FAQ
1. What is zoning?
A heating zone is a specific area of a house, which is heated independently from the rest of the house and is controlled by a time clock and a thermostat. The best thing about zoning is that it offers the homeowner more control when heating their home. The more zones you have the more control you have over your heating system. If you have more control over your heating system it means you can use it more efficiently saving you on fuel costs and saving the environment in the long term.
Take for example whereby a house has seven rooms in total. If the house is not zoned and controlled properly, when the heating is on, it’s probably on all over the house. When the heating is on, it may be the case that there are only three or four rooms being occupied or used, therefore there is around 50% of the heating usage being wasted on unoccupied rooms. By zoning and controlling properly, it will cut down the waste and inefficiency in your heating requirements and save you a lot of money.
For zoning to happen the radiators or under floor heating for a particular zone has common pipe work and is regulated by a motorised valve or pump, which allows the hot water to flow to that zone. The normal “zoning” in Domestic situations today is Upstairs heating, Downstairs heating and Hot Water. This is the minimum requirement in the building regulations for houses over 100 sq. metres or 1083 sq. feet. This type of zoning is fine for houses around 1000 to 2000 sq. feet and can be controlled very efficiently using the Multizone three zone controller. For example:
Zone 1 – Upstairs heating,
Zone 2 – Downstairs heating
Zone 3 – Hot Water.
In today’s society many houses are larger than 2000 sq, feet and require more than the conventional upstairs, downstairs and hot water zones. The MultiZone six zone controller can control up to six zones and is ideal for larger houses. An example of the possibilities when zoning your home could be as follows:
The downstairs of the house could be zoned into three areas:
Zone 1 - Kitchen, Utility, Lounge and Hallway heating
Zone 2 - Living room, Dining room, and Study room heating
Zone 3 - Guest Bedroom heating.
Typical time control for these areas may be:
The Kitchen area can be activated at 7.00 am before the family rise for the day. It can be switched off at 9.00 am when the family leave the house for work, school, etc.
On return from the daily activities, this area can be heated again when desired i.e. 5.00 – 7.00 pm and 9.00 – 11.00 pm. In the evening time, it is likely that the family will use the Living, Dining and Study rooms. This zone can be heated to suit the family’s use i.e. 6.00 – 8.00 pm and 9.00 – 10.00 pm or as required.
The Guest Bedroom may not be used so often but would still require some heating to keep the room aired and free from damp. This zone can be heated for an hour each day or even every second day.
2. What systems are the Multi-Zone controllers compatible with?
The Multi-Zone Controllers are compatible to all heating systems as they control a system’s electrical equipment such as pumps, motorised valves, thermostats, boilers, etc. Every heating system needs this equipment to operate.
3. Will the Multi-Zone controller save me in my home heating bills?
We guarantee that the Multi-Zone controllers will reduce the amount of home heating fuel you use without sacrificing your heating requirements. This in turn will reduce the costs of your home heating bills.
4. What has the Multi-Zone controller got over other controllers?
The Multi-Zone controllers have a range of features that other controllers don’t have. See the unique features page for details.
5. Who can I get to install the Multi-Zone controllers?
Any qualified electrician would have no trouble in installing a Multi-Zone controller. We also supply full technical back up in any event.
6. How much does it cost to install a Multi-Zone controller?
The prices of our products can be seen in the products page. Cost of installing them is difficult to estimate. It will depend on the system and the rate and time an electrician will spend doing the installation. Consult your electrician for a quotation.
7. I have been living in my house with over 4 years and am interested in installing a Multi-Zone Heating Controller. