Thermostatic Radiator Valve versus Zonal System

harringtonp

Hi Guys,

From the SEAI website

"
*** Minimum requirement for heating controls upgrade is : 2 zones
(space and water) with 7 day programmer (time and temperature) control
and boiler interlock, time and temperature control of electric
immersion heater and either 1 more zone control or 3 TRV’s
"

I'm getting a boiler upgrade with heating controls. One quote comes in with

- 3 zones: Hot Water, CH downstair, CH upstairs

The other with

- 2 zones: HW and Timer/Room Stat in Hall
- 3 TRVs on the 2 upstairs bedrooms and bathroom which is also upstairs.


What are the comparative merits of these ? All else equal what system would yous go for ?

Paul.

neeb

You can't time upstairs differently from downstairs, eg just have the heat on upstairs at night. We found this great with a small baby.
I have the heat on just downstairs, 5 rads instead of 11. You can't do that with trvs unless you like walking about turning on and off rads twice a day!
Digital room stats will be more accurate than a TRV.
With TRVs you are pumping the hot water into the pipes, only the rads are off, so a zone would be more efficient

I'd go for the zoned.
We had trvs upstairs and then got the system zoned for babys first winter.

heinbloed

TRV's with build-in timers are ready available from any plumbing merchant.
Contrary to the post above...

Each room which is likely to have it's door closed whilest being used heated should have it's own, independant thermostat-controlled room-temperature control.

The most straight-forward method (with radiators) are TRVs. Easy to install, to exchange, easy to program.

Check the modern TRVs at around €15.- from the discounter supermarkets or at around €20.- from the plumbing shop or the DIY market. Timer for daily and weekly modes, week-end modus for example for commercial buildings, frost protection, draft sensor, there is plentyof choice.

Time and temperature can be set independently: For example in the morning 22 degrees Celsius, then 19 degrees to prevent cooling down, at midday 22 degrees Celsius, then again 19 degrees and so on.

What ever the situation demands can be programmed for each individual room.

MicktheMan

neeb wrote: »

You can't time upstairs differently from downstairs, eg just have the heat on upstairs at night. We found this great with a small baby.
I have the heat on just downstairs, 5 rads instead of 11. You can't do that with trvs unless you like walking about turning on and off rads twice a day!
Digital room stats will be more accurate than a TRV.
With TRVs you are pumping the hot water into the pipes, only the rads are off, so a zone would be more efficient

I'd go for the zoned.
We had trvs upstairs and then got the system zoned for babys first winter.

Would agree with neeb above but also add the following from experience.
There isn't much difference in price between normal rad valves and trv's so I would have 3 zones ( 1 dhw, 1 living area & 1 bedroom area) with trv's on the rads in the rooms where the room stats are not. This wil give you max control for a very small premium.
Also, make sure to place the room stats in representative rooms (i.e. living room, master bedroom but not in the hall). Also the room stats ideally should not be put in rooms with other major heat sources (e.g. open fire or stove).

Sparkpea

2 zones, with TRV's on all rads except the one in the room where the room stat is located (normally hall).

once TRV's are set to your desired room temperature you wont need to touch them. 2 for a bedroom if u dont like much heat, 3 for living room, 3.5/4 for bathroom

neeb

Don;t put the stats in the hall, especially upstairs.
Ours was in the landing.
Daytime, heat is on downstairs, landing is nice and warm, heat does not come on upstairs and the rooms are like a fridge
Nighttime, heat is off downstairs, landing is cold, heat in the bedrooms stays on constantly and it gets too warm.

i did not know you could get timed TRVs. Would it be easy to replace standard TRVs with timed ones? Just screw them on?

heinbloed

Neeb asks:

Would it be easy to replace standard TRVs with timed ones? Just screw them on?

Yes.