Hi, new here.
I just had an Ideal Vogue Max 40 fitted and it has an ESI ESRTP4RF+ connected to it. I purposely asked for a cheap and cheerful control device so I could do my own research and choose a better control method in the near future. Plumbers were superb, clean, tidy and the job is great.
I didn't do enough research before getting the boiler so suspect I've pushed my installer into selling me a bigger boiler than I need - Going from a traditional boiler and cylinder to a combi I was worried about hot water flow rate but didn't think about the boiler being unable to modulate to lower temperatures. Here's hoping I'll still be able to get the most out of the new kit.
On reading the manuals I got with the boiler and controls I've noticed the ESRTP4RF+ supports Opentherm 'low load control'. My installer didn't really know about it and said he'd wired it for simple on/off control but was willing to connect the Opentherm if I wanted him to. I've since done a load of Googling and made some observations. My thinking is:
After having read the thread here I picked up on:
So does that mean that my boiler is already modulating, keeping the flow at 65C without cycling? Then the Opentherm controller will change the flow temperature to suit heat demand and a more efficient return temperature? What will it do with the flow and return parameters that the installer sets on it? Is the flow temp the max the boiler can do, i.e. 80C, and the return temp the lowest, i.e. 30C, or should the return temp be something higher to prevent cycling?
Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post!
I just had an Ideal Vogue Max 40 fitted and it has an ESI ESRTP4RF+ connected to it. I purposely asked for a cheap and cheerful control device so I could do my own research and choose a better control method in the near future. Plumbers were superb, clean, tidy and the job is great.
I didn't do enough research before getting the boiler so suspect I've pushed my installer into selling me a bigger boiler than I need - Going from a traditional boiler and cylinder to a combi I was worried about hot water flow rate but didn't think about the boiler being unable to modulate to lower temperatures. Here's hoping I'll still be able to get the most out of the new kit.
On reading the manuals I got with the boiler and controls I've noticed the ESRTP4RF+ supports Opentherm 'low load control'. My installer didn't really know about it and said he'd wired it for simple on/off control but was willing to connect the Opentherm if I wanted him to. I've since done a load of Googling and made some observations. My thinking is:
- The boiler was left by my installer with a flow temperature set at 65C and the return hasn't been in the desired <55C range yet, it's just maintained 65C. Efficiency on it reports 0%, guessing because it hasn't been left on long enough to work it out but when it does, it won't be anywhere near as good as it can be.
- I've turned off hot water preheat - can live without it.
- If I connect my programmer via Opentherm, does the boiler's outside temperature feature become redundant? (It doesn't have a sensor connected now, I'm just wondering if my programmer can use this).
- The ESRTP4RF+ manual says the Opentherm parameters need flow and return temperatures setting. Isn't that what the opentherm stat is supposed to work out itself? If so, what's the point in the settings?
After having read the thread here I picked up on:
The slave (boiler) does not need to know how the master (thermostat) has calculated the control setpoint (flow temperature), e.g.whether it used room control or OTC, it only needs to control to the value. Likewise, the master does not need to know how the slave is controlling the supply.
So does that mean that my boiler is already modulating, keeping the flow at 65C without cycling? Then the Opentherm controller will change the flow temperature to suit heat demand and a more efficient return temperature? What will it do with the flow and return parameters that the installer sets on it? Is the flow temp the max the boiler can do, i.e. 80C, and the return temp the lowest, i.e. 30C, or should the return temp be something higher to prevent cycling?
Thanks and sorry for the lengthy post!