Thermostat and valves configuration seems odd

[davidw]

We’ve just moving to a new house. I’m puzzled with the central heating system and its controls. None of the downstairs radiators have thermostatic valves fitted, all of the upstairs rads do. There is a thermostat in the hall which it seems controls all the heating ? So the only way of controlling the rooms downstairs is to turn off each radiator valve. Like wise you can only have the rads on upstairs if the downstairs thermostat is on. Is this a usual sort of arrangement! Hope this doesn’t seem too stupid a question!

 

[SavageW]

You’ve just got one zone on your heating, so yeh the thermostat in the hall will control all your radiators on demand an then the previous owners have just put thermostats on the upstairs rads to possibly just control different bedroom temps individually, not uncommon a lot of houses I work in have just the odd room with a thermostatic radiator valve. If you wanted more control you could put thermostatic valves on your downstairs aswell or depending on pipework layout add another zone valve to control downstairs independently of upstairs

 

[John.g]

I have a similar system and I have TRVs on all rads bar two (which are full open) which heat a combined dining room/lounge but I also have the room stat inside in this combined room and am quite happy with it.

 

[king of pipes]

You have a basic system fitted this can be improved on contact a reputable local installer

 

[Chuck]

None of the downstairs radiators have thermostatic valves fitted, all of the upstairs rads do.

Use the hall thermostat to keep the living rooms comfortable, perhaps 18 degrees if you are young and active, 21 degrees if you are elderly and inactive. Use the TRVs to keep the bedrooms two or three degrees cooler. Get a feel for the place this winter/spring and then decide whether you want to invest in more sophisticated controls, which you can get installed when the warmer weather is here.

 

[davidw]

Many thanks for all the advice - really helpful.

 

[John.g]

I relocated mine from the hall as I found the hall temperature was fluctuating when front door was opened as I don't have a porch/hallway and fitted a TRV to the hall rad, I find its present location very satisfactory. I recently also re located a relation's hall stat to a more representative location and they also find this more satisfactory, this heating has three zone control.