Honeywell Evohome System

[Jever]

Hi,

I currently have an oil-fuelled heating system that was installed in the 80's that I'm thinking about updating.

The radiators are regulated by old Honeywell thermostatic valves that are pretty ugly and I'd like something that looks a bit more modern and enables me to regulate the temperature in each room more precisely, with the intention that oil consumption will become more efficient.

Having done some searching on the internet, the Honeywell Evohome appears to be exactly what I'm looking for. Does anyone here have any experience of these systems that they could share with me?

Questions that I would particularly like to have answered are:

• Is self-installation possible or will I need to get someone to install it for me?
• I'm assuming the present Honeywell thermostatic valves will have to be scrapped in favour of new ones. Is there a standard Honeywell valve that I can fit to the current system that will enable the Evohome system to be subsequently installed?
• My house has 14 radiators. Is it recommended that all radiators are controlled within the system, or just certain 'more important' radiators?
• What are the alternatives for radiators not regulated by the system?
• What's the approximate cost of installation for a house with 14 radiators?

Thanks in advance

Jever

 

[muggles]

Do NOT, repeat do NOT, attempt self-installation. Even Honeywell-trained pros have difficulties getting this system to work correctly, with a considerable number of installations requiring revisits. In the Combustion Chamber (the Gas-Regd Professionals Only section of DIYNot) there are many tales of woe about trying and failing to get it to work properly, or getting it to work until you've got home from the job only to be phoned up to say it's stopped working again. There's only one person in there who seems to be able to get it to work reliably at least most of the time. From my own experience, having installed three systems now, the range appears to be very poor with no way of boosting it and signals are frequently lost. Most of the time they pick up again, but sometimes replacement units are required. I won't be installing another one, it seems like much more hassle than it's worth and I just don't trust it any more. Personally I'd go with Heat Genius. It just works, and manufacturer backup is a million times better. Honeywell's stance always seems to be to blame the installer before the equipment when things go wrong. Which they do. A lot.

If you do go ahead with the Honeywell system, your existing valves should be compatible with the HR92 heads. It is recommended that all radiators are controlled with these heads, although not essential. Unregulated radiators will just use standard TRVs

Cost? You're looking at about £1500 for the kit, plus at least one day's labour, so budget for around £2000 and hope that it doesn't run into a second day. Oil consumption will be more efficient, but it won't save you that much money!

 

[FurstyFerret]

I have a fair amount of experience with Evohome (I maintain the Windows Phone app too). It is IMHO fairly easily DIY-able provided you read the manual carefully and complete the online learning course first.

The cost of the kit will be about £1200 and plan a complete day for installation if you're going for the hot water kit too and haven't done it before. Other accessories that you might find useful are a roll of three core cable and a new 10-way wiring centre.

The wireless relays should be greater than 30cm apart, and at least 30cm from metal objects. Your mileage may vary on this, I had no option but to put mine in close proximity to both each other and the water tank and it works fine. My house is new-build so fairly flimsy but no comms issues over three stories (Evohome controller in the hall). It's running as 12 zones with 14 valves.

If you put valves on every rad and an automatic bypass valve, you can isolate the heating motorised valve and reconfigure the system with one of the BDR91s as a boiler relay. That's beneficial because you can control boiler cycle rate and minimum on time, and if you have cheap valves it gets rid of the valve noise when it closes. If normal sundial system you MUST NOT set as boiler relay 'cos it'll give you a headache and won't work properly.

Lots of people leave one radiator on a TRV in the downstairs bog or similar, the controller itself would actually work fine with no HR92 valves at all and just controlling one zone to start with; it's a system that expands nicely.

As others say, you're replacing the valve head, not the valve itself. No need to get wet.

Any questions ask here, the experts do know their stuff and are helpful. Buy from The Evohome Shop if you can. Plan things using the Honeywell System Builder. And if anything above doesn't make sense, get a professional in.

 

[simond]

I've been installing Honeywell Hometronic since I put it in my house in 2003. Evohome is the latest version of the technology, smartened up but with many features removed.

