Wireless Thermostat advise. Please help.

[galegp]

Hi,

I have two question.
First one is a bit of advise. I am thinking of buying one of these two wireless thermostats:
1- Siemens Rev24rf
2- Heatmiser PRTHW-WTS Kit

I am leaning towards the Heatmiser, I really like the look of it. But what do you guys (experts) think? Is it the right choice? Is there much different between those two models?

My second question:
Which model of Heatmiser should I go for:
1- Heatmiser PRTHW-WTS Kit
or
2- Heatmiser PRT-WTS Kit

My gas boiler is the below:
http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/instructions/REV24-RF.pdf

Can I control the hot water with the heatmiser and my boiler?

Many thanks for your kind help and advise.

 

[stem]

Which model of Heatmiser should I go for:
1- Heatmiser PRTHW-WTS Kit
or
2- Heatmiser PRT-WTS Kit

If you want to control the on and off times of heating your hot water and it is produced and stored in a hot water cylinder (ie not a combi) then you will need the PRTHW (Programmable Room Thermostat Hot Water) version

My gas boiler is the below:
http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/instructions/REV24-RF.pdf[/QUOTE]
No it's not, that's a link to the Siemens Thermostat Manual

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with using either of these actual units. I have installed other Siemens products and they are good quality, but I seem to remember operation was not that straight forward. Possibly because I wasn't familiar with it. This product may be different. I've never used Heatmiser.

 

[galegp]

Which model of Heatmiser should I go for:
1- Heatmiser PRTHW-WTS Kit
or
2- Heatmiser PRT-WTS Kit

If you want to control the on and off times of heating your hot water and it is produced and stored in a hot water cylinder (ie not a combi) then you will need the PRTHW (Programmable Room Thermostat Hot Water) version

My gas boiler is the below:
http://www.heatingcontrolsonline.co.uk/instructions/REV24-RF.pdf[/QUOTE]
No it's not, that's a link to the Siemens Thermostat Manual

Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with using either of these actual units. I have installed other Siemens products and they are good quality, but I seem to remember operation was not that straight forward. Possibly because I wasn't familiar with it. This product may be different. I've never used Heatmiser.

Sorry I made a mistake and pasted the incorrect link.

This is the correct link for the instructions of my boiler.

http://cdn0.vokera.co.uk/wp-content...e_installation_and_servicing_instructions.pdf


Would you be so kind to have a quick link and determine for me whether or not I could control the hot water times with the Heatmiser thermostat?

I know I have a cylinder in my hall for the hot water with an immersion hot water heater which I never use. I normally use the boiler to heat the water for baths and shower but the problem is that in this way also the radiators are on. Any work-arounds to that?

Thanks.

 

[stem]

The boiler is heat only (Not a combi boiler that heats hot water directly for the taps and doesn't need a hot water cylinder) so yes the boiler is fine to be used with the PRTHW, but only as long as you have the correct components installed on your system to control it.

In the manual you provided the link to, at the bottom of page 7 there are two drawings (Fig 7 & Fig 8.) These show motorised valves and are entitled "S Plan" and "Y Plan" The motorised valves are wired to the thermostats and provide control of the system, not the boiler.

In your last post when you say that the radiators come on with the hot water, this suggests to me that if you do have a motorised valve, or valves, that:

1.They are not working properly
2. They are not wired correctly
3. Your existing controls includes a single channel timeswitch rather than a programmer which has separate controls for hot water and central heating.

 

[galegp]

The option 3 would be me. I have a timer. I switch on the boiler in the timer and this heats the hot water and the central heating (radiators).

With the PRTHW, would I be able to gain separate controls for hot water and central heating?

Thanks again.

 

[doitall]

Why not start with the boiler make/model and some system details.

Do you have a hot tank in the press for example.

 

[stem]

The option 3 would be me. I have a timer. I switch on the boiler in the timer and this heats the hot water and the central heating (radiators).

With the PRTHW, would I be able to gain separate controls for hot water and central heating?

Thanks again.

Like I said before, you can if you have the motorised valves installed in your system.

 

[stem]

Why not start with the boiler make/model and some system details.

It's a Vokera, he's posted a link to the manual. System details a bit lacking though.

Do you have a hot tank in the press for example.

