Heating Controls & Components

Central heating controls are as equally important as your boiler because central heating controls decide how efficient your central heating will be overall. The right combination of heating controls and SEDBUK boiler will compliment each other to help reduce the amount of fuel your home consumes essentially lowering your monthly heating bills. Equally, by choosing the incorrect components / incorrectly matching your central heating components you will not be using your boiler at its full potential and could be spending more on your heating bills then you need to. With the right boiler, central heating programmer, room thermostat configured correctly you can efficiently use the smallest amount of heat necessary to heat your home which will use the smallest amount of fuel possible saving you money on fuel costs each and every day.

We at PlumbNation Heating Supplies have kindly put together this comprehensive central heating control guide, which will help you to understand the purpose of each type of central heating component available and its ideal environment. You will know for example, the difference between a central heating thermostat and a central heating programmer and the uses of Wireless Central Heating Controls. We can deliver central heating controls and central heating accessories to you for free when you spend over £50. Here you can expect to find such Heating Controls as a: Thermostat (Room Thermostat, Central Heating Thermostat, Wireless Room Thermostat), Central Heating Programmer (Central Heating Control, Central Heating Timer), Programmable Room Thermostat (Central Heating Programmer and Room Thermostat combined), Central Heating Control Pack, TRV (Thermostatic Radiator Valve), Motorised Valve, and more. We also have a great selection of Central Heating Control Accessories to ensure you can complete your central heating installation to an exemplary level.

As the efficiency and build quality of your central heating system is paramount we at PlumbNation Heating Supplies only offer Central Heating Controls and Central Heating Control Accessories from the very best heating control manufacturers in the industry, including: Honeywell, Danfoss Drayton, Worcester, Vaillant and more.

Best Buy Heating Control Manufacturers

• Honeywell Heating Controls
• Danfoss Heating Controls
• Drayton Heating Controls
• Worcester Heating Controls
• Vaillant Heating Controls
• Altecnic Sealed System Heating Controls

PlumbNation Heating Supplies Heating Controls and Thermostat Guide

Central Heating Controls

Many people are unaware that when it comes to heating your home efficiently a full set of Heating Controls is as equally important as investing in a high efficiency condensing boiler. Heating controls enable ultimate control of your central heating and hot water system. Using the appropriate controls will grant you control of when your heating and hot water will be switched on and off. Heating Controls allow you to make the most of your central heating system, allowing it to only ever be in use when necessary. This will lead to having a highly efficient home with lower fuel bills. An efficiently controlled central heating system should include:

• - Central Heating Programmer (or Central Heating Timer)
  - Central Heating Room Thermostat
  OR:
  - Programmable Room Thermostat (Central Heating Programmer and Room Thermostat combined into one unit)
• Cylinder Thermostat (ONLY if your home is fitted with a Regular Conventional Boiler with a separate Hot Water Cylinder)
• Motorised Valves (Mid-Position or Zone Valves)
• Thermostatic Radiator Valves

The majority of boiler manufactures such as Worcester, Vaillant, Baxi and Glow Worm, manufacturer their own boiler heating controls, including the likes of a Central Heating Programmer and a Central Heating Room Thermostat, which can be literally plugged into the fascia of the boiler itself for an easy and simple installation. These controls (if available) are listed under the boiler flues and accessories. Alternatively, if you do not wish to use the manufacturers own models, then our PlumbNation Heating Supplies Heating Controls collection has a full range of heating programmers and thermostats available from the market leading manufacturers Honeywell, Drayton, and Danfoss. We also have the incredibly popular Danfoss RAS-C2 TRV and the Drayton TRV4 available. All Central Heating Controls listed here are compatible with the boilers listed on our PlumbNation Heating Supplies website.

Central Heating Programmer / Central Heating Timer Switch

A Central Heating Programmer / Central Heating Timer Switch will allow you to control when the heating and hot water should be switched ‘On’ and ‘Off’, therefore allowing you to only heat your home and hot water as and when necessary, which of course will save energy and lower fuel costs. Central Heating Programmers are available as a Single Channel Central Heating Programmer, which only allows single control of the heating or hot water or a Twin Channel Central Heating Programmer, which enables separate control for heating and hot water.

Central Heating Programmers can provide 24 Hour settings for any day of the week or for weekdays and weekends only, depending on which type of Central Heating Programmer system:

5/2 Day Central Heating Programmer – enable differing settings for weekdays and weekends.
7 Day Central Heating Programmer – enable differing settings for every day of the week.

Central Heating Room Thermostat

A Central Heating Thermostat measures the air temperature around itself, which enables the Room Thermostat to regulate the heating system to consistently maintain the desired temperature. So when the temperature falls below the setting, the thermostat switches on the central heating and once the desired temperature is reached it switches it off again. Room Thermostats should ideally be installed in a colder area of the house, i.e. in a hallway near to a front door. It is important not to fit a room thermostat close to another heat source like a radiator or gas or electric fire as this will affect the performance. It is also worth noting that it is recommended that a thermostatic radiator valve should not be fitted in a room with a room thermostat. A Room Thermostat will only work when a central heating programmer or timer switch is turned on.

For optimum energy saving results, a Room Thermostat should be installed in the coldest room and the TRVs should be installed in every other room containing a radiator.

Programmable Room Thermostat / Programmable Thermostat

A Programmable Room Thermostat is a Room Thermostat and Central Heating Programmer combined into one component. Programmable Room Thermostats therefore work in the same way as a regular Room Thermostat and Central Heating Programmer, except the controls for both time and temperature can be controlled from one unit. You can program your heating and hot water to switch on and off at independently varying times of the day, and also set the temperature at which you want your rooms heated.

