Controls Upgrade & Setup Advice

Hi,

I’m looking to get some advice on heating controls upgrades. Looking to take advantage of the SEAI grants also. Is there any restriction on the particular systems which must be used? i.e. do they need to meet particular standards etc. aside from requiring a registered installer?

I’m in a pre-2006 built home and I’m already looking into Attic Insulation as it’s very poor at the minute. To say the insulation was laid is an understatement; it was more thrown up in patches. I’m also looking into draft proofing windows and doors as there are some large gaps in the PVC windows.

The original heating controls were an APT Timer side by side with 3 switches for zones. House has 3 zones, downstairs (living & kitchen), bedrooms (4 across 2 floors) and DHW.

I replaced the APT years ago with a 3 channel Horstmann H37XL which is fine but somewhat limited in that it doesn’t take advantage of a boiler interlock and also it only has 3 times per day which can be programmed. Because of wiring I’ve had to put boiler power on one channel, heating on another and DHW on the last. I could have split the zones and turned on the boiler with a relay but there was a bit of work in it that I never got around to. Stats only activate the zone valves.

Also stats are in a very large hallway and large landing space so are pretty ineffective as these are pretty cold due to drafts and tiny radiator. With full heat for an hour they only reach 15°C roughly.

Boiler is a Warmflow Kabin Pak and at the last service (over 2 years ago) was running at 87% efficiency. Rads are balanced so that those furthest are getting more flow etc.

I’m finding the heating as it is to be very inefficient. Obviously insulation and boiler interlock are issues. Downstairs heating even with balancing are heating within 30 mins to a very high level and hence need to be turned off at the timer. Upstairs needs longer to heat but gets starved due to switching off because of downstairs. Therefore timer is only set to 30 mins for 2 of the 3 slots. DHW is generally switched on for each of these 3 slots partly due to lack of boiler interlock and also usage.

2 bedrooms on first floor are used during the day/evening so switching off that zone entirely is not an option.

So advice I’m looking for is based on the following questions.

1. Should my stats be positioned elsewhere? While I know hallway and landing are recommended I think particularly in my house these locations are a waste of time. Should I continue to ignore the old stats and put in new ones in better locations? Wireless is the preference as I don’t plan to rewire or chase walls.
2. My thoughts are that TRV’s would certainly help. Should I go for something where they could integrate to a broader system such as the Evohome? This looks good but very expensive (over €1,000 with 6 TRV’s). http://evohome.honeywell.com/. Is the Evohome overkill?
3. Would the likes of the Heatmiser neoKit 2 be a better option (certainly cheaper) along with regular TRV’s? http://www.heatmisershop.co.uk/room-thermostats-c1/neo-app-controllable-thermostats-c61/heatmiser-neokit-2-sapphire-black-p140
4. A similar system to the Heatmiser seems to be a new one called Owl Intuition, from what I gather they’re relatively new. Doesn’t look as polished as Heatmiser though. http://theowlireland.com/owl_heating_hot_water_control/3-zone-heating-hot-water
5. I also looked at a Nest alternative called Tado http://www.tado.com/ie/this-is-tado, again looks very polished but only works off one stat replacing an existing one (in my case the ones I think are ineffective) and does not seem to control zones or DHW.
6. Aside from the Evohome TRV’s what models could people recommend? Are TRV’s worthwhile? Do they not measure air temperature at the rad when the far side of the room could be cold if it was a large room?
7. Also, I read online (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Heating-and-hot-water/Thermostats-and-controls) that the stat on the boiler itself should be set to quite a high setting. Is this true? I have it at mid-range which per the link suggests I’m not getting the most effective use of the boiler.
8. Lastly are radiator reflectors worthwhile at all? Looking at a crowd called Radflek maybe http://www.radflek.com/

I’m leaning towards the Evohome or the Heatmiser. Remote control is something I’m interested in, both because I travel and I can have very random work times so fixed time every day is not always a good thing for me. The Heatmiser and The Owl above both wire into existing stats so if my stat positions should be moved then I’d be looking at a wireless relay option which The Owl does but not sure about Heatmiser.

Does anyone have experience with the systems I’ve mentioned above? I know some if not all are relatively new. Does anyone have suggestions on another approach I should take?

Sorry if the post is long winded; I wanted to give as much background as possible.

Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions!!