Positioning the thermostat

[bricksmasher]

Hi guys

Just a question, currently my Hive thermostat is in the living room, as i thought it made sense to have it there. Theres 2 radiators in there though, and the house isnt insulated yet (on the list of things to do very soon though)

The hallway and upstairs is much colder than the living room, so wondering if best to move the thermostat into the hallway for now. We have an 8 week old baby who wont settle upstairs so we sleep eith her in the living room at the moment. And if thats just temperature related.

Thanks

 

[Mottie]

Personally, I'd have it in the lounge where you spend most of your time. Ours used to be in the hall when we first moved here but every time somebody went in or out of the front door, the heating would come on and we were roasting in the lounge!

Make sure you dont have it in a room with a TRV fitted to a radiator and you could try cracking the returns on the lounge rads down slightly and the hall and bedroom ones up so that it takes longer for the lounge to warm up, sending more heat to the other rads.

On the other hand, my mother spends half her time in her bungalow bedroom and half in the lounge. She has no TRV's fitted and takes the Hive thermostat with her depending on which room she's in.

 

[bricksmasher]

Thanks, i never even thought about it, the thermostat is in the living room where there is 2 radiators. Both have a TRV on them. Maybe i should look to take them off

I moved the hive thermostat just after posting this last night to upstairs in the hallway, as its much colder there and there was st least 3 degrees difference

So naybe i should remove the trvs from the radiators on the living room and have it back in there and turn them down abit too?

Thanks again

 

[Mottie]

Yes, just take the tops off of the TRV's (or set them to max) and close down the lock shields on the other end of the rads to slow the flow down. Try them a quarter or a half turn open to start with. Position the thermostat away from sources of heat too - rads, TV, direct sunlight, Lamps etc.

 

[BlueLoo]

What you depends on what heating controls you have in other rooms.

If you have TRvs, put the stat in the coldest room you normally heat.

If you don't have TRvs, put the stat in the room you spend the most time in.

Getting TRvs on all rads is usually a good idea if you don't have them already.

 

[Madrab]

When it comes to correct setting up of a CH system, as far as controls are concerned, then it's really down to how you wish to use the system and what your individual habits are, costs, etc, there's rarely a one set up fits all approach.

The best advice I would offer is learn to use you controls in a way that suits your needs and is cost effective to you. The older default setup used was the stat was in the hall, usually the coldest regularly used space in the house and that rad only had wheelhead valves on it and then TRV's in the other rooms to control their own specific temp.

With newer smart controls/E-TRV's/Learning stats/remote control etc it's all a lot more complicated and these systems needs a lot more user interaction before they work as required.

Oh ... Never have a thermostat in a room that have TRV's, the 2 systems will always fight against each other.

 

[CBW]

the 2 systems will always fight against each other.

A bit like the diyer’s and pro’s in here

 

[BlueLoo]

A bit like the diyer’s and pro’s in here

I'm a lover not a fighter

 

[vulcancontinental]

I've been hearing this to and fro for thirty years.

My take? RS in the hall, it's stable and cold and you can set it to any temp that's comfortable in the rest of the house by adjusting lockshield radiator valves in other rooms.

Never put it in the lounge because the room is subject to too many variables, differing levels of occupation, possibly a fire, certainly nowadays electrical appliances that give off heat, pets etc.

The TRV's will take care of heat gains by restricting the flow of heating water to the radiators in the lounge when there is an additional heat gain as long as you keep the airflow around them constant. Put them behind a sofa or curtain drop or magazine rack and they will give false readings.

Never check that they're working by feeling the top of the radiator, if they're open a little or a lot the top will always be hot as hot water is less dense than cooler so will rise, it's the amount of the surface overall that is hot that is a result of how much the valve is open.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Never put it in the lounge because the room is subject to too many variables, differing levels of occupation, possibly a fire, certainly nowadays electrical appliances that give off heat, pets etc.

Correct, you can always set the stat to a lower temperature, to suit the lower temperature of the hall and TRV's in individual rooms will limit their temperatures.

 

[BlueLoo]

Just put smart trvs on all valves, ensure your bypass is set correctly and control each room as is your want.

Zone stats are outdated tech.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Just put smart trvs on all valves, ensure your bypass is set correctly and control each room as is your want.

Zone stats are outdated tech.

Good at spending other peoples money completely pointlessly, on expensive and unnecessary upgrades.

 

[BlueLoo]

Good at spending other peoples money completely pointlessly, on expensive and unnecessary upgrades.

Thank you for that constructive comment.

 

[vulcancontinental]

A smart TRV is a zone stat; I would call it a comfort feature not an efficiency feature unless it has an influence on the boiler operating temperature. They are more expensive than a standard TRV but cheaper than motorised valves and separate circuits.

Changing tack slightly, many thermostats are labelled smart because you can turn the heating ON or OFF while somewhere lese. That doesn't strike me as particularly smart unless it offers something more. I'm thinking primarily of Hive when writing this.

 

[BlueLoo]

A smart TRV is a zone stat; I would call it a comfort feature not an efficiency feature unless it has an influence on the boiler operating temperature. They are more expensive than a standard TRV but cheaper than motorised valves and separate circuits.

Changing tack slightly, many thermostats are labelled smart because you can turn the heating ON or OFF while somewhere lese. That doesn't strike me as particularly smart unless it offers something more. I'm thinking primarily of Hive when writing this.

Agreed on Hive.
Hive is a tech approach to a heating problem.

You are better (imho) using heating companies for smart tech solutions to heating.

Most smart stuff has heating modulation, weather compensation, open-therm etc, etc.