Homebrew zone valves

[ToughButterCup]

On 05/12/2021 at 19:26, Radian said:

...

are they rolling their own like me?

 

I haven't , but I (most of us on BH) know someone who - much to my surprise at least - concluded that he should buy off the shelf stuff. Jeremy Harris. No less. And there's a guy who wouldn't (didn't) blink at rolling his own bore hole, underwater camera, and many other things.

[epsilonGreedy]

37 minutes ago, SimonD said:

I think that may very well be the case if your last open heat emitter can't radiate sufficient heat and your boiler can't modulate down far enough. Ancillary to this discussion I think a major problem lies in how we combine heating and hot water.

 

 

I am beginning to think ASHPs are a curse for most people like universal size mens socks. Flexi size 5 to 11 mens socks are a missing selling scandal because they only really fit someone with a shoe size of 8.5, anyone with a larger shoe size risk developing clubbed curled toes. The same applies to ASHPs because unless a property has an EPC score between a low A or very high B they are problematic to live with.

 

38 minutes ago, SimonD said:

At the moment, I'm sorely tempted to look at separating the CH and DHW systems in some way. E.g. a gas water heater and air-to-air heatpump, but that may have to wait a few years until budget allows.

 

 

I also clocked a recent post from @Nickfromwaleswho said he has advised some of his customers not to heat DHW from a heat pump. If I go for a small PV array that should heat the hotwater tank 200 days a year then for the rest of the year a 5am boost from Economy 7 will deal with winter DHW.

[Nickfromwales]

Yup.

The extended longevity of the HP is a big bonus, especially if you’re using the HP for cooling. It’s a big swing from cool > very hot > cool again, x number of times per day, plus an awful lot of losses via the HP and connective pipework etc.

With E7 / E10 or octopus etc it’s very easy and economical to go direct. I’m now looking at UVC’s with 2x 3kW immersions set at different temps. The lower ( 65oC ) to go onto grid and the higher ( 80oC ) for the PV. This is a plan to maximise economies during the summer and use the higher temps for the excess PV to offset the nighttime grid ‘top up’. During the winter the higher temp immersion would only be used typically to try and only heat the ( oversized ) UVC once a day in winter. 

[JohnMo]

The main problem we got, with a low heat loss house, was heating when it 8 to 10 degs outside and then the demand on the boiler is so low it just stop starts cycles continuosly.  We have a thermal store upstream of a combi boiler for diverted solar PV for DHW, this was repurposed to buffer for the 7 loop UFH (winter only), boiler connected to the boiler coil, heats thermal store to 40 deg.  UFH takes water from top of thermal store using UFH manifold pump.  Works great, no cycling, two port valve at thermal store, controlled by thermostat in hall.  Leave manifold pump running 24/7, with Salus self balancing actuators.    Controls all the heating in 190m2 house.

 

Don't over think it, if you leave a door open for an hour, the room will be same temp as the rest of the house.  Our bedroom doors are always closed, the temp usually below 18, because I have loops designed around around 18 degree room temp, if we leave door open, the temp rises.

[HughF]

Just bought a chinese three port diverter, I'll let you know what it's like when it shows up. It was only £20

 

I initially went looking for anti-freeze valves, having objected to paying for caleffi 108601's - AliExpress had some for £18 each that 'start to dribble at 6 and open fully at 1' - for that price I couldn't say no. It turns out the supplier has a pretty good range of actuated ball valves/diverters.