I’m in the process of acquiring a new boiler due to the conversion of my loft and the installation of a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system. I’ve recently discovered that Google Nest is unable to handle multi-zone systems and reverts to a simple on/off thermostat. My preference would be to have underfloor heating on the ground floor, with the first floor and loft each having their own zone. Given the excellent insulation of the house, I anticipate that the underfloor heating will be used most frequently, with the first floor being heated occasionally and the loft rarely, as heat will naturally rise to this area. By the way, I’m also installing a 300-litre horizontal cylinder due to the limited space in my house.
I’ve been in touch with Baxi and Vaillant in an attempt to find a solution for controlling all three zones from a single location, but it appears that both companies are leaving me to figure this out on my own, offering no assistance. My aim is to use OpenTherm to prevent overshooting and prioritise comfort. I also want to control everything from a single system, for both radiators and the underfloor heating system.
I’m considering the Baxi 800 System 2 boiler, which is OpenTherm compatible and seems to have good internal components. Oddly enough, their own thermostat can only communicate via OpenTherm with their combi models, not the system boiler. It’s puzzling why their latest thermostat can’t communicate with their own system boiler.
My research on various forum threads has led me to Evohome, which I believe is a sub-brand of Honeywell. Others have suggested EPH, but I’m unsure of their quality as their physical appearance suggests a somewhat outdated design. I don’t intend to constantly tinker with the system, but I do want remote control. My plan is to set everything to around 21°C, then leave it to weather compensation and OpenTherm to modulate the boiler to prevent overshooting, thus ensuring comfort.
A thermostat with a pleasant interface or app would be a bonus. I don’t actually need wall-mounted thermostats with controls; I can manage everything via an app and simply have temperature sensors in each zone for control. However, I’m not sure if this is too simplistic a view and may not work well in practice? I don’t need screens and controls if I can set up everything via an app and control the system via Google Home or Home Assistant.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, chaps!
I’ve been in touch with Baxi and Vaillant in an attempt to find a solution for controlling all three zones from a single location, but it appears that both companies are leaving me to figure this out on my own, offering no assistance. My aim is to use OpenTherm to prevent overshooting and prioritise comfort. I also want to control everything from a single system, for both radiators and the underfloor heating system.
I’m considering the Baxi 800 System 2 boiler, which is OpenTherm compatible and seems to have good internal components. Oddly enough, their own thermostat can only communicate via OpenTherm with their combi models, not the system boiler. It’s puzzling why their latest thermostat can’t communicate with their own system boiler.
My research on various forum threads has led me to Evohome, which I believe is a sub-brand of Honeywell. Others have suggested EPH, but I’m unsure of their quality as their physical appearance suggests a somewhat outdated design. I don’t intend to constantly tinker with the system, but I do want remote control. My plan is to set everything to around 21°C, then leave it to weather compensation and OpenTherm to modulate the boiler to prevent overshooting, thus ensuring comfort.
A thermostat with a pleasant interface or app would be a bonus. I don’t actually need wall-mounted thermostats with controls; I can manage everything via an app and simply have temperature sensors in each zone for control. However, I’m not sure if this is too simplistic a view and may not work well in practice? I don’t need screens and controls if I can set up everything via an app and control the system via Google Home or Home Assistant.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, chaps!
