Adding Modern Controls to Firebird Super Q

Quiksilver

Hi All,
I have a bit of an oddball boiler setup, we have an old Firebird Super Q Boiler setup for the central heating, we have no zoning and the boiler seem to be setup for HW and CH, at the moment we turn on the boiler and the turn on the circulation pump (don't know why it was setup this way). We kind of have 2 circuits on the house, one which was run off a back boiler and the other which was the Oil Boiler, i taught they were seprate but after i changed the old circulation pump last year and found both sides of the house were getting heat from both the fire and the oil boiler. (again old house i don't know how or why, yet), this will be a project for another day to sort this out and get both pumps for both systems working in tune with each other.

I was looking to add a controller to give better control with timing for different days ect. and was thinking of getting some kind of smart TRV to simulate zoning in the house. Anyone know of a system the would work with smart TRVs and would be somewhat easy to retrofit to the old Firebird? Would it be best to just stick with fitting standard TRVs and get something like a Hive Active Thermostat?
The house is old and cold so i wouldn't like to relay on just a temp for control, mostly just to work off time.
Also is it possible to get a thermostat/controller to control the pump (and possibly the pump for the back boiler circuit?) ?

A lot of question i know, but if anyone has some insight it would be great.
Thanks.

Tom44

"House is old & cold"

Replace boiler, Super Q is old and inefficient.
Then think of controls.

whizbang

After you have replumbed with new controls, and insulated the house, only then replace boiler.

A more efficient boiler will just use the oil more efficiently. It wont reduce your consumption or improve your comfort level until above is done.

I cant advise on controls, but there are some effective cheap solutions, and some ridiculously expensive ones also.

agusta

A new high efficiency boiler fitted to replace and inefficient firebird superq with reduce oil consumption by 20 percent plus.its makes sense to change the boiler.
Fitting a pipe stat will control the pump on the back boiler circuit.a new time clock will turn on the pump on the oil boiler.you should get the complete system looked at

Tom44

whizbang wrote: »

After you have replumbed with new controls, and insulated the house, only then replace boiler.

A more efficient boiler will just use the oil more efficiently. It wont reduce your consumption or improve your comfort level until above is done.

I cant advise on controls, but there are some effective cheap solutions, and some ridiculously expensive ones also.

Bull
House will heat up quicker and use less oil to achieve that, with a new boiler.
A well proven fact.

Insulation will hold in the heat longer, controls will give better control.
So their an added bonus.

Quiksilver

Thanks all, i know that a new boiler would be the best option, but it 15 years old and i can't really justify the >€1000 cost of a new boiler while she's still running well.
House is insulated as well as it can, cavity walls pumped, attic insulation etc. Controls will also help with the boiler or pump being accidentally left on overnight.

Tom44

Does the boiler have a red diamond flap on the cleaning door or a glass window flame view point?
Red flap = inefficient boiler
Glass window = better newer efficient model

Quiksilver

Has the red diamond but i know that the burner has been changed at one point.

whizbang

Ok I missed the bit about insulation, so apologies..

In a case where a house is draughty and poorly insulated, the limiting factor is how much heat the boiler can supply at any time. If you upgrade the boiler, then the likelyhood is to increase the heat production.
Because losses are exponential, the increase in efficiency will be offset by increased usage and increased losses.

agusta

Quiksilver wrote: »

Has the red diamond but i know that the burner has been changed at one point.

The new burner wont make the boiler more efficient.You have the older model which is not very efficient.id say a new he boiler will save you a conservative figure of 20 percent for the same amount of heat.i wonder what percent figure Tom would think the saving would be,i would be interested to know how accurate my figure is for this boiler

Tom44

agusta wrote: »

The new burner wont make the boiler more efficient.You have the older model which is not very efficient.id say a new he boiler will save you a conservative figure of 20 percent for the same amount of heat.i wonder what percent figure Tom would think the saving would be,i would be interested to know how accurate my figure is for this boiler

I have customer's reporting a 40% saving on old firebird to new Grant boiler.
25% saving on newer standard firebird to Grant boiler.
This is what I'm hearing from a lot of my regular customer's.

Extra bonus, house and radiators heat up twice as quick giving greater comfort.

Quiksilver

Hi Thanks for the help, i'll keep an eye in the grants with seai, but probably won't be able to do anything about it anytime soon.

Quiksilver

agusta wrote: »

A new high efficiency boiler fitted to replace and inefficient firebird superq with reduce oil consumption by 20 percent plus.its makes sense to change the boiler.
Fitting a pipe stat will control the pump on the back boiler circuit.a new time clock will turn on the pump on the oil boiler.you should get the complete system looked at

Missed your advice Agusta, sound out, a pipe stat should do the job at the back boiler thanks.
Was thinking of trying to go down the route of setting up a raspberry pi and programming a load of if and or lines to control the pumps on the boiler and the back boiler but i thet may be a bit too ambitious. Think the pipe stat and control the back boiler pump will do for the time being to get me going.

FirstOnTheBike

Hi @Quiksilver I have the same problem as you were discussing in this thread. I want to use hive with this boiler. Did you get this working if so can you post some pictures of your wiring etc.

Many thanks in advance

Wearb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119872562#Comment_119872562

Post a picture of what you have at the moment.