zoning

[squarepeg]

Hi,

I've got a three storey house that needs central heating. I think zoning is the only sensible option, but not sure of the best way to do it.

I think I should have a manifold per floor (4 zones each) rather than having one big manifold - does this sound sensible (wanting to reduce the length of pipe runs)?

If I do it this way will I need three wiring / control centres? can they all be linked together?! Or can I still use just one? (Probably depends on the system?)

Does anyone have any suggestions on control systems (thanks for previous recommendations)

 

[SortedPlumbing]

How big is ur house?
how many rads ?
would u be able to run pipes staight from boiler through all floors?
how many HW draw off points?

where u puttin boiler?

 

[Balenza]

Hi,

I've got a three storey house that needs central heating. I think zoning is the only sensible option, but not sure of the best way to do it.

I think I should have a manifold per floor (4 zones each) rather than having one big manifold - does this sound sensible (wanting to reduce the length of pipe runs)?

If I do it this way will I need three wiring / control centres? can they all be linked together?! Or can I still use just one? (Probably depends on the system?)

Does anyone have any suggestions on control systems (thanks for previous recommendations)

Just zone it as 1 zone per floor using 2 port motorized valves. Then use a 4 channel programmer.
And quality trv,s on the rads.
If you have rooms unoccupied that you don't wish to heat then turn the valve off on that particular rad or turn it to a lower setting.

For your office add another 2 port and single channel programmer.
Easy Peasy.

 

[squarepeg]

It's a big house - 3 storey (+ cellar), 6 bedrooms, 3 bath / shower rooms. Boiler will either be in the cellar (dry and ventilated) or on the ground floor

Will be probably 12 rads. Could run all pipes from central manifold, but I'm looking at a 5m run of pipe just to get up to the top floor, let alone to the rads and back, so for 4 rads, thats 40m of pipework just to get to the top floor and back. Given that the building is listed, the pipes will have to go up the far corner of the building, so we're talking another 4m (on average) under the floor to get to the rads. That seems like an awful lot of pipe, and an awful lot of heat loss / pressure loss to me. Am I worrying about nothing?!

So for the zone per floor option, essentially I would have 1 zone per floor plus one zone for the office - is that right?

Thanks for all the advice - when I started this I thought all I would need to specify would be the rads, boiler, cylinder and pump! What a mistake!

 

[D_Hailsham]

Why start a new topic when you have one dealing with your questions?

Which System

 

[squarepeg]

Apologies - I thought it might be easier to separate it out into two threads - probably would have been easier to keep them together when I think aboutit. Once again, apologies.

 

[Balenza]

squarepeg wrote

It's a big house - 3 storeyfloor

Height is not necessarily an indication of a large house.

Will be probably 12 rads.

And I think you mentioned a 30 kw boiler before.
As I mentioned in the previous thread 12 zones is way over the top and its not such a large property.

Stick to one zone per floor. TRV's and one room stat per floor.
You won't have a lot of change out of £500 for the electrical components on this alone.

 

[squarepeg]

Thanks for the advice

As I said, the only reason I was contemplating the 12 zones was because of the North south nature of the house, but if a zone per floor (with one for the office) will be fine then that's good by me (was expecting to spend quite a lot on the control system - but don't have a bottomless pit of money!)

Using one zone per floor and one for the office would mean 1 4-port manifold - is that right? (Hope so, because that's much easier to hide than either a 12-port, or 3 4-ports!)

 

[Balenza]

Id use a copper manifold.
But then I would as I can fabricate them from a larger bore copper pipe. And I don't use T's.
How you do it is up to you or whoever is installing the system.

You will have 4 heating zones plus the hot water zone = 5