I now have completed around 300-400 installs of Hometronic and the various incarnations of Evohome, and whilst it is possible to DIY it, the set up still has bugs in it that will crush a DIYer and have disillusioned many a pro.

Once set up correctly it is very reliable and stable for the end user. If you want the maximum reliability and battery life , use Honeywell V120/15A valve bodies, which means a drain down. You will also need a bypass, if there is not one already there, which once again will need a drain down.

Bearing in mind a VAT registered installer can do it all at a 5% VAT rate, it may not be worth the aggro DIYing it.

 

[Nige F]

Just my two pennyworth....... Why not change all the TRVs for Drayton ones- and have a bypass rad. Drain and have the system powerflushed,probably cheaper by a good margin . I have to say I'm a technophobe though

 

[Jever]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I feel far more in a position to make a decision on this.

Given all the other projects I'm tackling and the added bonus of VAT at 5%, I think if I go for it, I'll get a specialist to tackle it.

I have to say, it appears to me that this technology is in its early days and will get better/more affordable as time goes by. I shall get a quote from the local specialist and discuss some of the points raised above.

In any event, the existing valves are old, ugly and not working as they should, so they have to go. In the event that the quote looks too high, Nige's suggestion of just replacing the existing valves appeals to me.

If I go for this, what Drayton valves would you recommend? Am I right in thinking that a bypass rad is one without the TRVs (i.e. plain on/off screw-tight valves)?

Jever

 

[Jever]

Probably no a good idea to reply to my own post, but these look pretty good to me:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/drayton-trv4-white-chrome-trv-15mm-angled-l-s/34362

Is £22 a reasonable price, or should I expect to do better?

Jever

 

[simond]

Early days? This stuff came out in 1998.

Here's a brochure from 2007;
http://historical-products.ecc.emea.honeywell.com/2007_1/pdf/en3h0293-ge51r0406.pdf

 

[simond]

And if you think there will be a massive price drop (ha ha), fit Honeywell Valencia TRVs now, they are fully compatible with the Evohome actuators.
http://www.honeywelluk.com/products/Valves/Thermostatic-Radiator-Valve/Valencia-Classic-TRVs/

 

[Biggles..]

Why waste £22 on a valve, any standard TRV will suffice and the HR92 will adjust it's stroke to suit the valve body installed.
Personally use pegler bodies or their variants under different brands.
Pretty decent at half the cost!

 

[simond]

The HR80 or HR92 valve will certainly fit on other bodies; but it is not just the stroke, it is the spring resistance and friction that causes the batteries to run down prematurely when paired with other manufacturers products.

 

[Biggles..]

The best valve in the market by a country mile is made by Herz, but completely pointless for 9 out of 10 applications.

What figures do you have for battery life issues between honeywell valves and a another valve based on a building have identical heat loss, identical zone sizes and operating configurations?...... Are we talking seconds/minutes/hours or are we just trying to vouch for your preferred valve.
What is the spring resistance and friction figure for a 15mm angled honeywell valve please just so I can bear this mind when advising customers on their benefits over their non honeywell existing TRV's? @Dan_Robinson no good laying in bed, do you know the affect on battery life?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Using full stroke mode will Muller battery life.

I use the Altech valves personally, but any m30 1x5mm thread will work fine.

Battery life depends on several things, one of which appeared to be signal strength.

Or that could've been a bad batch of batteries.

 

[simond]

The best valve in the World may well be Hertz, but that is your opinion, no more. It may also be mine, but that wasn't the question, it was, to remind you, why one would use Honeywell's own valve as a preference with the HR92 Evo actuator.

Dan Robinson may be your authority on Evohome, he may even be your Dad. He is a helpful chap but I was fitting this equipment long before either of us turned up on this forum.

My knowledge on battery life (if it is any of your business), is based on our work between 2002 and 2012 with the importer of Hometronic, who specified and installed a 5 figure number of Honeywell HR80 radiator actuators in the UK during that period. They found that the Honeyell VH200 and V117 worked best, and their attendance on the steering group for development of Hometronic put them in direct contact with the original designers in Germany.

But if you want to ask your Dad, go ahead.

 

[Biggles..]

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