Hive Hive Active Heating for a Potterton Profile 100e?

[stetanos]

Hi, I've just seen the new offer by AO for Hive thermostats for £120. I am thinking of buying this as it seems a decent price, but had not enough time to thoroughly research if it fits my old boiler (a Potterton Profile 100e). Sadly I do not have the funds to change the old boiler and as it still works fine I was hoping to update the controls with a smart thermostat.

An internet search has failed to bring up any forums to link my boiler to the Hive (or even to the Nest for that matter). Can anyone offer some advice as to if this would be compatible? I have noticed that there are 2 versions of Hive, one for systems with and one for without hot water storage tanks (mine has a hot water tank).

This is the version of Hive I suspect might work with my boiler:
https://ao.com/product/v2hahkitheat...at-kit-smart-thermostat-silver-51780-318.aspx

Many thanks for any advice.

 

[stem]

The Potterton Profile 100e is perfectly suitable for control by Hive or Nest. In most cases the boiler will be being controlled by a motorised valve (or valves) anyway and the Hive connects to them, meaning that the boiler wiring doesn't need to be touched. So the question is, what sort of system is your boiler connected to?

For example:

Fully pumped 'S Plan' (two or more, 2 port motorised valves) with room and cylinder thermostats
Fully pumped 'Y Plan' (one, 3 port motorised valves) with room and cylinder thermostats
Pumped central heating, with gravity circulation of hot water. Any thermostats?

 

[stetanos]

Thanks stem.
Not sure what sort of system it is connected to - and probably not qualified enough to work this out... The current control is an antiquated Randal 3060 programmer with a simple manual Honeywell thermostat. Would that help in working out compatibility?
Thanks again.

 

[stem]

Based on your existing controls, you probably have a pumped central heating, with gravity circulation of hot water system. With this type of installation it is not be possible to have the central heating 'on' without the hot water also being 'on' at the same time.

When hot water is required the boiler operates, and hot water circulates naturally through the hot water cylinder to heat it up. When heating is required the pump starts and circulates water through the radiators. However, the hot water also has to remain 'on' to keep the boiler running. In this case you can still fit a Hive, but you won't be able to use all of its features.


Fig 1. Pumped central heating, with gravity circulation of hot water. (Yours probably won't have the zone valve fitted)

If I were you I would forget the Hive and instead, bring the system more up to date making it fully pumped by the addition of a motorised valve and hot water cylinder thermostat, which will give independent control of the heating and hot water, as well as making it more economical to run. You don't need to change the boiler.


Fig 2. Fully pumped Y-Plan system with 3 port motorised valve.

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• stem
• 1 Apr 2010
• 8

Fig 3. 3-Port motorised valve

EDIT
Once you have brought the system more 'up to date' you could then add a Hive to it and get all the available features.

 

[muggles]

Hive will work fine with your system, but is the least energy efficient of all the internet-enabled thermostats - it has the same energy saving rating as a standard dial thermostat. Nest is much better in this regard

 

[75pete]

Muggles , Is it possible to find out more about the difference in the energy savings, hive v nest?

 

[muggles]

Hive is ErP Class 1, which is the lowest class. Nest is ErP Class 4 (out of 8 ). It's impossible to say what the additional energy saving would be with Nest though, as there are too many variables, but it should be "some"