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Multi-Zone Control and Single-Zone Control for Heating

Multi-Zone Control and Single-Zone Control for Heating

In this week’s Tech Tuesday, I want to speak about the difference between multi-zone control and single-zone control and how technology has made this easier to implement. Controls for heating systems is not a new thing. The building regulations require you to have a means of thermostatic and time management. However, the level of control I believe you should have (as a minimum) is multi-zone control.

In a well-designed underfloor heating installation, a simple adaptation of your heating system to a multi-zone control will realise savings of between 8 to 20% on your heating bill – even on a radiator system, the savings can be significant. What’s more, you’ll find your home is far more comfortable as you can select the temperature required in each room.

What is multi-zone control?

The traditional set-up of a heating system involves a single thermostat (typically located in the coldest room in the house). This thermostat then heats all the heat emitters at the same time until the thermostat in the coldest room is finally satisfied. This set-up can often cause issues such as severe overheating in some rooms and underheating in others. A common solution has been to fit thermostatic valves to all the radiators in the system. However, if you’ve ever owned a thermostatic radiator valve, you know you seem to spend half your life is spent adjusting it with no real control over the heat in that room.

Until recently, to have a multi-zone control would mean new pipework, manifolds and full controls. However, technology has moved on, and you can now keep your existing plumbing system. By implementing a simple change in wiring and fitting of wireless TRV valves, you’ll have a much better level of control of your heating system.
If you fit underfloor heating in a new build space/ground floor, smart controls will allow you to have intelligent rad valves for your first floor and have them in a nice easy to control app.

At Multipipe, we have systems and knowledge to provide you with a fully bespoke control system that would fit your build, whether it be a new build or renovation.
Call us on 01245 850799 to find out more.

If you’ve any more questions about multi-zone control and single-zone control for heating, our technical team are always here to help you out. Get in touch with us by calling 01245 227630 or email [email protected].

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The Importance of Screed in Underfloor Heating

The Importance of Screed in Underfloor Heating

In this week’s Tech Tuesday, I want to highlight the importance of screed. This has been written in partnership with Gyvlon, who are experts in specialist screeds. As many people know, screed underfloor heating systems are the most common, as they are the cheapest and easiest to install and the easiest to implement. However, the importance of the screed is often overlooked. People will always speak about the importance of pipe centre temperatures going into the floor heating system and other aspects. The easiest way to get more heat out of your system is to have a more conductive, thinner screed.
When underfloor heating first started, there really was not much choice in screeds, and most people would stick to builders’ sand cement screed, which has one of the lowest outputs of any screed. However, in the current market, there are many different types of screed. The main screed I want to speak about today is anhydrite screeds. This free-flowing, self-compacting screed (providing it is laid correctly), can give you some of the best outputs for your underfloor heating system.

Even more impressive, you can typically save one to two inches (25-50mm) on installation height which can be either replaced with more insulation or lower the whole floor build, saving money. We find anhydrite screeds are nearly double the conductive value of traditional sand cement. Meaning the floor heating system is far more efficient and gives a much better output, reducing your running costs. Also, because you are laying less screed (as anhydrite screeds are stronger), you will find that the reaction times are much better, heating up quicker in the morning or when returning home, also reducing overheating making for a more comfortable living space.
So, the next time you look at doing a floor heating system consider the importance of the screed on floor heating and maybe look at alternatives that are going to give your heating system the best outputs rather than installing the lowest priced option.
One screed I would always recommend is Gyvlon Thermio screed by Anhydritec. This has the lowest build height for traditional UFH screeds and is the only screed on the market with a high guaranteed minimum thermal conductivity backed by a third party (BBA), nearly doubling the thermal conductivity of the screed making it an excellent complement to Multipipe underfloor heating systems. To find your nearest installer of Gyvlon Thermio screeds, please contact our technical support line on 01245 850799.
To find out more, please see Thermio Screed information.

If you’ve any more questions about the importance of screed in underfloor heating, our technical team are always here to help you out. Get in touch with us

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