Does anybody know if it is possible to add a seperate heating zone to an existing "Y" plan system? Have added 2 bedrooms & 1 bathroom to loft conversion and would like these controlled independantly from existing circuit without altering existing mid position valve configuration. Would this be possible by just adding a 2 port valve & room stat or does the system have to be re plumbed using 3x zone valves?
Adding zone to existing "Y" plan system
- Thread starter Kojak
- Start date
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Snag is that a 3 port is always open somewhere. You can't have full independence without 3 x 2 ports.
You could bodge it, which happens a lot, but why bother. I mean eg put one new zone valve in series with the current 3 port ch outlet for the existing, and another for the extension. Saves you one new zone valve!
You could bodge it, which happens a lot, but why bother. I mean eg put one new zone valve in series with the current 3 port ch outlet for the existing, and another for the extension. Saves you one new zone valve!
Realisitically, it's unlikely that a loft extension will ever require heat when the first floor doesn't. In my experience, lofts are usually overheated places even when the heat's off, because hot air rises up from the rest of the house.
Quite apart from the issue of the valves, there's also a potential problem with the pipes. If your exisitng pump and 3-port are already on the first floor beside the cylinder - should be no major problem. But if they're on the ground floor, you'd have to run a separate flow and return all the way up to the loft.
Why not stick with your existing 3-port, carry on using it to fire the boiler as now, and add a 2-port valve just downstream from it to serve the loft. Then use a room stat actually in the loft to open the valve as required, without any connections to the Grey or Orange wires. Then, the main house rads will work independently from the loft but the loft rads will only work when there is ALREADY a call for heat from the main room stat (which will operate the 3-port and fire the boiler). I did it this way in a house where it was virtually impossible to get a new pipe run from 2nd floor to basement, and as far as I know it works well enough that no-one has ever noticed the 'bodge'.
If you have TRV's fitted as well, it will be even less noticeable.
Quite apart from the issue of the valves, there's also a potential problem with the pipes. If your exisitng pump and 3-port are already on the first floor beside the cylinder - should be no major problem. But if they're on the ground floor, you'd have to run a separate flow and return all the way up to the loft.
Why not stick with your existing 3-port, carry on using it to fire the boiler as now, and add a 2-port valve just downstream from it to serve the loft. Then use a room stat actually in the loft to open the valve as required, without any connections to the Grey or Orange wires. Then, the main house rads will work independently from the loft but the loft rads will only work when there is ALREADY a call for heat from the main room stat (which will operate the 3-port and fire the boiler). I did it this way in a house where it was virtually impossible to get a new pipe run from 2nd floor to basement, and as far as I know it works well enough that no-one has ever noticed the 'bodge'.
If you have TRV's fitted as well, it will be even less noticeable.
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To be honest I wouldn't bother zoning the loft rooms separately, just use trv's.
You don't put a trv where there's a stat in a room so you have a problem in where to put the thermostat. You could put it at the top of the stairs, but then it all depends which doors are open or closed.
Posh answer is to use timed trv's on all rads, which call for heat individually, either wired (a pain) or by radio link (Honeywell, ££). You've spent maybe £30k on the extension , may as well be comfortable!
You don't put a trv where there's a stat in a room so you have a problem in where to put the thermostat. You could put it at the top of the stairs, but then it all depends which doors are open or closed.
Posh answer is to use timed trv's on all rads, which call for heat individually, either wired (a pain) or by radio link (Honeywell, ££). You've spent maybe £30k on the extension , may as well be comfortable!
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