zoned heating with hot water

phillyc

hi all

i am looking for advice on which system i need for my house.

i currently have:

1. a firebird oil boiler
2. a 4 x zone programmer/time clock (number 1 on the programmer is for hot water. numbers 2/3/4 on the programmer are for heat to different areas/zones in the house)
3. i currently have 3 x wired thermostats in total (on the wall in each of the zones 2/3/4)

i am wondering what smart Tado system I need to order to replace my current setup??

(i may add some smart radiators valves in some rooms further down the line, i assume this can be done?? once they are paired with correct wall thermostat for the zone they are in?)

I would appreciate any advice

tks all

Rgds

Phil

GrilledCheese2

Tado does not have a direct replacement for a 4 zone programmer. The Tado equivalent of a programmer will only do one heating zone plus one hot water zone. You have two choices if you want to use Tado. Both solutions are compatible with TRVs, but you’re limited to 25 devices or 10 rooms/groups.

1) Keep the existing programmer and replace the 3 wired thermostats. You will need to set the 3 heating zones on the programmer to Constant/24 hour, leaving each Tado thermostat to manage the daily schedule. Leave the hot water zone under the control of the programmer. The end result is you have full control of your heating, but the hot water is not controlled by the Tado App and geolocation.

2) Employ an electrician to remove your existing programmer and re-wire for new Tado devices. You will need a wireless receiver to control the hot water and zone 1. Two wired thermostats are used to control heating zones 3 & 4. This will give you full control of heating and hot water in the app, but you have the extra expense of getting a professional installation.

It’s a similar situation for other smart thermostats. 3 & 4 zone systems are a small share of the residential market, so not really worth the economic investment.

phillyc

Hi tks very much for the detailed response.

i think i follow your logic.

Option 2 from above would be my preferred option so in practical terms from a hardware point do i need

1 x wireless kit - for zone 1 (HW) and one heating area (zone 2)

i also need wired thermostats for zone 3 and zone 4, but i also ned a send programmer wired back at the wiring centre for these zones also ? is that right?

so two programmers one wired one wireless???

tks again

Phil

GrilledCheese2

The wired thermostat is a combined thermostat and programmer and will operate stand-alone.

Assuming you have 4 motorised valves you need to purchase 1 wireless receiver starter kit and 2 add-on wired thermostats. Your electrician needs to wire the receiver to 2 zone valves and each wired thermostat to a zone valve.

One of your existing thermostats will be replaced by a wireless thermostat so you could move it to a different position, or simply mount it over the top of the unused wires.

phillyc

Thank you for all this info much appreciated. I had hoped for a diy install but think it may be beyond me. Thanks again.

GrilledCheese2

Just a suggestion. You could go for option 1 and DIY install 3 wired thermostats (one of these needs to be a starter kit). If you like the system and decide that HW control would be a useful addition, then you could upgrade to option 2 at a later date. You would then buy an add-on wireless receiver and configure one of the wired thermostats to work in wireless mode. A wired thermostat can do both wired and wireless.

phillyc

Yes this is probably a good idea. I have had a further look at my system. I have 3 x motorised valves. I don’t have one for HW only on heating areas (2/3/4). Another consideration is number 1 on my current programmer is for HW only, however if I turn on heat in any other zone it heard the zone but also heats the water too.

It probably not a common setup but actually we never knew any different. In summer if HW is needed we either turn on zone 1 (or immersion) in winter we don’t use it so much as we tend to have at least one of the heating zones switched on anyway and this also gives us hot water.

I’m thinking your last suggestion sounds like a good place to start. I’d literally be doing straight swap and not need to go near wiring centre in the hot press.

Tks again.