Heating system design service
Discussion
Can anyone recommend a decent place to get a heating and how water system designed? I'm comfortable installing (apart from the gas) it and have done smaller systems but due to the complexity I want to get it right first time and am happy to pay for professional advice. I want to get a schematic drawn up and a parts list of the major components. (Zone valves, room stats, controls etc).
The system is complex (to me at least) as I want two or three zones, two heat sources and a heat bank. I don’t know what’s involved in the zone system for example and how it’d be connected up.
The system is complex (to me at least) as I want two or three zones, two heat sources and a heat bank. I don’t know what’s involved in the zone system for example and how it’d be connected up.
Duke Thrust said:
The system is complex (to me at least) as I want two or three zones, two heat sources and a heat bank. I don’t know what’s involved in the zone system for example and how it’d be connected up.
What heat sources are you using?What heating medium, rads/underfloor/fan coils?
What are the zones?
John MacK said:
Duke Thrust said:
The system is complex (to me at least) as I want two or three zones, two heat sources and a heat bank. I don’t know what’s involved in the zone system for example and how it’d be connected up.
What heat sources are you using?What heating medium, rads/underfloor/fan coils?
What are the zones?
2) Rads only
3) Idealy over 2 to 4 floors
As mentioned, not looking to get this done for free, more than happy to pay for good advice.
Are you planning on using both heat sources for heating and hot water? A twin coiled cylinder would be ideal for use with two heat sources.
I've installed a few cylinders in conjunction with solid fuel stoves. A heat leak circuit is advised. This is done simply, when the cylinder stat is up to temperature, it kicks on a pump which circulates the excess heat around a rad or two.
Setting up separate zones is easy enough. You can easily zone off circuits using two port valves controlled by room stats or programmable room stats if you want time and temperature control for each zone.
Are you using a plant room or are you cramming it into an airing cupboard?
Keep us updated!
I've installed a few cylinders in conjunction with solid fuel stoves. A heat leak circuit is advised. This is done simply, when the cylinder stat is up to temperature, it kicks on a pump which circulates the excess heat around a rad or two.
Setting up separate zones is easy enough. You can easily zone off circuits using two port valves controlled by room stats or programmable room stats if you want time and temperature control for each zone.
Are you using a plant room or are you cramming it into an airing cupboard?
Keep us updated!
Not wanting to trample all over this thread but....
I'm about to start a renovation and extension to a typical 1930s place. The ground floor is being exteneded and doubled in size and we will end up with two bathrooms, a laundry room and a couple of largish open spaces to heat.
I've only ever had experience with combis but I dont think these are good enough to heat and provide two powerful hot showers at the ssame time. I've ever heard of using the heat from a solid fuel burner too. Does this mean if I stick a log burner in the extension I can harness the heat from this along with a boiler (still not sure which to use) and have heating nirvana?
I'm about to start a renovation and extension to a typical 1930s place. The ground floor is being exteneded and doubled in size and we will end up with two bathrooms, a laundry room and a couple of largish open spaces to heat.
I've only ever had experience with combis but I dont think these are good enough to heat and provide two powerful hot showers at the ssame time. I've ever heard of using the heat from a solid fuel burner too. Does this mean if I stick a log burner in the extension I can harness the heat from this along with a boiler (still not sure which to use) and have heating nirvana?
Dukethrust - you'll struggle!
To get someone well-versed in solid fuel, thermal stores AND conventional heating to design such a system is a tall order.
Hetas are the solid fuel 'body', but trying to get a hetas guy involved in a full system may take a while from my limited-to-one-system-only experience - they seem to prefer throwing in stand alone stoves or at best a back boiler stove and dunsley baker neutraliser.
DPS are good for thermal store designs and they do do one specifically for use with woodburners, but are expensive, and aren't 'system designers' as such.
Nuheat use thermal stores in their underfloor heating systems so may be worth a go.
Other than that, asking on forums full of professional plumbers (no disrespect intended) is likely to lead to a general slating of thermal stores and 'sludgebucket' comments.
Try Navitron - apart from solar, they do have quite a bit of useful knowledge regarding solid fuel and thermal stores. May be worth a post there to see if anyone competent is willing to work in your area.
We have a heatbank, with gas boiler, solar coil and woodburner coil, but the woodburner and solar are still waiting to be fitted - building work to do first. I ended up getting a store made to my specific spec, all plumbing done by a relative of a friend, and then me wiring the lot up myself.
Trying to find a heating engineer who can design and install the lot will be tricky.
To get someone well-versed in solid fuel, thermal stores AND conventional heating to design such a system is a tall order.
Hetas are the solid fuel 'body', but trying to get a hetas guy involved in a full system may take a while from my limited-to-one-system-only experience - they seem to prefer throwing in stand alone stoves or at best a back boiler stove and dunsley baker neutraliser.
DPS are good for thermal store designs and they do do one specifically for use with woodburners, but are expensive, and aren't 'system designers' as such.
Nuheat use thermal stores in their underfloor heating systems so may be worth a go.
Other than that, asking on forums full of professional plumbers (no disrespect intended) is likely to lead to a general slating of thermal stores and 'sludgebucket' comments.
Try Navitron - apart from solar, they do have quite a bit of useful knowledge regarding solid fuel and thermal stores. May be worth a post there to see if anyone competent is willing to work in your area.
We have a heatbank, with gas boiler, solar coil and woodburner coil, but the woodburner and solar are still waiting to be fitted - building work to do first. I ended up getting a store made to my specific spec, all plumbing done by a relative of a friend, and then me wiring the lot up myself.
Trying to find a heating engineer who can design and install the lot will be tricky.
Edited by andy43 on Friday 23 April 20:12
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