Page 3 of 9 FirstFirst 12345678 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 84

Thread: Completely new heating install, best way to configure for EvoHome?

  1. #21
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    1,001

    Default

    Surely, it is 3 single zones with an Evohome connected to the three motorised valves. Why cannot the built in sensor in the Evohome controller be used to open a motorised valve which, in turn, informs the boiler that heat is required. Surely, it is doing the same as Nest in this configuration?

    Put it another way, if I had one heating zone and no TRVs, why can't Evohome be used as a simple thermostat/timer? I have 3 HR92s in my hall/landing controlled by the Evohome sensor. I am pretty sure that if I replaced the HR92s with manual TRVs, the heating would still come on in this zone. However, the zone would also come on when other zones demanded heat.
    Last edited by HenGus; 22nd January 2017 at 10:58 PM.

  2. #22
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HenGus View Post
    The BDR91 works in the 868MHz wifi band. It talks to the controller (in my situation) and the Controller is wired to the boiler. If you wanted to site the 3 BDRs next to the boiler then, in theory, they should have the same range as the HR92s.

    The Evohome Shop does offer a wifi test kit.

    https://theevohomeshop.co.uk/en/hone...-test-kit.html
    Maybe I'm getting confused with the terminilogy but I thought the controller is the screen which wirelessly communicates with the 'other stuff' i.e. hot water BDR91 and heating BD91. If the latter are to be in the cellar just 30 cm from the boiler, it will have a hard time communicating with them. Consequently, I wondered if the wiring of these (BDR91s) can be extended such that I have them perhaps somewhere near the ground floor (as opposed to the cellar).

  3. #23
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    2,361

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HenGus View Post
    Surely, it is 3 single zones with an Evohome connected to the three motorised valves. Why cannot the built in sensor in the Evohome controller be used to open a motorised valve which, in turn, informs the boiler that heat is required. Surely, it is doing the same as Nest in this configuration?
    But that's not what was being talked about - you were implying that you could simply leave out the HR92 for the zone the controller was sensor for and have the controller as a sensor with no zone actuator of any type, and still fire the boiler - which you can't. Except in the special single zone mode, you always have to have at least one actuator that is specific for each zone.

    A BDR91 and zone valve CAN be the actuator for the zone (as I mentioned) provided that the zone valve only controls the room being monitored by the sensor - it's no good trying to use a zone valve for an entire floor unless you don't want any individual control of rooms.
    Put it another way, if I had one heating zone and no TRVs, why can't Evohome be used as a simple thermostat/timer?
    One heating zone is a special case - you can do that with no actuators except a boiler relay. However as soon as you have two or more zones you can't do this.
    I have 3 HR92s in my hall/landing controlled by the Evohome sensor. I am pretty sure that if I replaced the HR92s with manual TRVs, the heating would still come on in this zone. However, the zone would also come on when other zones demanded heat.
    No you can't do that, because you must have at least one actuator for the zone - a temperature sensor is not enough.

    I don't know about earlier models but the Wi-Fi model won't even let you create a zone without an actuator in it if you try. And if you try to unbind existing HR92's from an already configured zone, leaving none in the zone you'll get comms errors after a few hours when the controller wonders what happened to the missing HR92(s).

  4. #24
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Think the topic veering away from my queries. Please could I please request some help with my posts?

  5. #25
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Scotland
    Posts
    2,361

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnDoe View Post
    Maybe I'm getting confused with the terminilogy but I thought the controller is the screen which wirelessly communicates with the 'other stuff' i.e. hot water BDR91 and heating BD91. If the latter are to be in the cellar just 30 cm from the boiler, it will have a hard time communicating with them. Consequently, I wondered if the wiring of these (BDR91s) can be extended such that I have them perhaps somewhere near the ground floor (as opposed to the cellar).
    You're right - the controller has the touch screen user interface and communicates to all other devices including BDR91 wirelessly - I think HenGus just mis-spoke. All it needs is a permanent supply of power.

    Depending on your system you only need three or four wires to a BDR91 so if necessary you could bring a cable up from the cellar into the floor above and mount the BDR91's there - although you may not find that necessary depending on the results of a signal test.

    BTW the 30cm recommendation is to keep multiple BDR91's at least 30cm from each other, and also 30cm from large metal objects like a boiler.

  6. #26
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DBMandrake View Post
    You're right - the controller has the touch screen user interface and communicates to all other devices including BDR91 wirelessly - I think HenGus just mis-spoke. All it needs is a permanent supply of power.

    Depending on your system you only need three or four wires to a BDR91 so if necessary you could bring a cable up from the cellar into the floor above and mount the BDR91's there - although you may not find that necessary depending on the results of a signal test.

    BTW the 30cm recommendation is to keep multiple BDR91's at least 30cm from each other, and also 30cm from large metal objects like a boiler.
    Thanks!

    So if I am to have a HR92 on every single radiator, I will need 1 x HW zone valve, 1 x heating zone valve, 2 x BDR92s, 1 x hot water kit, 1 x controller?

    Should I just remove the other 2 zone valves?

  7. #27
    Automated Home Legend
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    1,001

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DBMandrake View Post
    But that's not what was being talked about - you were implying that you could simply leave out the HR92 for the zone the controller was sensor for and have the controller as a sensor with no zone actuator of any type, and still fire the boiler - which you can't. Except in the special single zone mode, you always have to have at least one actuator that is specific for each zone.

    A BDR91 and zone valve CAN be the actuator for the zone (as I mentioned) provided that the zone valve only controls the room being monitored by the sensor - it's no good trying to use a zone valve for an entire floor unless you don't want any individual control of rooms.

    One heating zone is a special case - you can do that with no actuators except a boiler relay. However as soon as you have two or more zones you can't do this.

    No you can't do that, because you must have at least one actuator for the zone - a temperature sensor is not enough.

    I don't know about earlier models but the Wi-Fi model won't even let you create a zone without an actuator in it if you try. And if you try to unbind existing HR92's from an already configured zone, leaving none in the zone you'll get comms errors after a few hours when the controller wonders what happened to the missing HR92(s).
    Let's put this in its simplest form. A house with an 'S' plan and manual TRVs. I believe that an Evohome controller can be used instead of a hall thermostat and timer - without any HR92s. It would be a single zone.

    If the OP has three valves, then I also believe that he could use 3 Evohome controllers - one on each floor connected to its zone valve in the way he suggested he could with Nest.

    With 3 Evohome controllers, he could leave two floors without HR92s and he could have one floor with HR92s.

    It is not how Evohome is designed to work but I believe that it would work.

  8. #28
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Been on the phone to the Evo Home Shop who have suggested that if I am to provide every radiator with a HR92, I'd only need 1 motorised zone valve for hot water (none for heating to allow the HR92s to have fine control), 1 hot water kit, 1 BDR91, 1 or 2 control panels (as required).

  9. #29
    Automated Home Ninja
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    489

    Default

    That's basically what I have too. 12 HR92s right now (25 in total before long, rads that don't have HR92s have mechanical TRVs right now), no CH valve (not possible with my pipework), DHW kit with BDR91 for HW valve, BDR91 to fire boiler.

  10. #30
    Automated Home Jr Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    18

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dty View Post
    That's basically what I have too. 12 HR92s right now (25 in total before long, rads that don't have HR92s have mechanical TRVs right now), no CH valve (not possible with my pipework), DHW kit with BDR91 for HW valve, BDR91 to fire boiler.
    Mine is set-up with all the necessary traditional zoning but not required according to Evo Home SHop.

    Once you add the rest of the radiators, will you need more than 12 zones? If so, will you then get 2 control panels?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •