gas ufh specialists - would like some advice please

[Random46]

I have full wet UFH system across 2 floors - apparently I certainly cannot tell in some rooms if it actually works or not, i can for sure in others, but i have no radiators at all and i am uncertain if in winter this is suitable as it can take ages if not forever to make a temp change in the house.

The house is so well insulated its hard to cool down if you warm it up by whacking the boiler up for hours/days and when it gets cold, putting the boiler up full and waiting a few hours does little to temp changes.

its great having ufh in some spots as the tiles are toasty and warm, i am not sure if its effective as a heating system.

 

[Random46]

 

[shambolic]

You don't seem to have control over each individual circuit going by your picture?
See mine where each circuit is controlled in groups by actuator heads controlled by a stat in each room.
This stat is set to 2 temperatures. On setting, say 21 and fallback say 18/19. This means your ufloor will keep ticking over at a nice heat all the time.
Some have it set for one temperature say 20 deg all the time but it'd up to you how you work it.

 

[Random46]

this is part of the problem i think, the builder told me that its all manual and that 1 thermostat controls the whole house... but the circuits arent marked for a start so i have no idea which does which - also from what i have read and watched on youtube - the manifold without the actuator does nothing - it doesnt control the heat up or down based on how far you turn it like a rad valve

 

[shambolic]

The flow indicator on each circuit will tell you if there is a flow going through it.
You could get the actuators and stats wired in though if you want.

 

[Random46]

if you connect thermostat A to far left then put it in the bedroom - you may end up heating the kitchen.. i might be wrong but seems like only something you could do during fitting? or is there another way of doing it?

 

[Aquaheat]

Trial and error. You already have one clue as 4 legs run one direction and 4 in another so they will be heading to whatever rooms are in those directions.

Next you may not have 8 individual zones, 2 or three of the 4 could feed one room/zone or you could have 8 single zones.

Easiest and quickest way is to get a thermal imaging camera turn the heating off for a while and isolate all zones apart from one and run it back up. Trace each zone that you turn on with the camera and make a note of which rooms are fed from which zones.

When you know that you will know how many zones you have and how many stats you will need. You will also need the actuators obviously.

Jon

 

[Random46]

maybe the fact i found 8 actuators that came with the system in the cupboard is a clue.. but i agree the camera sounds like a good idea - how many days would you need it off for to find out? whats the best way to find someone qualified to do all this? i did contact the manufacturer which i found online but didnt get a reply as yet. My partner still trying to convince me we dont need any other thermostats and she is happy just having 1 for the whole house.. which i think is madness the actuators must have been bought for a reason...

 

[Dan Robinson]

I've had to do this a few times when basement "specialists have had the drawings upside down and back to front, before spilling their tea on them and throwing them in the cement mixer.

One of the best uses I've had for the Flir camera we bought.

Best bet is turn it all off the morning before. But really you need someone that understands UFH and how it works and be able to apply it to your house.

My entire ground floor is one control zone with a small entrance hall (with the stairs up in it) acting as a heat dump for the whole system. Then I have zoned the upstairs off, which is heated with rads.

The manufacturer will probably not be much use anyway.

I'm assuming there is a blending/pump station elsewhere?

 

[Random46]

Thanks Dan, so its relieving to know that even if i have 8 zones and 8 actuators - i dont need 8 thermostats? i presume 1 thermostat can hand more than 1 physical zone?

I dont see any blending / pump station anywhere in site, unless its hidden behind something thats fixed but that would seem a bit odd.. i had noticed the presence of this being missing when i watched the JG speedfit video before... could it possibly work without it? or does it have to be hidden ? note that this system is commissioned by a gas safe engineer...i had to have it to get the house...

 

[Aquaheat]

Yes you could have, say, 1 zone upstairs and 1 zone downstairs and each zone would consist of 4 legs and 4 actuators controlled by 1 thermostat or a ground floor zone with 4 legs and 4 actuators and a thermostat and an 4 zones upstairs (bedroom 1/2/3 and Bathroom) which would need 4 actuators and 4 thermostats or any combination of the above depending on where your runs actually go.

Basically every "zone" will need a stat but not every actuator.

As for the blending valve and pump it may be hidden off to the right somewhere as it should be on the right hand end but they have just hard piped it. It would be odd though as it appears to tee off to some other pushfit connections at the back in the dark.

It would be good to check and find as you don't want 70C water running through it and it should be pumped and wired into the controls.

Jon

 

[Dan Robinson]

One thermostat can only control one zone, but that zone can consists of several areas. But it all depends on the design and the property.

 

[Random46]

Thanks guys. .I cannot see the blending thing anywhere at all had a torch in there. Is it fair to say that as it was setup by a qualified person and signed off that it must be ok ie safe ..albeit not the most effective setup. Do some people set them up like this ie no blender and 1 thermostat controlling all or has it just been done wrong full stop? I know we all have different ways of doing things I'm just trying to work out why someone would do this? Cutting costs? Or lack of knowledge?

 

[Aquaheat]

Do some people set them up like this ie no blender and 1 thermostat controlling all or has it just been done wrong full stop? I know we all have different ways of doing things I'm just trying to work out why someone would do this? Cutting costs? Or lack of knowledge?

Hard to tell without being able to see the full system and setup but probably a combination of all of the above. What area are you there may be one of us that know UFH on here near to you?

Jon

 

[Dan Robinson]

There are lots of ways of skinning the UFH cat. I'm moving away from manifold pump units in favour of a centralised configuration. Zoning with UFH is a mixed bag really.