Do smart radiator valves override the thermostat?

ErikDB

I'm sure the question has been asked and answered, but I haven't encountered 100 % what I'm looking for. Also, in this (https://community.tado.com/en-gb/discussion/1257/how-to-override-smart-thermostat-with-radiator-valve) discussion, some tado person seems to apologise for something being impossible. That scares me. ;) So I thought I'd ask (again), to be sure. My apologies.

My situation is as follows: I've got a study on the 2nd floor, and the thermostat is in the living room on the ground floor. My question is relatively easy:

What if the smart radiator valves (there would be two) in the study ask 20 °C and the actual temperature is 16 °C, but the thermostat in the living room asks 19 °C, while it's 22 °C there (because of the fireplace)?

I would assume the smart radiator valves in the living room shut down, and the thermostat keeps the boiler boiling until also the study reaches 20 °C? (Although, in this (https://community.tado.com/en-gb/discussion/10135/how-do-radiator-smart-valves-interact-with-thermostat) discussion, this seems untrue (for the man's hall)?)

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

wateroakley

@ErikDB Not sure what happened ... my original reply disappeared? Set your room 'study' as a 'zone' in the room settings, connected to a 'zone controller' e.g. BP1234567. Then the room 'study' will act on it's own for heating according to the app schedule; and nowt to do with the room 'lounge' thermostat. Presumably, this what you want?

The three lounge devices are grouped and act as one 'room'. With a room stat and two TRVs, the room stat is the default measuring device. Pick one of your two TRVs in room 'study' as the measuring device..

If you set the room 'study' zone as 'independent' in the room settings, the study will rely on another device to 'call for heat' from the boiler. The TRVs will act like timed/temperature dumb TRVs. Not what you want from what you describe?

Your last para "I would assume ..." is not correct in a logical thermostat scenario. If this is a wired thermostat, it could be the 'zone controller'?

ErikDB

Thanks for your swift reply. What exactly do you mean by this "zone controller" to which the zones in the study should be connected? Not an extra device, I hope? One of both TRVs in the study can be that "zone controller", surely?

And then in the living room, I should make the thermostat the "zone controller", which would then control the TRVs in the living room.

Is that a correct understanding?

wateroakley

The room settings should look like our 'Landing' that has two TRVs on it. First image is one of the TRVs, second is the room settings. At the bottom of the second screenshot you'll see the Heating Zone is set to a zone controller BPm 2769xxxx. ill post the Lounge settings next ...

wateroakley

@ErikDB Next the lounge with a Room stat and TRV. You need to put the devices in the same room. The measuring device is SU ... that's the thermostat. Second image below you can see both devices in our Living Room.

Next.

...

wateroakley

The 'zone controller' will be a wireless receiver or wired thermostat. The logical limit is 10 zones and 25 devices.

ErikDB

Thanks for taking your time and including screen shots.

But I'm afraid I'm not 100 % in the loop yet... I plan on having just 1 wired thermostat in the living, and a few other rooms with only TRV's. Can those TRV's be a "zone controller"?

I hope I don't have to buy another device for each room other than the living room? What exactly is this BP device?

johnnyp78

The Tado zone controller is the device which physically connects to a heating unit, either a boiler or a heating zone valve, as a trv can’t do this it can’t be a zone controller.

wateroakley

@ErikDB What you plan is OK. The rooms with TRVs will be 'zones'. The wired thermostat will be the 'zone controller'. In the app, you set up each room and TRV connected to a 'zone controller' that calls the boiler for heat according to the app schedule time/temperature.

I'd add a Tado TRV for the radiator in the living room. The living room thermostat is much more accurate and will work together with the TRV in the room. Then you'll get full control of the heating in each room.

Personally, I'd suggest the wireless starter kit. £10 less at e.g. Screwfix. You get the wireless receiver to connect to the wiring, where the builder/plumber/electrician had decided was easy for them. And you can put the wireless thermostat in your preferred location.

HTH.

ErikDB

So for each room I need a device in addition to TRV's?

I must be misunderstanding you. :) Otherwise, what's the point of these TRV's?

hugbilly

No, you only need one zone controller and it's that which fires the boiler when requested by the TRVs or wireless temperature sensors (thermostats.) In my system I've chosen to use a wireless receiver as the zone controller but a wired thermostat can also be a zone controller . . .

ErikDB

I apparently misunderstood the term 'zone'. The entire house is one zone, where I understood a zone to be a room. (https://support.tado.com/en/articles/4689126-how-does-tado-control-heating-zones-how-can-i-change-the-zone-controller-of-a-room)

But @wateroakley, isn't that what you suggested? To add the study (and all other rooms) as (a) zone(s)? I don't see why that would be a good idea?

To be specific:
1) In the living room, I would have a wired thermostat and two smart radiator valves.

2) In the bathroom I would want a smart radiator valve.

3) In the dressing I would want a smart radiator valve.

4) In the study I would want a smart radiator valve.

If these become 4 rooms in 1 zone (the zone being the entire house), will smart radiator valve be able to ask the thermostat (in the living) for heat (even if the 'room' living room is warm enough)?

Also, what would be the benefit of the wireless thermostat?

My apologies for what seems to be slow understanding... 😬 And many thanks for your efforts in trying to clarify things!

hugbilly

Yes that is how it will work . . .