EvoHome Configuration Help Please

[jarrah31]

Hi All,

I need some advise on which option to choose during a guided setup please.

System details:

• Home Install
• No HR92’s (yet)
• S-Plan with two Honeywell control valves for CH and HW
• Unvented pressurised hot water tank
• Worcester boiler

I've based the instructions on those found here, except I don't have any HR92's so couldn't follow it exactly: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/vbul...96-Just-installed-Evohome-couple-of-questions)

1. 'FACTORY RESET' evohome Controller and then 'HARD RESET' by removing batteries for several minutes.
2. Fully clear the 'binding' on both BDR91's (press and hold the button on the BDR91 for 20 seconds). Both HW and CH BDR’s are doing a short red flash.
3. Power evoTouch display back on, now shows “guided configuration” and “Installation Menu” as options. I chose Guided Configuration.
4. Asks “Do you require to control the heat demand (boiler)?”. I select red cross as per point 10 in above mentioned instructions.
5. Asks “Do you require to control a Stored Hot Water cylinder?”. I select green tick.
6. I bind Hot Water Sensor
7. Asks “What kind of valve(s) do you use to control flow to Hot Water cylinder and heating?”. I select “2 two port or three port valves”.
8. I bind Hot Water Valve to BDR controlling HW
9. I bind Heating valve to BDR controlling CH
10. *Here is where I get stuck*
11. Asks “Select the heating type for the zones you are creating” and gives:
    1. Underfloor Heating
    2. Mixing Valve
    3. Radiator Valve
    4. Zone Valve
12. I have no radiator HR92 valve, so what do I choose? Each one I’ve tried always asks to bind an actuator after choosing the following:
    1. Select number of zones to create: “1”
    2. Press to edit zone name: leave default as Living room
    3. Use evotouch as the temperature sensor for living room: Yes
13. Now says “Press BIND button on actuator(s), then press BIND button below.
14. It seems my only option is to bind the CH BDR again because if I don’t, the main screen says no bind.
15. Once bound it says (1 actuators bound 2 way).

Is the above right for my setup?

System summary shows:

Stored Hot Water - 2 two port or three port valves
Living room - Single zone, evotouch sensor


System Devices shows:

Boiler Control - None
Stored Hot Water - Enabled

Is it ok to have Boiler Control as None?

TIA!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Hardly ever use guided config personally.

 

[simond]

This is not really a DIY product. Furthermore if you are going to DIY fit, it's best to follow manufacturer instructions, rather than the yokels on the forums.

By all means, use Guided Config. There are some bugs in manual config in Evo 2014, don't know if they were carried over in the 2015 (WiFi) version because I have found a reliable way to set up all my installs and don't want to waste time deviating from this. We've been doing around 3 a week for the last year or so, takes about 45 mins to programme now. One of my customers is having three in one building next week.

I suggest you do another system restore (this doesn't fully restore to defaults in 2014 version, btw). Then go to guided config, set up HW but say you only have HW valve.

Then follow config and pair the actuator for your internal Evo thermostat zone using what you call the CH BDR.

Ironically, if you had just used the Evo out of the box, pre-paired with its own BDR, and just added HW kit it would have worked, but the Honeywell manuals don't cover all eventualities or bugs - which is why we go on the courses.

Evo is a waste of money without the 12 zone control, you are making a rod for your own back reconfiguring it again later with zones. Much better to get it done the final way first time, but there we are.

It is absolutely superb when properly installed, I first fitted it in my house in 2003 (it was called Hometronic then), and have done many hundreds since, my customers love it. Kicks all the other pretenders (Hive, Nest, Tado etc) into the long grass.

One of the best uses is towel tails, once you have HR92s fitted throughout, on ensuites and bathrooms you can dry the towels for 30 mins in the mornings and evenings in the summer!

 

[simond]

NB: If you have an unvented HW cylinder the thermostat and cut out supplied with this must drop the HW 2 port valve irrespective how you connect Evohome, otherwise you don't have G3/Building Regs compliance.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Finished off a load of UFH this week... two Hcc's in one house, and a third along with BDR's and a Bridge in the second with @dean7445 ....

We gotta add some floor sensing to this as the customer wants finer control over the floor temps and won't be persuaded


Had my first play with a Mains Link too as one of the HCC's was remote to the manifold pump and there was no way to run a cable.

God awful UFH kit already fitted to the place and never worked - Evo to the rescue.

You be careful with your 45 minute programming now though @simond - Uncle Rob will be unhappy with you .

 

[jarrah31]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for replying and helping out, I'll reply inline below:

This is not really a DIY product. Furthermore if you are going to DIY fit, it's best to follow manufacturer instructions, rather than the yokels on the forums.