Cylinder Thermostat

A Cylinder Thermostat operates in the same way as a Room Thermostat, except that instead of controlling the central heating, the Cylinder Thermostat keeps a constant check on the temperature of the water in the hot water cylinder. The Cylinder Thermostat will switch the boiler on and off, in order to maintain the required water temperature. When the desired temperature is reached, the boiler will then rest if no other control is calling for heat, until some hot water is used, or the cylinder cools down naturally.

Wireless Central Heating Controls / Wireless Digital Room Thermostat / Wireless Programmer / Wireless Timer Switch / Wireless Programmable Thermostat

Wireless Central Heating Controls are generally required if your boiler is sited in an area that isn’t easily accessible, e.g. loft areas or garages. Wireless Central Heating Controls operate in the same way as hard-wired central heating controls, however they require a separate receiver unit that transmit wireless signals from the main control unit, which is hard wired to an area within the household. Therefore if your boiler is located in the garage area, you will be able to control it from within the property. The added bonus of using wireless controls means there is no need to chase walls to conceal unsightly cables, when retro fitting to a pre-installed system.

For a more advanced controlled heating system, Wireless Central Heating Controls can offer more flexibility to control temperature in one or more location of your choice. This is generally referred to as zoning, where different rooms within your property can be individually controlled from one central control point. Wireless Central Heating Controls are becoming increasingly more popular as they enable you to upgrade your system, with minimal disruption.

Thermostatic Radiator Valve / TRV

A Thermostatic Radiator Valve is most commonly referred to as a TRV. A TRV can be fitted to your radiator to give you ultimate control of your heating system. TRVs enable you to control the heat output from your radiators on a room-by-room basis. A TRV uses a sensor to establish the surrounding air temperature. The TRV will close down the flow to the radiator, thereby cooling the radiator and generally regulating the room temperature.

TRVs allow you to set the room temperature as required. You also can turn the TRV down completely if you are not occupying the room in question, thus conserving energy and saving you money on your heating bills.

PlumbNation Heating Supplies offer a range of TRVs from the market leading manufacturers such as Danfoss, Honeywell and Drayton. Thermostatic Radiator Valves can be purchased individually, if you are looking to fit to an already installed radiator, or they can be purchased in a “Combi Pack”, which contains the TRV and Lockshield Valve (to close off the other end of the radiator). These are ideal if you are installing/replacing radiators in your home. Thermostatic Radiators Valves are also available for the more design conscious, offering all chrome models that will blend in wonderfully with any decor.

It is also necessary that you choose the correct size TRV, which is dependent on the size of the pipe work on your radiators, generally 8mm, 10mm or 15mm. Some TRV packs include adaptor sizes to fit all, or they are individually sold in the one size.

Motorised Valve

Motorised Valves are used to divert the flow of water from the boiler to (a) the direct hot water cylinder (b) the central heating radiators or (c) both. Motorised Valves are available as either 22mm or 28mm valves, which will be established by that of your pipe work of your home. Motorised Valves can be used with a Central Heating Programmer to provide zone control, which can change temperatures for different rooms at different times.

Two Port Motorised Valve

A Two Port Motorised Valve has 2 pipe connections (Inlet and Outlet ports) that permit or block flow between the ports depending on whether it is actuated or not. Flow is permitted when the valve is started (usually when the boiler is on) and blocked when the valve is off. Two Port Valves are only designed to control the flow for hot water or central heating, at one time. Two Port valves may also be referred to as Zone Valves.

Three Port Motorised Valve

A Three Port Motorised Valve has 3 ports (one inlet and two outlet) and can divert the water flow to either or both of the outlet ports. This allows one Motorised Valve to control heating and hot water, instead of two separate Two Port Motorised Valves. Most Three Port Motorised Valves have a mid position option which allows flow to both circuits simultaneously, but some Diverter Valves allow flow to only one or the other at any one time. Three Port Valves are commonly referred to as Mid-Position Valves.

Central Heating Control Pack

A Central Heating Control Pack is a cost effective and simple way to provide everything you need to ensure a fully controlled heating system. Control Packs generally consist of all the major components required to control your central heating system. A Central Heating Control Pack will generally consist of Motorised Valve(s), a Room Thermostat and a Central Heating Programmer.

A wide variety of Central Heating Control Packs are available here at PlumbNation Heating Supplies from the market leading manufacturers such as Honeywell, Danfoss, and Drayton.

Central Heating Control Accessories

There may be additional components required to complete, ease or streamline the installation process of your central heating system. We at PlumbNation Heating Supplies have all the Central Heating Control Accessories you will need at fantastic prices.

Sealed Central Heating Equipment / Sealed System Equipment

A Sealed Central Heating System (also referred to simply as a Sealed System) is the most common form of central heating system in Europe and many other parts of the world. Sealed system equipment removes any need for fitting, feeding or installing vent tanks therefore making the Sealed System widely appealing to the domestic homeowner and installers in general. Generally, a Sealed System will operate at pressures of 1 Bar atmospheric pressure or more. Pressure will build up in a Sealed System via a filling loop that connects the mains water supply to the central heating system.

Here within our PlumbNation Heating Supplies collection you will find everything from Sealed System Kits to Digitally Controlled Pressurisation Units from manufacturer Altecnic and our own brand, Nation.