upgrading heating control to smart - complete newbie!

[esf666]

So we have a new build with a Evoqyl Therma Q boiler that has 2 heating zones and a therma programmer.

i am thinking this is a 3 channel and can be replaced by a Wiser 3 channel controller to make the system smart, so before i order i took of the controller and looked at the wiring and am now more confused as to what we actually have and if it would be a straight swap as some have suggested on You Tube vids or if it is a lot more complicated.

thank you for your thoughts

Elliott

 

[stem]

Never heard of a Evoqyl Therma Q boiler. But from a wiring point of view the two items are electrically interchangeable. They only have 3 basic on/off switches inside. N & L are straight forward then:

ESI terminal 3 HW on = Wiser terminal 2 HW on (Dark brown wire)
ESI terminal 4 CH1 on = Wiser terminal 1 CH on (Black wire)
ESI terminal 6 CH2 on = Wiser terminal 3 CH on (Grey wire)

Wiser Three Channel

I believe that the unit in your photo is only of a programmer and there will be two room thermostats elsewhere. If so, they will need decommissioning properly, they can't just be disconnected a small wiring modification will also be required. If you do have separate room thermostats and need help with this, post back and give their details.

 

[esf666]

thank you,

to clarify this is my boiler:

i've not purchased the Wiser stuff yet, but it does come with 2 wireless room thermostats which i plan on wall mounting in place of the existing ones.

are you saying for the programmer that i should theoretically just be able to swap over the current one for the wiser?

thanks

 

[stem]

That's not a boiler, it's an unvented hot water cylinder. The hot water cylinder will be heated by the boiler, the boiler will look more like this:

Anyway to answer your question, the ESI programmer contains 3 simple on/off switches for Heating Zone 1, Heating Zone 2, and Hot Water. The Wiser Three Channel also contains 3 identical switches, so yes they are compatible.

I believe the ESI only provides you with time control and not temperature control i.e. you can only set on/off times and there is no control of the temperature adjustment at the ESI unit itself. Temperature control is done solely at the separate room thermostats. If so, the two existing room thermostats will also need to have their wiring modified slightly before they are removed. Is this correct?

With Wiser, although it has thermostats they are wireless and communicate with the Three Channel receiver, so they don't need any wiring, hence if my assumption about the thermostats is correct, whilst the Wiser Three Channel Receiver will replace the ESI programmer. The requirement to modify the existing thermostat wiring will still be required.

 

[esf666]

Is replacing the existing room thermostats relatively simple to do?

 

[BlueLoo]

That's not a boiler, it's an unvented hot water cylinder. The hot water cylinder will be heated by the boiler, the boiler will look more like this:

View attachment 324224

Anyway to answer your question, the ESI programmer contains 3 simple on/off switches for Heating Zone 1, Heating Zone 2, and Hot Water. The Wiser Three Channel also contains 3 identical switches, so yes they are compatible.

I believe the ESI only provides you with time control and not temperature control i.e. you can only set on/off times and there is no control of the temperature adjustment at the ESI unit itself. Temperature control is done solely at the separate room thermostats. If so, the two existing room thermostats will also need to have their wiring modified slightly before they are removed. Is this correct?

With Wiser, although it has thermostats they are wireless and communicate with the Three Channel receiver, so they don't need any wiring, hence if my assumption about the thermostats is correct, whilst the Wiser Three Channel Receiver will replace the ESI programmer. The requirement to modify the existing thermostat wiring will still be required.

I pulled all my fixed thermostat wiring out.

Dead tech. It will never be used in this house again.

Just wire the controller output directly to the zone valve.

(I got rid of them as well but that's another story).

 

[esf666]

Not sure if trust myself doing that

 

[esf666]

ok, so my boiler is an ideal logic heat h15 - apparently according to the specs it is open therm capable and the wiser 3 channel isn't - is that likely to be an issue?

 

[BlueLoo]

ok, so my boiler is an ideal logic heat h15 - apparently according to the specs it is open therm capable and the wiser 3 channel isn't - is that likely to be an issue?

Where did you read that?

https://schneider-electric.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360014337977-I-have-an-OpenTherm-Combi-boiler-can-I-use-it-with-Wiser-

 

[pcaouolte]

Where did you read that?

https://schneider-electric.zendesk.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360014337977-I-have-an-OpenTherm-Combi-boiler-can-I-use-it-with-Wiser-

Wiser single channel (for a combi boiler) is OpenTherm compatible as your link states. Wiser 3 channel that the OP wants isn't OpenTherm compatible.

@esf666 is your boiler using OpenTherm at the moment? If it isn't currently using OpenTherm then the Wiser non-OpenTherm system won't be any worse than the existing setup.

 

[esf666]

Wiser single channel (for a combi boiler) is OpenTherm compatible as your link states. Wiser 3 channel that the OP wants isn't OpenTherm compatible.

@esf666 is your boiler using OpenTherm at the moment? If it isn't currently using OpenTherm then the Wiser non-OpenTherm system won't be any worse than the existing setup.

how do i know?

 

[pcaouolte]

how do i know?

There might be a sticker on the boiler. The best way to be certain is to ask the installer.

 

[esf666]

no sticker

 

[esf666]

if it turns out it is using it , is it a big issue if i go ahead with the 3 channel wiser?

 

[Mister Banks]

if it turns out it is using it , is it a big issue if i go ahead with the 3 channel wiser?

Yes, you will lose Opentherm which is a lot better at controling the boiler than anything the Wiser can do.