Originally posted by autolog
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HouseHeat system
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Hi.
I have read the entire thread but I am now even more confused!
Currently I have a system boiler with a programmer, an analogue thermostat, and 6 radiators/rooms that I want to control. Standalone to start with, replacing the current programmer, then add PC control from my home server later on when everything is working.
So do I buy...
5 x Radio thermostat FHT 80BTF saving set Part no.: 646463 - 89 (£60 each)
1 x Wireless heating control FHZ1000, 1 room Part no.: 617500 - 89 (£80 each)
1 x Heat relays FHT 8 W Part no: 560098 - LN (£85 each)
1 x FHZ 1300 Radio Home Centre PC Part no.: 620371 - 89 (£130 each, eventually)
Is this right?
But, what is the difference between a FHT80B and a FHZ1000? Do I really need a FHZ1000?
Is there a kit with FHT 80B plus the TRV, without the window sensor? Just to save on cost. Their search isn't helping.
Forgetting the USB interface, the total price is dangerously close to a Honeywell CM Zone system isn't it? In terms of reliability, is there any difference between the two?
And also, how is it going to control hot water? Or am I going to have to keep the programmer?
By the way Conrad's website is really rubbish in finding stuff!
Thanks.
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As a minimum to properly get you started, you'll need 1 of these per zone you want to control:
You need 1 of these per radiator:
You then need:
1. A computer controller (FHZ1300 or a Busware CUL1100 device for around 40 quid, see my blog for more on this)
2. A boiler controller (FHT8W)
Hope that clarifies?
RussLast edited by russell_allen; 22 November 2010, 10:38 AM.
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Originally posted by wywywywy View PostSo I *don't* need a FHZ1000, right?
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Originally posted by autolog View Postmy FHZ1000 is now gathering dust
I'm using a CUL device to connect to my system, and I'm concerned that this may allow me to bypass the normal security of 1 device per controller. Good in that I can potentially make use of the device, bad in that it potentially means a CUL device can talk to any FHT install without a security layer!
Russ
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Hello,
I am trying to find out how is the FHT 8W (heat relay) installed?
I saw the input is 220V, and I guess the output is the same.
How does it connect to a boiler which uses a cylinder for hot water? For example: http://www.vaillant.co.uk/homeowners...System-boilers
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I am no sparky so take proper advice before installing one of these, but for what it is worth, it is just a relay. You need a 240v supply to power it, but beyond that, I think it just switches what you give it. I wired mine in as a direct replacement to the timer/programmer that was there already but my boiler is a combi so I don't have to worry about providing control for the water heating part of the system (it is controlled automatically when I turn a tap on)
If you go to the Conrad site, you should be able to download the manual.
HTH
Chris
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An update on my experiences with the HouseHeat System; Over the last couple of years I have been gradually adding more HouseHeat controls to the central heating system in our 4 story house. We now have 6 room controls and 10 radiator valves. On the whole it has been a pretty painless experience, the batteries seem to last about two years which is very reasonable and they have made big savings in our fuel bills I would say we have cut our gas usage by about 20,000 Kw hours per year (£700) over the last 4 years. OK not all of this is down to the HouseHeat System, some of it is doing things like not heating the hall, keeping doors closed, having the windows professionally draft proofed. The system does require quite a bit of maintenance and checking to make sure it is working properly, programs get messed up and sometimes radiators loose the connection to the control box but all in all the effort is not that great and the benefits are huge. Generally I spend a little bit of time at the start of the autumn checking the system and then it tends to run smoothly for the rest of the winter.
The big change this year was the addition of the FHT 8W BoilerConnect box which links the individual room thermostats to the master boiler thermostat. I had put off adding this for a couple of years as I wa snot sure how tricky it would be to install and they were also over £200. This year I found that the price had dropped to under £100 so I took the risk and bought one. Installing it was a doddle I replaced the old central heating thermostat with the control box on the middle landing. I was planning to move it to the boiler cupboard but I am glad I now left it in full view. Programming it was very straight forward.
We have now started to use it on a day to day basis and I now wish I had bought one ages ago. The house is always warm and the boiler never seems to be running. I now leave the central heating on all the time and just use the timers on the room thermostats to control the boiler at night when I go to bed a quick visual glance at the control box tells me if I have forgotten to turn down one of the room thermostats and shows me which zones are requesting heat from the boiler.
Our central heating pump was also getting a bit noisy so I had it replaced with a variable speed pump which was about £70 more than the traditional pump but again it will more than pay for itself over the lifetime of the pump in terms of the reduced electricity that it it will use.
All in all I am very pleased with the system.
