Programmable thermostats

[CES]

Just out of interest, have you got TRVs installed?

 

[Armo74]

Thanks for all the detailed explanations guy,s.

 

[Armo74]

If that post was for me CES then yes i do except for the one with the room stat in.

 

[stratobuddy]

Just out of interest, have you got TRVs installed?

Yes, on most of rads, but leave living room fully open and let the controller do the controlling, with the WC it gets boiler well into condensing mode too.

 

[petercj]

The way I use my wireless stat in the winter involves reducing the heat in the hall 24/7 (where the old stat used to be) and turning off the large double radiator in the lounge when going up to bed, and taking the stat up to the bedroom.

Simple enough but very effective in reducing the consumption of gas by 20%.

 

[CES]

Well, in that case don't buy an RF stat and move it around the place or you will confuse the hell out of the boiler as the rad without the TRV is where it gets its read back from.
Programmable stats are fine, I have one myself and they do save money but you have to be aware of how they work in order to get the best use out of them.

 

[Dotty]

And yet you are over heating the rest of the house with this 'compensation' because your bedroom rad is undersized!

Leave the stat where it's designed to be. the reason it's wireless is to prevent having cables every where. Not so you can go marching round the house with it!

 

[Armo74]

Would it be safe to say that the programmable thermostats are compatable with most programmers? Or would it be a case of checking they are compatable first?

 

[Dotty]

You don't need a programmer with a wireless stat, the receiver is wired in to the wiring centre.

 

[CES]

Yes, on most of rads, but leave living room fully open and let the controller do the controlling, with the WC it gets boiler well into condensing mode too.

I would leave the controller and the TRVs to do their job as, for instance, if you moved it to the bedroom and the TRV was set to 16 and the Stat was set to 18, the boiler would be constantly on looking to achieve a temperature that the TRV is preventing it from reaching.

 

[petercj]

If there's a TRV in the room with the stat open it up to maximum.

You don't need to match the make of the stat with your other controls, Drayton and Honeywell are pretty good, which is reflected in the price.

 

[Armo74]

Sorry for all the questions guy,s but what makes the digital stats more efficient than the dial ones that some have a bi-metallic strip inside? Is it because they are more accurate to say 1/2 a degree?

 

[Armo74]

You don't need a programmer with a wireless stat, the receiver is wired in to the wiring centre.

Thanks for that croppie, It was what i couldnt get my head around the fact that the programmable room stat was not only a thermostat but is effectively doing the job of the programmer as well, would i be correct in saying this?

Or on an open vented system do they have control over the hot water as well?

 

[stratobuddy]

The receiver is wired into the boiler as you say, but the programmer tells the boiler what to do. With a weather compensated controller it even tells the boiler what heating curve to use.

 

[petercj]

If you upgrade to a digital room-stat the basic function will remain the same, i.e. it will switch the heating on and off in relation to a chosen temperature.

If you upgrade to a digital room stat that is programmable then it will have a clock built in that enables you to preset times and temperature. However, your main central heating controls will remain the same as before, and will override the room stat as they did before if set to do so.

A wireless digital room stat will come with a receiver that can probably be wired to the existing wires that connect to your static room stat (although you may need a permanent live), or it can be connected into your wiring centre - which is likely to be the best option if you don't have a permanent live at the site of your existing room stat.

Although a programmable room stat will work independently of your main boiler programmer, you could say that the added functionality serves to duplicate some of the features of the programmer.