Not sure I understand what you mean, by "hot tank in the press" but the OP says he has a hot water cylinder in the Hall

 

[galegp]

The option 3 would be me. I have a timer. I switch on the boiler in the timer and this heats the hot water and the central heating (radiators).

With the PRTHW, would I be able to gain separate controls for hot water and central heating?

Thanks again.

Like I said before, you can if you have the motorised valves installed in your system.

Forgive my ignorance but

1- How would the motorised valves installed in your system?
2- Where would these be installed?

If not installed,
1- Would this be a big job to do?
2- Would then the PRTHW be no good for me (and should purchase the normal PRT model instead)?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[stem]

1- How would the motorised valves installed in your system?
2- Where would these be installed?

They would be installed as shown in the drawings shown on page 7 of your boiler manual. Normally, but not always in the flow pipe near the hot water cylinder. There may be one three port valve (Y Plan)

Untitled

• stem
• 1 Apr 2010
• 8

Or 2 x two port valves (S Plan)

Untitled

• stem
• 26 Mar 2010
• 6

If not installed,
1- Would this be a big job to do?
2- Would then the PRTHW be no good for me (and should purchase the normal PRT model instead)?

It's not a big job, unless your existing system is really ancient with a 'Primatic' type hot water cylinder. A DIYer that is competent at basic plumbing can do it without too much difficulty. You would still need the HW version even if you have a gravity system without any motorised valves as you have a hot water cylinder which may need heat when the radiator room thermostat is satisfied. In this instance, the HW controls operate the boiler and the heating controls operate the pump. The HW would need to be on whenever heating was required, but you could run the hot water without the heating in the summer.

This is why we need more information about your system otherwise we are just guessing.

 

[galegp]

...................

 

[galegp]

I couldnt find any of those two motorised values.
This is what my system looks like:

I can see a monsoon 3.0 bar twin pump there.

The water cylinder

This is my boiler.

This is my connections to the timer. Could I connect the receiver for the wireless thermostat with the 4 wires below which go to my timer? I guess this will only control the heating but not the water, correct?

 

[stem]

Thanks for the photos. The motorised valve would normally be on the central pipe in picture 2. The horizontal pipe with white paint on, but it could be anywhere on that pipe between it and the boiler.

The way that you describe the system working, particularly that the radiators come on with the hot water, suggests that you may not have a motorised valve(s) This is also suggested if you look at the wiring diagrams with motorised valves on pages 40 & 41 of your boiler manual which shows wiring going to terminals 4 to 7, you don't have any wires to these terminals.

As the boiler contains an integral pump it appears to me that the timeswitch says 'on', the boiler fires and hot water is pumped to the hot water cylinder and radiators and that is the sole extent of your control. (apart from the manual valves on the rads) Unfortunately with this set up, if you install any room thermostat it will also turn the supply to the hot water cylinder 'off' along with the central heating as the house gets warm.

If my conclusions are correct I believe that the best solution is to have the system converted to a "Y plan" and the controls rewired to include a two channel programmer, room thermostat, hot water cylinder thermostat and wiring for a motorised valve. Whilst physical installation of a 3 port valve is usually fairly easy, the wiring is less so. The "Y Plan" diagrams on pages 40 & 41 show what needs to be done. Probably best left to a professional.

The Monsoon is a booster pump that increases the pressure of stored hot and cold water supplies to points of use, usually a shower, but can also be used to supply taps. Nothing to do with the boiler and heating system.

 

[galegp]

Your conclusions are 100% correct.

Some more information about my system. The small room where the water cylinder is located, there seems to be a switch. My landlord explained to me that I could heat up the water clicking in that switch without the need to turn on the boiler. I did that few times but because it took so long for the water to get hot I never used it any more so now I only use the boiler to heat up the water.


Because this is a rented accommodation, I think I will not be able to carry on the work which you described above. But my idea is still to wire a wireless receiver to the boiler and then have a wireless thermostat to control the boiler at least. Would this work for me? My idea was to wire it to the timer (shown in the last photograph). In this case, I am still wondering whether I need the PRTHW-WTS or the other model PRT-WTS. Then again, we are looking to buy at some point this year so the PRTHW-WTS could become handy later on in the year.

What do you think that it would be the best option for me in the above case?

 

[stem]

With your current system as it is, you cannot just add a room thermostat as it will interfere with the operation of the hot water. Sorry.