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Fht 8w
Originally posted by Jasper Warwick View PostAn update on my experiences with the HouseHeat System; Over the last couple of years I have been gradually adding more HouseHeat controls to the central heating system in our 4 story house. We now have 6 room controls and 10 radiator valves. On the whole it has been a pretty painless experience, the batteries seem to last about two years which is very reasonable and they have made big savings in our fuel bills I would say we have cut our gas usage by about 20,000 Kw hours per year (£700) over the last 4 years. OK not all of this is down to the HouseHeat System, some of it is doing things like not heating the hall, keeping doors closed, having the windows professionally draft proofed. The system does require quite a bit of maintenance and checking to make sure it is working properly, programs get messed up and sometimes radiators loose the connection to the control box but all in all the effort is not that great and the benefits are huge. Generally I spend a little bit of time at the start of the autumn checking the system and then it tends to run smoothly for the rest of the winter.
The big change this year was the addition of the FHT 8W BoilerConnect box which links the individual room thermostats to the master boiler thermostat. I had put off adding this for a couple of years as I wa snot sure how tricky it would be to install and they were also over £200. This year I found that the price had dropped to under £100 so I took the risk and bought one. Installing it was a doddle I replaced the old central heating thermostat with the control box on the middle landing. I was planning to move it to the boiler cupboard but I am glad I now left it in full view. Programming it was very straight forward.
We have now started to use it on a day to day basis and I now wish I had bought one ages ago. The house is always warm and the boiler never seems to be running. I now leave the central heating on all the time and just use the timers on the room thermostats to control the boiler at night when I go to bed a quick visual glance at the control box tells me if I have forgotten to turn down one of the room thermostats and shows me which zones are requesting heat from the boiler.
Our central heating pump was also getting a bit noisy so I had it replaced with a variable speed pump which was about £70 more than the traditional pump but again it will more than pay for itself over the lifetime of the pump in terms of the reduced electricity that it it will use.
All in all I am very pleased with the system.
Very interesting. I have invested in several room controls and the FHZ 1000 control. I was wondering whether to go the whole hog and buy a boiler connect box to control my Worcester Bosch 42 cdi combi boiler and replace the Boss therm BPS 242RF controller but wondered how tricky the wiring in would be. You say it was easy?
Did you purchase a FS20 AS1 switching receiver or did you wire from FHT 8W to your boiler?
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I've been a Househeat user for almost three years now, with 16 zones over three floors in a Victorian brick built house. Most zones are single rad/actuator per FHT80B, but one has four rads and another has two. I've had to use two FHT8W to provide the boiler control (max 10 zones each), wired direct to the boiler instead of a thermostat/timeswitch. They offer a volt free contact capable of handling 240v, so I wired them in parallel (if any one FHT8W calls for heat the boiler will react). Please note that most boilers will provide 240v to these contacts so you must either be comfortable in wiring mains voltages, or get an electrician.
The FHT8Ws are sited in the basement in the middle of the house and pick up the signals from all floors quite happily. The only reason for using an FS20 I can see is if you have trouble receiving all the signals at the boiler location, which might be the case if the boiler is in an out-house or garage. In which case you could use the FHT8W to FS20 link as a transmission relay. I use FHEM and an FHZ1300 to monitor what's going on, and for occasional setting adjustments. This takes care of adjusting any time drift on each thermostat and daylight saving time changes. I monitor the FS20 radio signals from the FHT8W so can see when the boiler demand is on. I've set all the FHT8W demand limits to 15% actuator opening.
I believe that the combination of the FHT8W and the in room FHT8 equipment in sufficient zones (with TRVs elsewhere if needed) fulfils the minimum heating control requirements in the "Domestic Heating Compliance Guide". Although no-one's likely to know, the replacement of a control element seems to fall under the provisions of the requirements.
I've found the system reliable overall and battery life generally about two years, although I've just replaced a number of batteries which were the original ones after 33 months of use. The equipment does let you know when it's time to replace the batteries, the actuators complain audibly, but intermittently (so it's difficult to track down in a house with 20 actuators), whilst the thermostats have a visual display. Thankfully the battery low warnings also appear on the FHEM collected data.
Chris
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Originally posted by Benn View PostHi Jasper,
Very interesting. I have invested in several room controls and the FHZ 1000 control. I was wondering whether to go the whole hog and buy a boiler connect box to control my Worcester Bosch 42 cdi combi boiler and replace the Boss therm BPS 242RF controller but wondered how tricky the wiring in would be. You say it was easy?
Did you purchase a FS20 AS1 switching receiver or did you wire from FHT 8W to your boiler?
I didn't use the switching receiver as the boiler control box is in the middle of the house so there are no signal problems.
Jasper.
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As per my other thread, I am currently evaluating a few options for my house. If I choose to go for the househeat system, do I need to have more than one boiler control unit to control my zone valves, which themselves switch the boiler and the pump. I think that I will leave my UFH zone alone because it is working well, and just focus on the upstairs and downstairs zones.
I'm still not absolutely sure of the differences between the FS20 system (eg which thermostat allows display of actual temp / two way signalling) and HomeMatic. Does HomeMatic allow boiler control either with a specific controller or via a switched actuator.
And I like the idea of being able to centrally control the system. What can I do via controllers, pc, ipad etc
Thanks
Steve
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