Recommended settings for thermal store system

[TheBinMan]

Could someone advise the best settings to use on the programmer for the following system please? Home is occupied during the daytime too.

Baxi EcoBlue boiler, Albion mainsflow thermal store 180litre, 3 channel central heating and hot water programmer, radiators zoned between downstairs and upstairs (each with own British Gas PT2 wall programmable thermostat).

 

[Chuck]

It's a matter of personal taste. Start with a simple schedule and modify to suit your lifestyle..

I normally like rooms where people spend time but are relatively inactive (sitting room, study) at about 21°C during the occupied periods. Other downstairs areas a couple of degrees cooler. Upstairs, 17°C during the day with a boost to, say 21, when people are going to bed / getting up. Everywhere 17°C at night. Hot water on for an hour at some point towards the end of the night.

I don't think it is a good idea to let any part of the house get more than a few degrees colder than the occupied areas or to let it get too cold at night. Both these practices, which some recommend to save energy, can cause issues with condensation, which can make any hypothetical savings a false economy.

 

[TheBinMan]

Thanks for your reply.

I will program those temperature settings to both of the wall thermostats and see how it goes. So it would be best to set 3 channel programmer permanently on so zonal stats can do their thing?

Should the hot water be set permanently on given it has a thermal heat store? I’m told this assists with the central heating?

Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

I will program those temperature settings to both of the wall thermostats and see how it goes. So it would be best to set 3 channel programmer permanently on so zonal stats can do their thing?.

Whoever installed the thermal store should have left some guidelines saying how it should be used. Details depend on what heat sources are connected to the store and your pattern of domestic usage. The basic idea is to store heat when demand is low and release it when demand is high. So, if you have solar panels as a source, you might want to heat your hot water during the day. If you have a solid fuel boiler you might want to charge the thermal store and heat hot water at night.

If you are not sure, ask a heating engineer to review your settings either as a one-off visit or as part of the annual service.

 

[TheBinMan]

Thanks. We have an appointment scheduled with Baxi soon so will ask then.