Any help would be greatly appreciated with my heating setup

[shippyt]

Hi Guys

I'm trying to upgrade my central heating control unit to one that allows me to turn the heating on without the hotwater. Currently I have one that only allows me to have the hot water on only or the hot water and heating (can have them timed also using the dial), there are three wires running into this unit if this helps?

I'm not 100% sure what type of system I have so I'll describe it to see if anyone can tell me:

Downstairs:

I have a gas fire/back boiler and the old fashioned heating controller on the wall.

Upstairs:

I have a large hot water tank in the bedroom upstairs, the tank is insulated and there's a plastic tank full of cold water above it, this tank has a ball cock on it and fills up with cold water when I run the hot tap. There's a pump next to the hot water tank (the type with the big screw in the centre).

If anyone can tell me what I need to change to have heating only it would greatly appreciated as I'm only home every other day and it costs me a fortune to heat the place as a result.

Many Thanks


Tim

 

[stem]

It sounds as if you may have a fully pumped system. Follow the pipes to see if water goes to the hot water cylinder via the same pump as the radiators. If so, you will need to have the pipework modified slightly, install room and cylinder thermostats a 3 port motorised valve, wiring centre and probably a new programmer. The parts will cost you about £200, and for a competent DIYer a weekend to install. Most of the work being electrical.

This is known as a "Y Plan" and if you search for this on the internet you'll get all of the information you need.

If the pump does not supply the hot water cylinder it will be fed by gravity from separate pipes directly from the boiler. In this case much more plumbing will be involved.

A very small percentage of the energy you use goes to heating the hot water, (unless you are running a laundry business). Most of the heat stays in the cylinder if it's well insulated. The small amount that escapes adds to the heat in the house anyway.

Unless your house is currently too hot most of the time and you want to have it cooler, you won't save that much money.

The best way to save money is insulate, insulate, insulate & keep the heat you pay for where you want it, in the house.

 

[shippyt]

Thanks for the reply Stem, it does look like there's only the one pump which is right next to the hot water cyclinder. The problem I have is that I'm not home often the water in the cylinder is always cold when I get home and it seems that this takes priority over the radiators

My master plan was to install a new heating controller to flick the heating on for a few hours a day to make sure it's nice and toasty when I do get home.

My pump and cylinder are both in the master bedroom due to a loft conversion and my pump is really noisy so perhaps a conversion is the way forward even if only to change the pump

 

[shippyt]

Is it something like this I need to control them both seperatly?:

http://www.grantandstone.co.uk/heating-controls/smartfit-y-plan.htm

Thanks

Tim

 

[stem]

Is it something like this I need to control them both seperatly?:

http://www.grantandstone.co.uk/heating-controls/smartfit-y-plan.htm

Thanks

Tim

Yes that's it. The three port valve will divert the heat from the pump to the cylinder, radiators or both as required. when the cylinder is up to the required temperature, or hot water is not selected "on" the radiators will get the full flow from the pump.

 

[toasty]

Probably not what you want to hear, but you;d be better off spending the money insulating your hot water cylinder better.

My unvented one loses at most 2Kwh per day (approx 15p in gas costs)

If I were you, I'd get a couple of good cylinder jackets and fit them, if you have the time or inclination maybe make a large box from celotex or kingspan and surround the cylidner with that too.

My thinking being that if your cylinder isn't losing much heat then it won't cost you to heat it - so with this system your costs will be the same as for a Y or S plan fully pumped.

Just my 2p.

 

[gas4you]

Is there a pipe from near the pump to midway up the HW cylinder?

If so it is a pumped system.

If not and there are 2 28MM (1") pipes going to the cylinder, then you have a gravity primary set up and wouldneed to convert to a fully pumped systen to be able to acheive what you ask.

 

[shippyt]

Thanks for the replies guys. I put a jacket around the cylinder last year which has improved things but it was only a cheap £10 from B&Q.

I'll try and put a picture up of the pump and cylinder to explain it better but from what I can see there's a pipe from downstairs leading into the pump and then into the HW cylinder. The pumps also has a an outlet at the top of it but the its just a 1 metre ish length of pipe with a stope end on it (I'm assuming its from an older system).

Here's a diagram of what I can see in the cupboard:


length of pipe with Stop end
|
|
|
|
Pump------------HW cylinder
|
|
|
|
|
Back Boiler downstairs

 

[Agile]

Yes, Skippy but you have not explained just why you dont like heating the hot water.

Any heat loss form the cylinder is not "lost" anyway ! It just goes towards heating up the bedroom.

Insulation in the roof structure, doors, windows will save you money.

Not heating hot water will save you very little and be very uncomfortable.

Tony

 

[WDIK]

what that you say skippy?

big burner sold you a thermal store?


gosh

 

[shippyt]

Lol, thanks for the additional information guys. My idea behind the change was that I'm not home very often as I travel alot with work and stay at the girlfriends quite often.

I want the house to stay a little bit warm so it's not freezing when I do come home. My logic was that if I changed the timer I could have just the heating come on for a few hours a day off-peak to stop the place becoming an ice block but if you all think it would be more cost effective to insulate the HW Cylinder better then I'll go with that instead. I was just worried that my old fashioned system might not be the most cost effective.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Here's a diagram of what I can see in the cupboard:

length of pipe with Stop end
|
|
Pump------------HW cylinder
|
|
Back Boiler downstairs

But where is the connection to the radiators?