Motorised valves, 2 zoned heating, 3 channel programmer.

[skyhawker]

Please could someone explain the layout of our planned heating so i can try and work out a potential cabling issue.

We have 2 zone heating installed. Ground and first floor.

The plumber installed 3 honeywell motorised valves near the boiler. 2 for central heating and 1 for hot water. These are not yet connected.

Questions.

1. There is a black cable coming out of each motorised valve. Where will this connect to? To the boiler or the programmer? The programmer will be installed on the lower floor so will we need to chase 3 cables from the valves to the programmer?
2. I have been given different advice on whether to install a 2 channel programmer and use thermostat to differentiate and control the heating in the 2 zones or get a 3 zone programmer such as Horstmann H37xl and have the ability to time each zone eg at night etc. Plus thermostats.
What is the sensible option?
Are Horstmanns as good as Honeywell?

 

[Whitespirit66]

The 3 black cables will most likely be wired into a junction box that will be fixed in the same area as the valves. A single cable with 5 cores should be all that links the programmer into the same junction box. There will be separate cables from the junc box to boiler, pump and hw cylinder stat.

For Q2 - if you want to have separate timings for upstairs and downstairs, you will need a 3 channel programmer. If you are happy to have the upstairs and downstairs on the same timings, two channel will suffice. Each floor should have it's own room stat.

Honeywell are generally viewed as better controls than Horstmann.

 

[skyhawker]

The 3 black cables will most likely be wired into a junction box that will be fixed in the same area as the valves. A single cable with 5 cores should be all that links the programmer into the same junction box.

For Q2 - if you want to have separate timings for upstairs and downstairs, you will need a 3 channel programmer. If you are happy to have the upstairs and downstairs on the same timings, two channel will suffice. Each floor should have it's own room stat.

Honeywell are generally viewed as better controls than Horstmann.

Thanks.

Problem is that Honeywell don't do a 3 channel programmer. Doesn't having both zones on the same timer negate some of the flexibility and savings that 2 zones were supposed to create?

Is there anything as good as Honeywell with 3 channel?

I was looking at the horstmanns installation guide and it seems to have there are connections for each channel. What setup is that made for if usually there is only one cable going from programmer to valvejun junction box?

 

[Whitespirit66]

You could use a two channel programmer and install two programmable room stats which will handle their own zones timings independently.

Yes, ideally you would have separate time control and separate thermostatic control of each zone.

A three channel programmer, when wired to 3 valves like yours will probably have 5 connections linked to the junc. box via a 5 core cable. Two will be 240v live and neutral to run the programmer's electrics. Third will be a live feed that becomes live when the hw is on. Four and five are live feeds - one for each heating zone. These become live when the zone(s) are timed on for heating.

Horstmann programmer will be fine. Or Drayton do 3/4 channel programmer -

http://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/homeownerzone/products/timecontrol/mitimemultichannelprogrammer/

This diagram shows how a 2 channel (hw and one ch zone) system is wired.

http://www.octaveblue.co.uk/c_heating/sp_ch.htm

 

[skyhawker]

You could use a two channel programmer and install two programmable room stats which will handle their own zones timings independently.

Yes, ideally you would have separate time control and separate thermostatic control of each zone.

A three channel programmer, when wired to 3 valves like yours will probably have 5 connections linked to the junc. box via a 5 core cable. Two will be 240v live and neutral to run the programmer's electrics. Third will be a live feed that becomes live when the hw is on. Four and five are live feeds - one for each heating zone. These become live when the zone(s) are timed on for heating.

Horstmann programmer will be fine. Or Drayton do 3/4 channel programmer -

http://www.draytoncontrols.co.uk/homeownerzone/products/timecontrol/mitimemultichannelprogrammer/

This diagram shows how a 2 channel (hw and one ch zone) system is wired.

http://www.octaveblue.co.uk/c_heating/sp_ch.htm[/QUOTE]


I thought the thermostats are wired to the programmer. In the diagram it shows the programmer going through the thermostat to the valve? Are the thermostats wired to the valves?

 

[Whitespirit66]

The stats will be physical wired to the junc. box (numbered strip in diagram). They are actually just switches that relay the live feed from programmer to zone valves. If the switch is open (ie. room/cyl up to temp), the valves don't receive voltage to turn hw/ch on.

PROGRAMMER > STAT > VALVE

Ie. TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH > THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH > VALVE.

 

[skyhawker]

The stats will be physical wired to the junc. box (numbered strip in diagram). They are actually just switches that relay the live feed from programmer to zone valves. If the switch is open (ie. room/cyl up to temp), the valves don't receive voltage to turn hw/ch on.

PROGRAMMER > STAT > VALVE

Ie. TIME CONTROLLED SWITCH > THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED SWITCH > VALVE.

Is this also how it works on a Y-plan system?

 

[skyhawker]

Untitled

• skyhawker
• 10 Jun 2015
• 2

This is the setup is this y or s?

 

[mogget]

Setup is known as s-plan plus. Functions exactly like an s-plan but with more than 2 channels. I've got a Drayton mitime t742r programmer controlling 3 channels and it's good if a little pricey to purchase.

 

[skyhawker]

Setup is known as s-plan plus. Functions exactly like an s-plan but with more than 2 channels. I've got a Drayton mitime t742r programmer controlling 3 channels and it's good if a little pricey to purchase.

Drayton better than hortsmann? From quick look I see that Drayton has 4 on/offs per day. Hortsmann seems easier to use as has more dedicated buttons.

With my system the programmer will be on lower floor and boiler and valves in eves storage. The plan was to run the thermostats to the programmer and then the programmer to the boiler location. Now I understand that the thermostats need to run to the boiler location and not to the programmer?

 

[mogget]

The Drayton mitime series operates a bit like a menu driven mobile phone, no complicated sequences of button pressing at all. For quality I would pick Drayton over horstmann every time but horstmann isn't bad for the money in my opinion.

 

[mogget]

-Posted in a separate message to generate another email-

There's no hope of wiring it all into the back of the programmer, easier to site the (large) junction box / wiring centre near to the mv's and run thermostats and programmer back to it.

 

[skyhawker]

-Posted in a separate message to generate another email-

There's no hope of wiring it all into the back of the programmer, easier to site the (large) junction box / wiring centre near to the mv's and run thermostats and programmer back to it.

Much appreciated.

As a side point, does the setup look installed ok?

 

[skyhawker]

Any recommendation for the thermostats? Would Honeywell work ok with the Drayton?

 

[mogget]

Looks fairly neat apart from the ripples, but these won't affect its operation.

Honeywell dt90e have a good reputation, need to keep the manual on hand though unless you can remember all the 2 letter abbreviations. Once it's all in it's just an up/down button though.