Church Heating

[john4703]

I’ve been looking after the buildings at the church I attend for a few years. The buildings are well used so this lockdown is a chance to try to sort out some things.

We have a gas fired boiler and four motorized valves. One is on what looks like 2-inch pipe and is for the church. There are three others on 22mm (or ¾ inch pipes) that serve three areas, but the heads have been removed and the valves are permanently open. So basically, we have 4 motorized valves.

1. The sanctuary

2. The toilets

3. The kitchen and two meeting rooms

4. The main hall.

I’d like to sort it out so we can have just one section heated (the toilets would always be on if anyone was in the building).

At home I have a Nest thermostat and wonder if there is anything like that suitable for the church. We need totally flexible timings; the existing time switches are limited.

I think we need three thermostats that would send instructions to a control wirelessly.

I’d appreciate any ideas of what to use.

Thanks

John

 

[Madrab]

The zone valves would have originally been controlled by individual time clocks, some type of 4ch programmer or independent thermostats. Presume they have been removed or have failed in the past therefore the system has been left manually open. Are there any signs of the clocks/programmer/stats still there?

Easy enough to set up individual RF wireless programmers, one to control each zone valve but would recommend a proper site survey to see how the system would be required to work during all configurations. Has anyone ever had a pro it to survey the system as a whole?

 

[john4703]

Thanks Madrab,
The whole building was renovated about 20 years ago. I have been told that the builder said that as he fitted TRVs to all radiators there was no need for any other thermostats. There are three that I know of but they are in the wrong places.
I had the boiler serviced last week but to be honest when I asked the guy about the controls he said he knew nothing about them.
I am sure I know what we need, three zones, each with individual timer/thermostats.

 

[Madrab]

The S Plan plus, that it was configured to be would be fine to reinstate. Relatively straight forward with the setup as it is, individual RF programmable room stats controlling each zone valve. Central 4 channel programmer if needed. Would need all tested and checked of course. Is there a HW cylinder too?

TRV's wouldn't really have been up to the job in a church I wouldn't think unless the rooms were small.

 

[ianmcd]

I would recommend that you get someone who knows about controls in, I look after my local church and have installed an up to date control system and it saves them a fortune in Gas bills, as you will know churches have really daft heat demands, so standard controls with manual timers need a lot of work, the system I set up for my local church, the church elder can switch any zone off or on from his phone or computer while at home

 

[dilalio]

Can you post some photos of the valves and other controls?