I lived in the UK most of my life and worked in the plumbing and heating industry for 35 years, all heating installations comply to Part L of the building regulations. If you google this the Government of Ireland building regulations 2020 Conservation of Fuel and Energy-Dwellings. Below is the page that gives all information regarding Heating and Plumbing in domestic dwellings.
I would say during the Celtic Tiger as we know a lot of houses were built and speaking to a few home owners they all say building control could not keep up with monitoring building projects. From what i have seen the plumbing is not up to standard and most houses need upgrading
I have seen systems with no drain points, no automatic air vents, wrong pipe configuration, no isolating valves on bathrooms, no heating controls, it goes on. Most of the systems I have addressed have not been maintained, apart from a boiler service every couple of years, with no inhibitor added which has caused them to sludge up. This also causes the systems to cost more to run as I have explained in previous blogs
In the past week I have visited two properties for pump replacement and pressure loss and neither house had any controls on their systems. After installing a new pump and balancing the systems the houses were in fact too hot due to no room thermostat, zone valve or thermostatic radiator valves. We fitted TRV valves to one of the properties in the bedrooms, which is good but if no other control ,ie room stat. TRV valves are recommended on all radiators except a bathroom but the better option is to zone out heating and hot water independently for more efficiency and economical performance.
Part L Building Regulations -Dwellings {Below}
2.2.3 Space heating and hot water supply system controls 2.2.3.1 Space and water heating systems should be effectively controlled so as to ensure the efficient use of energy by limiting the provision of heat energy use to that required to satisfy user requirements, insofar as is reasonably practicable.
The aim should be to provide the following minimum level of control: - automatic control of space heating on the basis of room temperature; - automatic control of heat input to stored hot water on the basis of stored water temperature; - separate and independent automatic time control of space heating and hot water; and - shut down of boiler or other heat source when there is no demand for either space or water heating from that s
The guidance in paragraphs 2.2.3.2 to 2.2.3.5 below is specifically applicable to fully pumped hot water-based central heating systems. 2.2.3.2
Provision should be made to control heat input on the basis of temperature within the heated space, e.g. by the use of room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, or other equivalent form of sensing device. For larger dwellings, independent temperature control should generally be provided for separate zones that normally operate at different temperatures, e.g. living and sleeping zones.
Thermostats should be located in a position representative of the temperature in the area being controlled and which is not unduly influenced by draughts, direct sunlight or other factors which would directly affect performance.
Depending on the design and layout of the dwelling, control on the basis of a single zone will generally be satisfactory for smaller dwellings.
For larger dwellings, e.g. where floor area exceeds 100 m2 , independent temperature control on the basis of two independent zones will generally be appropriate. In certain cases, additional zone control may be desirable, e.g. zones which experience significant solar or other energy inputs may be controlled separately from zones not experiencing such inputs
. 2.2.3.3 Hot water storage vessels should be fitted with thermostatic control that shuts off the supply of heat when the desired storage temperature is reached
. 2.2.3.4 Separate and independent time control for space heating and for heating of stored water should be provided. Independent time control of space heating zones may be appropriate where independent temperature control applies
. 2.2.3.5 The operation of controls should be such that the boiler is switched off when no heat is required for either space or water heating, i.e. boiler interlock. Systems controlled by thermostatic radiator valves should be fitted with flow control or other equivalent device to ensure boiler switch off. 2.2.3.6 Guidance for controls for heat pumps is provided in Tables 2 and 3
. 2.2.4 Insulation of hot water storage vessels, pipes and ducts 2.2.4.1 All hot water storage vessels, pipes and ducts associated with the provision of heating and hot water in a dwelling should be insulated to prevent heat loss. Hot water pipes and ducts within the normally heated area of the dwelling that contribute to the heat requirement of the dwelling do not require insulation (except those referred to in paragraph 2.2.4.4). Pipes and ducts which are incorporated into wall, floor or roof construction should be
insulated
2.2.5. Any hot water storage must be factory insulated or alternative insulation such as a tank jacket must be fitted.
The other disadvantage of no independent control is during the warmer seasons when heating is not a priority, you cannot run your hot water off your central heating appliance and have to rely on expensive electric immersion heaters.
Having to turn off all your radiators off manually if you do use your boiler will cause them to eventually leak but i have noticed most people rely on immersion heaters which defeats the object of having a boiler. An immersion heater also does not have a long life span in hard water areas like Ennis where i live as they scale up like a kettle and eventually fail.
The Government is leaning towards a green policy and provide grants for heating upgrades, up to €700.00 which can go towards a system upgrade. From the houses i have visited so far, the pipework is not correct for a fully pumped 2 x 2 port zone valve system or a 3 port diverter valve system
. This means pipework alterations would be required to achieve a fully pumped controlled system providing a comfortable living environment and hot water on demand all year round
. We have also noticed that the water systems in the attic areas are not insulated. It also states on Building Regulations document above that insulation is a requirement {section 2.2.4.1}. This is risky with the freezing weather conditions we get in Ireland and could potentially be a disaster if a pipe freezes and bursts.
The diagram on the right is a typical layout of a fully pumped system with full control with two 2 port zone valves which, in my opinion is the best option. This set up can be installed to open vented systems or sealed systems. As mentioned before in this blog you can apply for a grant but you will be means tested to qualify.
We can survey your house to recommend the best upgrade for you.
To give you a rough idea of how much for heating upgrades a Honeywell S Plan fully pumped control
installation starts at €1300.00
We also fit Honeywell Evohome smart controls
starting at €1200.00
Honeywell Y Plan 3 port valve fully pumped control installation starts at €1200.00
Supply and fit Honeywell R 212 Thermostatic Radiator valves €45.00 per valve.
Supply and fit standard Lock shield valves €25.00 Per valve
Diagram of a smart controls layout . Thermostatic radiator sensors Wireless cylinder stat
We can discount radiator valve installation depending on the quantity.
Power Flushing starts at €275 for a Magnaclense {pictured} which can be used if you have a filter on your system. We can fit one for €180.00. Full Power Flush with high velocity pump starts at €350.oo{recommended}
Oil boiler service with new injector, tank filter and combustion analysis from €90.00
We can offer a discounted package deal for heating upgrade, Power Flush and boiler service to get your heating system working efficiently and economically so you can save money for that holiday.
We will be putting up package deals on the website soon so if you would like to submit an enquiry please do so and we will be happy to deal with it
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