap= between presses then you had to go back to the start...

Reply to
docholliday93

A couple of years ago I was fitting 5 Siemens programmable room stats a week. Most of the customers were elderly technophobes.

In the end John Rumm and I rewrote the instructions and I handed those out instead.

We should have copyrighted our work. I am not saying we did a good job but one wholesaler got hold of a copy and started to hand out photocopies with the stats:-)

Reply to
ARWadsworth

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