Updating to a smart controls

[GaryM]

Looking for advice.

 

We have done extensive work on the house over the last year, which lead to all of the pipe and radiators being changed.

 

We have existing Wunda UFH which we extended and is currently working well. The system is

One manifold, with five loops divided in to two zones for two rooms. It all uses wunda wireless thermostats and receivers.

The radiators where all on a separate zone, with their own salus thermostat and receiver. both receivers via and wiring box are connected to a combi boiler and two motorised valves which controls flow to ufh and/or radiators.

 

So with all the new and replacement radiators I want to switch over to smart controls so I can control individual rooms. UFH works ok so not sure if I want to replace it's controls

 

I could go with the Wundasmart system and replace all the controls for ufh and new wunda smart radiator heads and thermostats. I've been told by them I would have to use the radiator and ufh circuits as 2 separate channels and wire the two motorised valves in to it. 

 

There are benefits to this, it should all work with each other an the whole system is smart, but wunda smart is quite expensive, i'll be replacing stuff that is working ok  and finally wundasmart is quite new and  not well tested.

 

Another option would be to leaf ufh as is and add Drayton wiser smart controls for the rads, I would then replace the current salus receiver with wiser smart receiver and wire both it and the wunda ufh receiver to boiler and motorised valves.

 

This would be less expensive, drayton wiser  smart controls get good reviews, it's also opentherm as is my intergas boiler and it's a lot cheaper. The negative, will I get the two systems integrated right? only the radiators side is smart, will the opentherm side be wasted an ufh is just on off.

 

I guess the final option is to replace all controls with another  make.

 

Sorry about the long email, just looking for advice and a sounding board.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GaryM]

I'll answer my own post.

 

After talking with Wunda and wiser I've decided to go all in with Wunda, it reminded how good there support is. We will have one system to control both ufh and rads. We could have gone with only doing rads side, but it was not that much cheaper.  Wiser did say they are shortly releasing a ufh controller as well but I want to get on with it now.

 

So wunda it is.

 

anyone want to buy some pre used wireless ufh controls?

 

[ffgmat]

Hi

can I get some more details how look your system?

I will do soon  some changes in my system , first floor ufh wunda , still radiators  grand floor . 
Are you using on/off function or opentherm?

thanks 

[JohnMo]

I would be careful with thermostats everywhere, that the boiler can turn down enough to cope, otherwise the boiler will just short cycle and use loads more gas, or if heat pump lots more electric.

 

Remember the house heat demand is for the coldest day, anything warmer it requires much less energy, every zone or rad that is off is even less energy being consumed, the boiler cannot turn down enough to dissipate the heat generated, so shuts down because the return temp is too high, waits for 5mins starts again and repeats.  Going Smart everywhere is the the smart thing to do.

[GaryM]

21 hours ago, ffgmat said:

Hi

can I get some more details how look your system?

I will do soon  some changes in my system , first floor ufh wunda , still radiators  grand floor . 
Are you using on/off function or opentherm?

thanks 

We have had lots of delays so smart controls are not fitted yet, still trying to find a electrician to fit the main control.

 

I'm not sure if we will go down opentherm or no, the Intergas boiler is capable.

[GaryM]

20 hours ago, JohnMo said:

I would be careful with thermostats everywhere, that the boiler can turn down enough to cope, otherwise the boiler will just short cycle and use loads more gas, or if heat pump lots more electric.

 

Remember the house heat demand is for the coldest day, anything warmer it requires much less energy, every zone or rad that is off is even less energy being consumed, the boiler cannot turn down enough to dissipate the heat generated, so shuts down because the return temp is too high, waits for 5mins starts again and repeats.  Going Smart everywhere is the the smart thing to do.

The whole system will be smart

[JohnMo]

As said the more things you have that make the system smaller such as trvs, thermostat etc, the more likely you are to get short cycling