Vaillant ashp (my battle with).

[BotusBuild]

I've just sent Zoot a link to an article on the basics of how to setup the heating on the Vaillant controller (the black box) found on the FB Vaillant group. 

 

Also, I've given Zoot the spec of cable (blue) needed to link the black box (in red) to the white box. (In yellow). Its 0.75mm twinflex as stated earlier.

 

FYI: I'm in the process of moving mine once my plumbing is sorted out. I suspect that Zoot's black and white box are also this close to each other.

 

Go for it Zoot! 😀

Edited 2 hours ago by BotusBuild
Clarified basic setting for heating

[Dillsue]

26 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

So I am resolutely STUCK for understanding here, because the consensus is persuading me to dial in a Setback AND ALSO have he heating set to permanently ON.

I don't know the vailant controller but it likely you have the following options-

 

Permantly ON with a fixed but adjustable flow temp. This allows you to set what ever temperature you want for the water leaving the heat pump. The heat pump will run continuously producing water at the temp you set. As an example you could set the heat pump to heat the water to 35 degrees and it would produce water at this temp 24/7.

 

Timed heating blocks with adjustable room temps for each timed block. This sounds like how you've been using it with a heating block in the morning and a second block in the evening. In between these blocks your heating is off during the day and overnighf. Add a timed heating block between the morning and evening blocks and between the evening and morning blocks but set the temperature 2 degrees lower than that set in your morning and evening blocks. This will leave your system heating 24/7 but with a 2 degree set back during the day and overnight. This leaving the system ON with set back

 

You don't need a thermostatic valve to keep your bedroom cool as you can likely use one of the valves currently on the radiator. If your system was set up correctly there should be a valve either end of the radiator. One should have a cap that stops you easily adjusting it and this was used to balance the flow through each radiator.....you shouldn't alter this valve. The other valve should have a knob on it that allows you to open and close it. Close this fully then open it a quarter of a turn and see how warm the room gets at night. Open the valve to get the rad warmer or close it to cool the rad but only change it by 1/8 turn at a time. Most people would want the room heated but cool enough to sleep so tweak it to suit what you want.

[-rick-]

21 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

Why is there an Auto/ Timer setting at all then, if y'all are telling me that this way (which I have this new HP set like) is completely wrong for a HP to run like this/ do it completely differently y'all say etc.

 

Firstly, using the timer is not wrong as such, it comes down to HOW you use it. In your particular building, using the timer to stop the heatpump working for long periods is the issue. It's ok to use the timer to set a modest setback, ie, 2C. So most of the time you run at say 18C but overnight set it to 16C. But using the timer to say you want 20C for 2 hours and then 10C for the rest of the time just won't deliver the result you expect. This partly due to the way the heatpump works and partly due to your building.

 

21 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

I mean, if this Auto/ Timer setting, is one out of three options, as to how you can basically set it........ then there must be some logic, to set it, using the Auto/ Timer way.

 

I would guess that most people with heatpumps do use the timer. I can't tell you how to do it but it will be possible through the menus. You want to have a setback to setting the timer makes sense.

 

In my mind, first step is to get your warmer, second step is to optimise things so your system works in the most efficient and comfortable way for you. First step can be done by just setting to ON*, second step might need the timer to do but in a way theres no point learning to use the timer if you can't get warmer with the thing just set to ON.

 

* I do think the thermostat needs sorting first.

 

 

[sharpener]

22 minutes ago, -rick- said:

First step can be done by just setting to ON*, second step might need the timer to do but in a way theres no point learning to use the timer if you can't get warmer with the thing just set to ON.

 

ON is actually called Manual, see upthread.

 

When you are trying to set up the setback schedule the controller mode has to be set to Normal. If it is set to Eco the HP will be off during the setback periods. Yes it is complicated, the phone app is better but there are things you can't adjust with it and this is one of them.

 

To make things worse there are two other things called Eco, one is the power level used to heat the hot water cylinder, I can't remember the other...

[-rick-]

1 minute ago, sharpener said:

Yes it is complicated, 

 

One of the reasons why it may be worth skipping all these to start with and just set to manual. Come back to more complicated stuff once it's shown that the building can indeed be warmed.

 

I'm not familiar with Valliant so can't really help zoot with specifics on the controller.