heating/hot water system controls palaver

[Gentlemen Ben]

My client recently bought a "refurbished" house and unfortunately their system has a worrying lack of controls. My opinion is the system is completely illegal by current standards especially from a gas boiler servicing angle & have advised that she either checks with here surveyor to see if they dropped the ball on this one as a new system install would really be on the cards

The heating system is gravity fed.
The boiler is an old 15 years+ floor standing unit (downstairs kitchen) with some of the worst access I have seen! someone decided it would be a great space saver to hide it in the corner under the new worktop with almost zero access save from a half width cupboard with inspection holes cut into the side of it. I'm sure their must have been a gap prior as the boiler is as old as the house and this was probably a call on the developer side of things to allow for a U shaped kitchen to allow more counter space

It currently feeds (pumped) all the radiators & heating loop within the HW cylinder (upstairs) this has a top down immersion heater as well. The issue is the hot water cylinder has no thermostat/zone valve controls & so depending on how long the customer has had her central heating on the hot water can get dangerously hot/not have any at all.

As the house has just been bought she doesn't wish to rip up walls and counter tops, so I was thinking a new programmer (wireless) to allow the boiler to receive demand signals from a hallway thermostat and somehow get a signal for a cylinder thermostat to hook into this to allow independent firing of the boiler for heating and hot water purposes as an interim measure.
Any advice/suggestions welcome

In case you were wondering I do have relevant qualifications(unvented, water regs, acs pending final week review on the 17th) but will admit I am short of experience in the domestic WTF! troubleshooting area having spent most of my time in nice & simple new build gigs

bit long winded & cheers

 

[Puddle]

I would not say the boiler/system is illegal,I have not seen so who knows but as you are going to leave in working,suspect,just not up to current standards as regards efficiency

You can get a wireless cylinder thermostat,so If you are keeping boiler,maybe fit motorised valves on pipewort near boiler,move pump,to make fully pumped(altering cold feed and vent of course,or you will be pumping over like a good un)and away you go,sounds like some kitchen units might have to come out to do this and make sure ventilation for boiler ok

Would have thought probably a challenging job to do without to much experience

imho

 

[Gentlemen Ben]

cheers puddle I was thinking along those lines the as I don't think this is going to be done without the new kitchen having to be at least partially dis-ambled I'll see if I can grab some pictures when I next swing by. the only wireless cylinder stat I'm aware of is one made by Danfoss is it up to much or would you recommend another? I've normally used honeywell kit but not too bothered as long as it gets the job done

 

[Puddle]

Danfoss is a good make,so no reason why you should have any problems,will wire into the honeywell controls/wiring centre no problem,so you can do the rest in honeywell products that you prefer if you wish

imho

 

[stevetheplumber]

i would get the relevant lierature for the boiler and check the clearances for sevicing and also requirments for air supply which must be via purpose grilles

 

[Steve @ TheHeatingHub]

steve beat me to the punch 🙂

 

[Gentlemen Ben]

Cheers steve will do & much appreciated