Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

How to network electric underfloor heating

Options
  • 21-11-2020 2:50am
    #1
    eighttoamile
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭


    Hello all,

    Iv recently bought a house with electric underfloor heating as it's main source of heat. So far it hasn't proven to be too bad, and the bill hasn't been as bad as expected. To keep a long story short I have 4 separate control panels for the 4 different locations in the house. I don't think the installer fully understood the product that they installed as they have installed the control panels outside of the room with the underfloor heating ie the panel for the kitchen is in the hallway. This would not be a problem only that the sensor for detecting the temperature of the room (and then tells the panel to shut off the heating when it reaches the set temp) is in the control panel. So I have 4 panels with all sorts of control options that essentially only work as on off switches due to their location.

    My question is, if I am going to the effort of moving all the panels is there a product that I can use to simply network all the panels together. I'm hoping for something similar to the Nest thermostat or other "smart" thermostat option.

    Thanks in advance
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Calahonda52
    Registered Users Posts: 12,216 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    maybe something like this, leaving the panels as they are and just splice in the stat onto the power to the UFH, maybe using a 2 or 3 pole contactor, depending on the load

    https://www.heatmiser.com/en/heatmiser-neo-overview/

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



  • Options
    #3
    Gerry T
    Registered Users Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭Gerry T


    Have you details on the product. It may be a sensor and not a stat.


  • Options
    #4
    chooseusername
    Registered Users Posts: 3,607 ✭✭✭chooseusername


    Some electric ufh can have thermostat (probe) buried in the underlay , which
    is then connected to the control panel.
    It keeps the floor at the regulated temp rather than switching on and off
    as temp fluctuates in the room (opening doors,windows etc)
    With some you can switch between floor temp or room air temp.


  • Options
    #5
    eighttoamile
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭eighttoamile


    Gerry T wrote: »
    Have you details on the product. It may be a sensor and not a stat.

    It is a sensor the model that I have (no SN or branding on it) has 2 settings one which runs off the stat in the floor and the other runs of an air sensor in the control unit.


  • Options
    #6
    eighttoamile
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭eighttoamile


    Calahonda52 wrote: »
    maybe something like this, leaving the panels as they are and just splice in the stat onto the power to the UFH, maybe using a 2 or 3 pole contactor, depending on the load

    https://www.heatmiser.com/en/heatmiser-neo-overview/

    This looks exactly like what I'm looking for thanks for the help


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    chooseusername
    Registered Users Posts: 3,607 ✭✭✭chooseusername


    eighttoamile wrote: »
    It is a sensor the model that I have (no SN or branding on it) has 2 settings one which runs off the stat in the floor and the other runs of an air sensor in the control unit.
    Why would they have an room air temperature sensor outside the room?
    doesn't make sense.
    If that is the case, I would use the floor probe sensor to regulate the temperature.
    (provided that was installed properly)


  • Options
    #8
    Gerry T
    Registered Users Posts: 1,418 ✭✭✭Gerry T


    eighttoamile wrote:
    It is a sensor the model that I have (no SN or branding on it) has 2 settings one which runs off the stat in the floor and the other runs of an air sensor in the control unit.


    The floor stat is most likely keeping the floor from rising too high a temp, could be set anywhere from 30 to 40 degc.
    The room sensor is prob controlling the room on PI or PID control, with settings suitable for mass heating such as concrete floors.
    What that means in simple terms is the concrete takes time to heat so there's a delay in the room starting to heat and at the other end when the element is switched off the floor will continue to heat the room and most likely cause the room to overheat a little.
    The PI or PID control compensates for this by switching off the element BEFORE you reach setpoint and that stops over heating Conversely the control will look at the rate of change in temp falling and can cause the element to switch on even when your above setpoint.
    Thats a guess to what you have, if your handy you can remove the temp sensing element and relocate it into the space being heated. Locate it away from any heat source (kettle, cooker, pc etc incl direct sunlight) and also and drafts (near a door or a partition which allows air in from the back of the sensor.

    Do that and you could have a very good system. The sensor is usually just a strip of metal embedded in epoxy resin, if that can't be moved then you have a problem.

    Its hard to0 replace components, usually sensors and controllers are a match or paired.
    Can you go back to the installer and get a make/model


Advertisement