Wireless central heating thermostat

[Brian C.]

Morning All,

I would like to change the wired wall central heating thermostat to a wireless one that could be carried from room to room. It would not have to be a programmable model.

My question is would the receiver simply replace the existing stat using the same wires or would it have to be wired into the boiler.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If the wiring is correct at the thermostat (usually neutral live and switched live) then you could put the receiver there, but they aren't the prettiest looking boxes to have on your wall.

Usually the receiver would be wherever the heating wiring centre is located. ie find the cable that goes to the stat in the wiring centre. That's the best place for the receiver.

 

[stem]

If your heating system comprises a boiler and radiators, it is unusual to move the thermostat about, the selection of its location is paramount to the correct operation of the heating system. A properly installed heating system should have been designed with a particular location in mind.

Positioning the thermostat in a room where the radiators are fitted with thermostatic radiator valves for example would not function correctly, nor would it work in a room with an additional source of heat. Kitchens and bathrooms would also not be suitable because their temperature can fluctuate in comparison to the rest of the property.

Electrically there's no problem, but it would be a shame to go to the trouble of buying and installing a wireless thermostat then to find that it didn't work as it should.

 

[Brian C.]

Thanks for those 2 replies.

The reason for wanting the wireless model is because the bungalow was built open plan so apart from the bedrooms the lounge, hall & kitchen were one. The stat is in the hall which has no outside walls or windows. Now, this is where it gets complicated, we have had a partition built between the hall & lounge. Now what happens is the hall reaches it's temperature & the heating goes off but the temperature in the hall does not fluctuate, so the heating does not activate when the other room grow cold. So I thought that instead of having the stat repositioned & having wires showing, we have just redecorated, a wireless model could solve the problem.

any other comments would be appreciated.

 

[ericmark]

I would agree with stem. A wireless radiator zoning TRV pack does allow control of every room together with a controller

but not cheap. There are also replacement heads

which give far better control of each room.

I have considered two thermostats one upstairs and one down stairs to stop overheating due to the chimney effect in my case it would reduce the temperature down stairs after a set time.

What you need to look at first is how the whole system works. Pre TRV we would place the thermostat in a room with no other heating and alter the lock shield valves to adjust all other rooms to get a percentage of the heat available.

After the TRV the TRV did all the controlling and the room thermostat was only really to allow one to turn off the heating in the summer as to if a thermostat was required depends on how good the anti-cycle software is in the boiler.

The wireless TRV has been used to switch off heat to rooms when not used. For example bedrooms during the day. With TRV you should have also a by-pass valve so if all close hot water goes direct back to the boiler.

In the main the TRV became essential with the condensate boiler as rather than simple on/off these boilers adjust flame hight according to return water temperature. Poorly set lock shield valves can cause the boiler on first switch on to start reducing flame size early.

In fact most the central heating systems I have been called to with cold rooms it has transpired either lock shield valve not set i.e. system was never commissioned or some one had played with them. The other is muck in the system blocking the lock shield valve.

So step one find out what system you have. Step two explain the problem. Step three the hard bit decide which advice to follow.

On the 27th I will attend a lecture on the 3rd amendment to wiring regulations. And this is typical for electricians we have to keep up with latest technology and regulations. Unfortunately it would seem plumbers don't keep themselves updated in the same way. Some electricians are the same.

"I have done it this way for the last 30 years I am not changing now." is unfortunately all too common. I have found on here some of my ideas are wrong because something has changed. Once you identify the problem your job is to work out which advice is valid. Good luck.

 

[Brian C.]

Thanks again for the replies.

Prefab.