Is my heating configuration correct.
My daughter has moved into a new build coach house. It has the main living space on the 1st floor. Downstairs it has integrated garage and large hallway and cloakroom. The thermostat for the house is upstairs in the lounge . The downstairs hall/ cloak radiator is also controlled by the lounge thermostat upstairs. It is constantly freezing downstairs(as bad as outside) because as soon as the upstairs reaches thermostat temperature, heating switches off . The radiator switches off downstairs even though it is still freezing down there. Developer is saying there is no problem and installed correctly. Can anyone advise if this is normal configuration? Is it likely they are pushing back on the issue because it is difficult or expensive to retrofit a seperate thermostat for the radiator downstairs which is what we've suggested? Thanks for any advice.
Advice from 4 local tradespeople
I have been in the heating industry for over 40yrs and it's good practice to put the thermostat in the hallway, for exactly the reasons you described.
If you Google the make of the thermostat you will find the installation requirements in the installation section.
Seems like the heating zones are crossed or just the location for the stat is in a poor position I can come have a look if this helps and can come up with a solution so the house warms and cools correctly and at the right times
It sounds like the heating system in your daughter’s new home is set up with a single-zone thermostat, meaning the entire house is controlled by one thermostat located upstairs in the lounge.
This setup can be quite problematic, especially when the downstairs area, which is often colder, isn’t getting the necessary heat because the thermostat shuts off the heating once the upstairs reaches the desired temperature.
Is this a normal configuration?
No, this isn’t ideal or particularly efficient. In most homes, especially with multi-level living, it’s common to have zoned heating, where different areas of the house are controlled by separate thermostats or have thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators.
This allows each area to be heated independently, ensuring that colder parts of the house (like downstairs in your daughter’s case) can continue to get heat when the upstairs reaches the desired temperature.
Why might the developer be pushing back?
• Cost or complexity: Retrofitting a separate thermostat for the downstairs heating zone or adding TRVs to individual radiators can be more expensive and time-consuming than sticking with the basic single-thermostat setup. The developer might be trying to avoid the expense or hassle of installing a more sophisticated system.
• No immediate issue: The developer might consider the system as “working” according to their design, which technically might not have considered the efficiency or comfort of different temperature zones in the house.
What’s the solution?
• Adding a second thermostat: As you’ve suggested, installing a second thermostat for the downstairs heating system is the most straightforward way to fix the issue. This will allow you to control the temperature downstairs independently of the upstairs, making the home more comfortable.
• Installing TRVs: Another option would be to install thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs) on the downstairs radiators. TRVs regulate the flow of hot water to each radiator based on the temperature in the room, ensuring that it continues to heat if the room is too cold, even if the upstairs thermostat is satisfied.
• Zoned Heating System: If you want a more comprehensive solution, you could potentially reconfigure the system to have zoned heating. This would involve having separate thermostats or controls for different parts of the house (upstairs and downstairs), which may require professional assistance.
Is this a problem with the installation?
Yes, it is a design flaw for a house with multiple levels to have one thermostat for the entire house, especially when you have rooms that can be significantly colder, like the downstairs hallway and cloakroom. This could be considered an issue with the configuration rather than the installation, as a better solution would have been to zone the system properly.
Next Steps:
• Talk to the developer: Politely insist that the heating setup is not providing adequate comfort and ask if they can install a second thermostat or TRVs as part of a remedy.
It sounds like the current thermostat configuration isn't ideal for the layout of your daughter's new house
Or the radiator will need bleeding maybe move the thermostat downstairs or near the stairs