I know what you mean, I was very careful to ensure I followed and completed the Youlearn Evohome online training as mentioned on theevohomeshop help page, I most definitely RTFM, and I meticulously planned out the wiring side of things too. In fact installation was the easy part once I had it all worked out.
I do understand that following random forum members advice isn't a good idea, but the yokel I linked to was a post from Richard who runs theevohomeshop and is a plumber himself, so he's knows his stuff, but that was a system with a HR92 so couldn't follow it exactly.
I know I'm a DIY'er, but hopefully a fairly competent one as I like to ensure I'm doing things right before starting them.

Evo is a waste of money without the 12 zone control, you are making a rod for your own back reconfiguring it again later with zones. Much better to get it done the final way first time, but there we are.

Fully agree with you here. My Honeywell ST9400C programmer suddenly deteriorated over the past two weeks to a point where it kept power-cycling every 10-60 seconds, preventing the boiler from heating the radiators/hot water. I needed to make a quick decision on a replacement, and the Evohome stood out. Unfortunately the complete price also stood out (I need 14 HR92's), so I decided to buy the main controller to start with (£300 just for that and the hot water kit!), and I'll be buying the HR92s in batches of four each month to spread the cost.

One of the best uses is towel tails, once you have HR92s fitted throughout, on ensuites and bathrooms you can dry the towels for 30 mins in the mornings and evenings in the summer!

Indeed! This is the main reason that helped the wife buy into Evohome! That and being able to heat just one room when I occasionally work from home during the winter, saving on using an electric heater.

Ironically, if you had just used the Evo out of the box, pre-paired with its own BDR, and just added HW kit it would have worked, but the Honeywell manuals don't cover all eventualities or bugs - which is why we go on the courses.

Yeah, it is a shame that. Unfortunately I couldn't find a clear set of instructions on what exactly you should do when commissioning an S-Plan unvented hot water system on Evohome, fresh from the box (theevohomeshop mentions that this part isn't clear in the destructions either). I followed the youlearn installation course twice and it really didn't cover this in detail (I could have missed this bit tho), but I guess my lack of HR92s isn't quite the norm which doesn't help.

I suggest you do another system restore (this doesn't fully restore to defaults in 2014 version, btw). Then go to guided config, set up HW but say you only have HW valve.
Then follow config and pair the actuator for your internal Evo thermostat zone using what you call the CH BDR.

Thank you very much for the tip! This will be where I went wrong, even though it seems I really should choose the "2 two port or three port valves" option given that this is exactly what my setup is (these options certainly aren't obvious in the evohome config!), and I'll then pair the actuator for my Central Heating BDR.

Funnily enough, it has been working perfectly using my broken config over the past 24hrs. It turns on heating and hot water as per the schedule, except that it moans about the Living Room actually having a comms fault. It does sound like your suggest above will fix this, but I do wish Honeywell would make this more obvious in the config setup.

NB: If you have an unvented HW cylinder the thermostat and cut out supplied with this must drop the HW 2 port valve irrespective how you connect Evohome, otherwise you don't have G3/Building Regs compliance.

My unvented hot water cylinder luckily has a second Control Thermostat "hole", so I wired in the existing stat in a series with the evohome stat (see wiring diag above), so that original thermostat has final say on the cylinder temperature. However, even though I've done this it sounds like you're saying I should drop the "2 two port or three port valves" option anyway as per your suggestion above?

 

[jarrah31]

Finished off a load of UFH this week... two Hcc's in one house, and a third along with BDR's and a Bridge in the second with @dean7445 ....View attachment 86511
We gotta add some floor sensing to this as the customer wants finer control over the floor temps and won't be persuaded


Had my first play with a Mains Link too as one of the HCC's was remote to the manifold pump and there was no way to run a cable.

View attachment 86510

God awful UFH kit already fitted to the place and never worked - Evo to the rescue.

You be careful with your 45 minute programming now though @simond - Uncle Rob will be unhappy with you .

Oh wow, I'm very glad my setup is nowhere near as complicated as that!! I would definitely need a pro to set that lot up for me!

 

[Dean744PiN5]

However, even though I've done this it sounds like you're saying I should drop the "2 two port or three port valves" option anyway as per your suggestion above?

he means the 2 port should fail "drop" to safety not leave it out entirely.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Boom!

 

[jarrah31]

However, even though I've done this it sounds like you're saying I should drop the "2 two port or three port valves" option anyway as per your suggestion above?

he means the 2 port should fail "drop" to safety not leave it out entirely.

I'm fully open to advice from yourselves as I fully admit I'm a DIY'er. I really do appreciate your help!

I do want to apologise as I think my way of describing things doesn't quite make sense, so when I say drop the option, I mean to do as Simon suggested and select the Hot Water valve at that point in the guided config, and then add a boiler relay later on.

I also know how you guys feel about DIY'ers. I'm an IT support guy and often have to help the non-tech people who think they know what they're doing, despite me knowing better. It's why I really appreciate the help you're giving on a Saturday night!!