Idiots guides to thermostats and efficient heating design?

[r896neo]

Hi I am renovating a house i just bought and am looking for advice on any good articles about efficient heating controls?

I will be having a gas combi or perhaps a gas condensing boiler if better?

It seems that every house i have ever lived in has had a boiler, a time-clock and one thermostat and that's about it. We have become slaves to letting the house get cold then turning on the boiler with the manual setting for a few hours then off again and banging it on for an hour to get some hot water.

Now i have the chance to do it all from scratch I'm keen to put a bit more technology into it if that would help.

Just me and the wife so no major demands on heating or hot water.

I realise its a bit of a generic question but even links to some guides or good books would be much appreciated.

 

[Andygasman2010]

I'm not sure of any specific books or articles to guide you too but you can try doing a search for "weather compensation" "modulating heating controls" in both this forum and Google.

http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/products/combination-boilers/ultracomsub2-sub-cxi/

http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/products/controls/climaprosub2-sub-rf/

http://www.glow-worm.co.uk/products/accessories/new-wireless-outdoor-sensor-1/

If you don't want a combi you can opt for an unvented cylinder, possibly solar too, with the same controls.

These are great products, I have these in my own house. Other manufacturers such as Vaillant, Worcester or Viessmann have similar options.

 

[r896neo]

That's great many thanks, all other feedback welcomed.

 

[ChrisR]

a boiler, a time-clock and one thermostat and that's about it.

If they were specified, connected and working properly, you would probably have been very happy!
Boilers have improved a lot, all condensing and they all modulate by themselves.
You can beat that setup by a bit these days, but beware whacky claims from some brochures and those who espouse them! Some folk find some "clever" systems intolerable.
Suggest you make sure you know how you are going to do the controlling.

Not that the whacky claims often don't actually explain what they're comparing with. Viessmann attracted derision with one of their ridiculous brochure claims quite recently.
When pressed, they'll admit that their claim for their best system is only 2%, on a whole-season basis, over a normal condensing boiler.
The Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers are in line with that.

 

[ALEC1]

some people have issues with modern controls as they continue to want to operate the boilers the same way that heating has been operated historically, ie with a switch/thermostat.

Technology has moved on and with it comes a different understanding as to how to control heating systems.

The controls quoted (with or without the outdoor sensor) enable the boiler to match heat requirement to the building with heat generated by a boiler. So on a cold day the radiators are hot and on a warmer day the radiators are warm. The benefits of this include comfort (no room temperature over shoot), efficiency (the boiler condenses longer) and reliability (the boiler doesn't work so hard - but note this can be acheived with a condensing boiler on simple on-off controls if the installer tweaks the boiler!)

Some manufacturers (e.g vaillant) say that modern controls save between 5-10% over on-off controls, Viessmann say around 20%, and I have seen this on several installs. In addition where I have upgraded controls only I have seen savings of around 15% over and above just installing a condensing boiler! But note this could be because the client used the system differently, varying various parameters, not just the controls per se....

It goes without saying that at the end of the day the real savings you acheive will reflect how well you interact with the controllers...

FWIW it is worth reflecting that all boilers sold in the EU have to be able to accept compensation controls...in the UK we only have to use on-off thermostats, although weather compensation does get a small credit in some documents...

 

[silverback]

I will be having a gas combi or perhaps a gas condensing boiler if better?

Can I just point out that a combi boiler would be a condensing boiler, all boilers now must be condensing, the difference in boilers is combination boilers where the hot water is provided instantaneously from the boiler via a plate heat exchanger, or a system boiler, where a hot water cylinder is needed for hot water production, my personal preference is a system boiler with an unvented cylinder, but each to their own, you will need to discuss the pros and cons of each type with your installer

 

[r896neo]

thanks to all, previously as i said we lived in straightforward control land where we just turned the heating on manually for a while when cold. We are certainly people who put on another jumper rather than switch the heating on if necessary.


I'm now thinking that perhaps this is not the most efficient way so even above and beyond the technologies what is the best way to use heating?

Would having a stat in each room and leaving the system always on to regulate itself be better? Logic says no but am i wrong

 

[Andygasman2010]

Would having a stat in each room and leaving the system always on to regulate itself be better?

No

Get your house as well insulated as possible, have TRVs in the sleeping areas and a weather compensated combi (depending on your hot water requirements) as described above.