One Zone Heating with Hot Water

Hi, Rafal here . I bought from you smart heating system PiHome on adverts. I just would like to double check if this system configuration will fits to my needs. Image below explains my current home heating scheme. Basically first of all I would like to have possibility to “manually” control my boiler and solenoid from your application, simply on/off button for boiler and solenoid in application dashboard. Then automatically turn on and off boiler and solenoid when temperature in one of the room drops down. When solenoid is in “off” state / position then boiler is heating just the water for sink’s and showers, when solenoid is in “on” state / position then boiler is heating water and heaters so in simple words I have two zone heating system one being hot water and second central heating.

I have some very simple controller where I can setting up heating time, or manually on/off boiler, solenoid is controlled by on / off switch on the wall. See image below for my exiting controller.

PiHome: You only got one valve to control radiator heating, otherwise when boiler is on its just sending circulating heat in water cylinder.

Rafal: Correct! It’s just one heating zone.

PiHome: But when you turn the switch on the wall, it actually open that valve and circulate heat in radiators and in hot water tank.

Rafal: Basically, I would like to turn on boiler and electro valve / solenoid when temperature will drops down in one of the room.

PiHome: That is not the problem, you can tell system you have many zone and controlled by one valve it will open that valve to heat all areas. Same way you can configure hot water but have nothing connected for hot water so valve stay shut to heat the water.

PiHome: Do you leave your boiler on all the time? Or have it on timer?

Rafal: Not heating all the time… just when I needed.

Rafal: why boiler need separate controller? Can’t be controller by the same channel relay as valve?

PiHome: If your exiting controller supplying 220v to boiler to turn it on/off then you can use exiting zone controller relay to control boiler as well but if your exiting controller only controlling boiler from takin two room thermostat wires then you need boiler controller to keep it isolated

Rafal: I’m not pretty sure about this … you are the expert 🙂 anyway as I said before, temperature sensor’s should triggering boiler and valve on. Also would like to have two buttons in dashboard to on / off boiler and valve “manually” if this is possible.

PiHome: There is boost function to start your heating or hot water. In addition, it will open the valve for heating. Boost function have set temperature and time, system turn off boiler if one condition is meet. Default boost time is 30 minutes with zone temperature 23c. Let say, you select boost for room and if temperature is reached after 10 minutes System will turn off boiler.

Rafal: okay but system have to control the valve as well so let’s say , temperature in the rooms reached 23 but water in the tank still have to be heated up , so in this case boiler should stay on and valve in off state / position.

PiHome: Yes correct, You can select boost for water and room from same location for hot water and room separately.

Rafal: Great, this is what I want.