Two 'Thermostats'

[comellatu]

I am currently living in an apartment that lacks central heating and has time restricted, thermostatically controlled underfloor heating. The hours of operation are fixed 18:00-22:00, which barely heats the room up. After midnight the temperature falls below 15 deg C. In fact, I have just woken up because it is so cold in here.

I am looking to gain control of the times the underflooring heating is on/off. There are two thermostat-like housings on the wall. I have removed their covers and attached a picture below:

Untitled

• comellatu
• 30 Jan 2012
• 1

Left: Not a traditional thermostat as such, it has a live/neutral feed into a small PCB with a sensor behind the board.

Right: A Siemens RAA20 room thermostat. I imagine this is a time-controlled switched live that allows Y1 to directly feed the underfloor heating?

Is there anyway that I can override the time restrictions and gain independent control of this heating? Are the two 'thermostats' related? Note: the white line at the bottom between the two is paint and not a wire.

Thanks for your help in advance

 

[curium]

** I'm not an electrician or a heating engineer **

But assuming that is a switched live, after checking with a multimeter, why not just bypass the switch?

 

[IJWS15]

They look like thermostats and will probably operate a relay and not switch the heating current directly, there will also be a timeswitch, you need to find the relay and the timeswitch.

 

[JohnD]

do you pay for the heating per your own meter, or is it included in the rent?

If the latter, the timer is probably under the manager's control.

Buy an electric blanket, or a winter vest.

 

[ericmark]

The Siemens RAA20 room thermostat is rated at 6A clearly that could not switch the load on underfloor heating so there must be a relay. The PDF instruction are here what seems odd is this is not the type of thermostat that uses a remote sensor and the other unit seems to be a remote temperature sensor.

The remote sensor I have seen before and would expect to find it connected to something like this

instructions here which can handle 16A and would likely be able to work directly with underfloor heating.

So the question is why two completely different thermostats in the same room right next to each other?

The only reason that comes to mind is one works the air conditioning unit the other the underfloor heating?

Neither of them are timers so if there is a timer that must be somewhere else.

 

[TicklyT]

The Siemens RAA20 room thermostat is rated at 6A clearly that could not switch the load on underfloor heating....

Is it a wet heating system, supplied from a communual boiler?

Wet or dry, underfloor heating often requires two 'stats

One to control the temperature the floor heats to, so it doesn't burn your feet, and t'other to control the final temperature the room is heated to (assuming the heating is left on for long enough to actually heat anything!)

As above, you only appear to have control over the temperature, not the on/off times, which may be controlled by the property manager.

 

[comellatu]

The Siemens RAA20 room thermostat is rated at 6A clearly that could not switch the load on underfloor heating....

Is it a wet heating system, supplied from a communual boiler?

Wet or dry, underfloor heating often requires two 'stats

One to control the temperature the floor heats to, so it doesn't burn your feet, and t'other to control the final temperature the room is heated to (assuming the heating is left on for long enough to actually heat anything!)

As above, you only appear to have control over the temperature, not the on/off times, which may be controlled by the property manager.

Is there a legal requirement to maintain a minimum of 16°C at all times, similar to that of an office? The fact that the stat trips below this suggests it can reach <10°C in the night.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Is there a legal requirement to maintain a minimum of 16°C at all times, similar to that of an office? The fact that the stat trips below this suggests it can reach <10°C in the night.

No legal requirement.

I don't know what the arrangement is.
It seems illogical the way it is.

You could insist it is repaired or buy an oil-filled radiator or two.

Or move.

 

[JohnD]

he doesn't want to tell us if he pays for the heating, or if it is at the landlord's expense.

 

[comellatu]

he doesn't want to tell us if he pays for the heating, or if it is at the landlord's expense.

I pay for it indirectly by means of my significantly higher rent costs vs. similar properties on other floor. Maybe its grounds for breaking contract if he refuses to give me control of the time due to inhability?

 

[JohnD]

why, what does the contract say about it?