New install

[bassmonster]

Hi All,
I’m having a complete reinstall of my central heating system due to full refurbishment of my house.
I’ve not had the pleasure of carrying out an install from scratch yet so what better place to start than my own house to break things :-D.

It’s a 3 bed end terrace, shower WC downstairs, with bath and WC upstairs. Has a through lounge of about 26sqm and the kitchen 22sqm.

I’ll have 2 showers, 1 will be running off the boiler and the other electric as backup.
I’d like to have 3 different zones. Upstairs, downstairs and a zone for under floor heating.

There are many different types of zone valves out there. Is a particular one that you can recommend?
Also, in terms of wiring and control, what would you say would be best suited? I take it I’ll need 3 different thermostats? I particularly like the look of the Nest pro.

I’ve not had any experience with underflooring heating system...again, what would you recommend? Would an additional pump be required?

As for the 3 zone valves, where would be the best positioning?

 

[tolly]

I use Honeywell 2 ports, best of a bad bunch.

When you say will an additional pump be required, do you mean for the UFH, if so then yes. Most UFH manifolds sold will be paired with a pump and mixing valve you get as a kit, most use the reliance mixing valve and a UPS 2 25-40/60 pump.

Do you want the UFH to all come on at the same time or do you want that zoned off aswell with more than one room stat?

Keep all the 2 ports together in a accessible place, (normally best underneath the boiler if its a system or combi, unless if you want the UFH zoned with multiple room stats than the best place for that MV will probably be by the manifold as it will go back to an UFH wiring centre with just one 4 core going straight from the boiler to the manifold so its separate to the rest of the wiring (makes things easier)

 

[tolly]

And ive never used Nest so cant comment.

 

[Best]

Honeywell 2 ports are seriously expensive. Not well made inside. I now am thinking cheaper brands. Less then half the price. Myson actually seem to give good service and cheap.
Avoid Danfoss, or Drayton.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Honeywell 2 ports are seriously expensive. Not well made inside. I now am thinking cheaper brands. Less then half the price. Myson actually seem to give good service and cheap.
Avoid Danfoss, or Drayton.

why drayton? i find there good

 

[tolly]

Honeywell 2 ports are seriously expensive. Not well made inside. I now am thinking cheaper brands. Less then half the price. Myson actually seem to give good service and cheap.
Avoid Danfoss, or Drayton.

I would still rather have Honeywell in my own house though, even if they cost a bit more (£55-60)...worth bearing in mind if your going unvented aswell, it will no doubt come with a Honeywell 2 port, and you want them to all match and look good don't you.

 

[gassafe]

Drayton for me, very good value & the snap on actuator tops the others.

 

[stevetheplumber]

using underfloor for one small area is not a cheap exercise as you have to buy the mixer and pump and for not much more you can have 4 or 6 circuits
if you only have two showers i wouldnt go unvented as a system or heat only boiler will cost as much and then you need to buy the cylinder
heating litres of water for one shower isnt going to be economical
go for a high output combi and use valves to zone your house

 

[Best]

why drayton? i find there good

Most of the jobs I go to replace the actuator are either Danfoss or Drayton. Most are not very old. Tends to put me off them. I find the Drayton spindle also seems to get very stiff.

 

[Best]

I would still rather have Honeywell in my own house though, even if they cost a bit more (£55-60)...worth bearing in mind if your going unvented aswell, it will no doubt come with a Honeywell 2 port, and you want them to all match and look good don't you.

I also thought that way. And Honeywell valves have had a good name for years, but one failed on an unvented and I discovered when I opened it that it was poor inside. Toothed lever just slaps about and wears away.

 

[gassafe]

Planned obsolescence by the likes of Honeywell & drayton... They know once you have the valve fitted, most people will buy the same as a replacement!

Old stuff used to last years, the new stuff I often have to change again within a few years!

 

[Norcs]

Fit headers,pumps and relays. Then no mv's needed.

Fitted danfoss in my own home. End switches failed inside a year.
Left the actuaters in place and fitted solid state relays. Been running about 4 years now and no problems.

 

[tolly]

Fit headers,pumps and relays. Then no mv's needed.

Fitted danfoss in my own home. End switches failed inside a year.
Left the actuaters in place and fitted solid state relays. Been running about 4 years now and no problems.

Still need an MV if you've got a unvented cylinder though.

 

[Norcs]

Yes but a relay can replace the end switch.
Honeywell end switches are probably better than danfoss.

 

[thompsonbrown]

On a new system consider a pressurized cylinder instead of an electric shower, Providing you have good water pressure will provide a better shower than an electric one. Also I always use honeywell zone valves

 

[gassafe]

We need an independent test on these motorised valves... Would be interesting to see a 1 of each make of 2 port valves all wired in sequence & programmed to open & close every 10 minutes non stop!!! Then record & publish the results ray could do it!

 

[bassmonster]

thank you for all your replies, much appreciated.

after having thought about it, i think i'll be going with electric underfloor heating. this is purely to save on ever increasing costs :-(.

is there any benefit of running 22mm pipe for the DHW?

 

[Sparkgap]

thank you for all your replies, much appreciated.

after having thought about it, i think i'll be going with electric underfloor heating. this is purely to save on ever increasing costs :-(.

is there any benefit of running 22mm pipe for the DHW?

I take it this is a combi boiler? What's likely to be drawing hot water at once? Depends on pressure but you're limited by the flow through the boiler and the heat input so would probably keep it at 15mm. Also means you don't have to run gallons of cold water off before the hot comes through.
I've got an end terrace, all one zone coz of the way the heating pipes run but have put in underfloor electric heating when I tiled the kitchen/conservatory. Nice to give a bit of warmth and good for drying clothes indoors without putting on the rest of the heating but I wouldn't rely on it as a sole source of heating as it gets pretty expensive.

 

[bassmonster]

Yes...off a combi...

there will also be couple of radiators also where the underfloor heating will be going.