Weegaz Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 Hi guys, My fathers boiler is in their detached garage which is approx 50m from the house. Currently they have the boiler on timer but if it’s to warm in house a trip to the garage to turn heating off and vice versa if to cold in house. Having looked over some of the Hive controls they work on WiFi connection to control. My fathers WiFi won’t reach as far as the garage. Apart from extending the WiFi signal and going for a Hive controller could anyone suggest a different controller, working on radio frequency for instance that I should look at? thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 What’s controlling the boiler now ..? Is there a thermostat in the house or not ..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 Try a simple wireless thermostat, NOT a wifi one. Don't know the range but it has to be worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegaz Posted October 28, 2018 Author Share Posted October 28, 2018 4 minutes ago, PeterW said: What’s controlling the boiler now ..? Is there a thermostat in the house or not ..? A control panel on the wall beside boiler, on/off, timer functions just. I don’t particularly want my father leaving the house over the winter to have to turn on/off manually. They have no thermostat in house at all, just go by what they feel. System needs overhaul but for now would like to start with control in house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 Quinetic switch at the house and 6A receiver or even the 13A socket receiver adapter in the garage? https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/Quinetic/index.html Good for that range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 @Weegaz I take it this is an oil boiler ..?? Could always use something like a powerline WiFi adapter to extend the WiFi to the garage ..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 @Weegaz, loads of options as above. I still reckon Quinetic would do it. Or Easy Switch though a bit pricier. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LMESR1.html? Be nice if they could see, from the house if the boiler was "on" or a least if the remote switch had worked...230V red / amber lamp in the garage window if they can see it from the house maybe...no good in the day though! 50m away...so is hot water piped all the way back to the house? I thought my pipe runs were long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegaz Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 6 hours ago, Onoff said: @Weegaz, loads of options as above. I still reckon Quinetic would do it. Or Easy Switch though a bit pricier. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/LMESR1.html? Be nice if they could see, from the house if the boiler was "on" or a least if the remote switch had worked...230V red / amber lamp in the garage window if they can see it from the house maybe...no good in the day though! 50m away...so is hot water piped all the way back to the house? I thought my pipe runs were long! Thanks guys, will look into this on/off. Yes, pipes run back to house, it’s good in winter as snow gets cleared giving a nice clear path to garage from house. They where to be lagged before driveway asphalted but never happened. Whole system needs an overhaul but not on the to do list yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 I've debated a South facing, home brew, solar thermal array feeding a loop under the sloping drive with the pipes set a car's width apart. Meant to incorporate ducts within the sliding gate footings but forgot..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 14 minutes ago, Weegaz said: Thanks guys, will look into this on/off. Yes, pipes run back to house, it’s good in winter as snow gets cleared giving a nice clear path to garage from house. They where to be lagged before driveway asphalted but never happened. Whole system needs an overhaul but not on the to do list yet The heat losses must be incredible! EasySwitch receiver is more rugged I'd say than Quinetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Weegaz said: Thanks guys, will look into this on/off. Yes, pipes run back to house, it’s good in winter as snow gets cleared giving a nice clear path to garage from house. They where to be lagged before driveway asphalted but never happened. Whole system needs an overhaul but not on the to do list yet Are you serious ? Your heating pipes are buried in the driveway heating the ground ?!? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 You need some of this and bloody soon too !!! https://www.polypipe.com/housing/pressure-systems/pre-insulated-pipes/pre-insulated-coil/pre-insulated-pipe-25mm-x-10m-twin-pipe-coil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizzie Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 How swanky is that...a heated drive Oh would love that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Davies Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 OK, I realise we're wandering off the original question but I think that's been answered so it's open season now. It'd be interesting to know what the heat loss is. Just knowing the temperatures at each end of each of the pipes would give it as a proportion of the heat delivered. Assuming there's a reason the boiler isn't in the house then I'd think putting in a new outside boiler close to the house would be cheaper than replacing the pipes. If that's not feasible for some reason (restriction on tank placement or whatever|) then maybe a big thermal store in the house batch heated from the boiler would be a) more controllable and b) involve less heat loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said: Are you serious ? Your heating pipes are buried in the driveway heating the ground ?!? Saves a fortune on salt! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 (edited) 50 feet would be bad enough! Edited October 29, 2018 by Onoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegaz Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 4 hours ago, Nickfromwales said: Are you serious ? Your heating pipes are buried in the driveway heating the ground ?!? Yup, asphalted over about 10 years ago and forgotten about. It’s something I need to go over next year but we have managed to get them to complete new kitchen, insulation to roof spaces, new bay window with double glazing and new front door (old one had 10mm gaps daylight passed through). My my dad used to give off about burning £1,500 of oil every quarter and we thought nothing of it, now it horrifies me that it would cost them that to keep warm, both retired now so a lot more time spent in the house. Anyhow, the main query on this was with regard to the controller for the heating from house, i’m Going to show my dad the easyswitch, but also like the idea by Peter with regard to the power line adapters for the WiFi extension, that would work a treat then use the Hive system which my dad thinks ‘looks good to him’ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 How old's your Dad? Mine (he'll be 90 at Xmas) was struggling tonight to use a new cordless phone! Hive would finish him off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegaz Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 2 minutes ago, Onoff said: How old's your Dad? Mine (he'll be 90 at Xmas) was struggling tonight to use a new cordless phone! Hive would finish him off! 72 years young ? He is good with gadgets, has some strange ones for golf which I can’t even work. He fitted the controls on the boiler no problem a year back, has looked at Hive and likes the idea of being able to control heating if out etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 I recall a house with a steep drive where I used to live having under drive electric heating for frost / snow but at least that was only turned on when needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegaz Posted October 29, 2018 Author Share Posted October 29, 2018 11 minutes ago, newhome said: I recall a house with a steep drive where I used to live having under drive electric heating for frost / snow but at least that was only turned on when needed. ? I remember my dads friend getting it put in, my dad told him he was mad in the head, he proceeded, my dad got a phone call one snowy day to say his mate had got out of drive no issues at all, but the road had 8 inches of snow so he had to reverse back and park up ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simplysimon Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dryaton-Digistat-3-7-Day-Digital-Programmable-Thermostat/332857158872?epid=1707763910&hash=item4d7fd52cd8:g:8jAAAOSwLvxbyjoB:rk:4:pf:1&frcectupt=true we use an old one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drayton-Digistat-1/153237768709?hash=item23adaeca05:g:IsIAAOSw9z1b12m2:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true easy to turn up or down and take into whichever room Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 4 minutes ago, Simplysimon said: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dryaton-Digistat-3-7-Day-Digital-Programmable-Thermostat/332857158872?epid=1707763910&hash=item4d7fd52cd8:g:8jAAAOSwLvxbyjoB:rk:4:pf:1&frcectupt=true we use an old one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drayton-Digistat-1/153237768709?hash=item23adaeca05:g:IsIAAOSw9z1b12m2:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true easy to turn up or down and take into whichever room I thought they only had a range of 30 or so metres? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simplysimon Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 to be fair, it's a long time since i read the instructions ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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