need help wiring heating system

fluke-it

I'm wiring a house with solar panels, I think I would need a 3 channel time clock because the radiators upstairs can be turned on separate to the radiators downstairs, plus the hot water must be switched separately. There is also a stove which will heat water and radiators. the burner must cut out when the copper cylinder reaches a certain temp, I will probably need relays for this, Does anyone have any circuit diagrams for a heating system similar to this? any help is much appreciated.

MiniGolf

Here is a simple S plan wiring diagram... http://www.salus-tech.com/manuals/S%20Plan%20wiring%20Diagram%20%7B10%20Terminals%7DCP222.pdf
You will just need to add another motorised valve and channel(clock).
it is a decent place to start!

RoundyMooney

A colleague did precisely this for his daughter, and designed his own circuit, complete with priority for the sold fuel zone. It was a fairly convoluted setup, but was all his own work, and was carried out in a very conscientous manner.

I did a full wiring job myself lately, but didn't have to worry about the solid fuel end of it. It is a standard setup otherwise, with two stats for the upstairs and downstairs zones, and a pipestat for the hotwater one. The solar system (not that type) is fed seperately through its own fused spur outlet, on its own dedicated circuit. To negate the need for control wiring, I used one of these in the downstairs common area, with everything else marshalled via multicore to a surface mounted box in the hotpress (more like a hotroom these days, given the size of them now).

Should be switched on next week. (I'd have been out of the place aeons ago, but for circumstances outside of my control-total lack or organisation on site, materials not turning up, and a lack of help-it was a "bank of thanks" job :rolleyes: )

I don't envisage any problems with it, it has a facility for solid fuel over-ride, and a comprehensive schematic comes with the controller. Only quibble I'd have is that it looks a little industrial compared with slimline switchgear and sockets that will inevitably accompany it. I've seen them fitted in the hotpress themselves, but that seems to defeat the purpose of having a central control point.

Any more questions-just holla as they say in South Central LA.

fishdog

At the moment electrical apprentices are recieving more and more training with PLCs. Also the price of PLCs is dropping and there is an increase of electricians taking advantage of short PLC courses being run. They are small and dim rail mountable. I have even seen PLCs for sale cheap on E Bay! I go a basic Allen Bradley for just €50. Similar to this one

If you were to use a PLC to control the heating it would make life very easy. Everything would just be wired from the field to 1 common point. Rather than changing the wiring around, the programme can simply be altered. This is a cheap reliable system that is simple to change.

Perhaps this is they way forward. Just a thought!

skinner2x

fluke-it wrote: »

I'm wiring a house with solar panels, I think I would need a 3 channel time clock because the radiators upstairs can be turned on separate to the radiators downstairs, plus the hot water must be switched separately. There is also a stove which will heat water and radiators. the burner must cut out when the copper cylinder reaches a certain temp, I will probably need relays for this, Does anyone have any circuit diagrams for a heating system similar to this? any help is much appreciated.

+1 on the PLC option,
I have an identical setup to yourself. I used a Sneider-electric Zelio PLc. As mentioned, the beauty is all the inputs/outputs come to the unit, so any combination of switching is possible form there.
The solar can be kept completely independant, so ignore that in the control circuit.
I used 2 relays , I to switch on oil boiler and circ pump, and 1 for the immersion. reason....to protect the contacts on the PLC.
With a PLC, and Zone valves, I can send the stove hot water to living room rads up to say 9 pm, then divert to bedrooms after that.


I've added a rough schematic. It doesn't include the relays , or immersion circuit (which I added later).
a problem I ran into ... my spark originally wired the boiler/pump to start once any zone valve was on. The problem with this is, if you use a stove/zone vale combination, it will also switch on the boiler (defeats the purpose IMO. )
Hence I rewired the system to use a relay to turn on the boiler. If I've a good early fire going, there's no need for heating to come on.

Randyleprechaun

Please see attached sketch(crude but you'll get the idea). Use 3no DP contactors. I have only shown the live conductors for clarity. It's an easy but reliable system

Randyleprechaun

Live looped at the bottom of contactors in sketch

10-10-20

Don't forget that the boilers power source shouldn't be switched directly - use the call loop to turn it on & off.
Most boilers have anti-freeze, pump-motor maintenence and controlled shut-down cycles which are there to protect them from damage.
Not using the call function prevents these from operating.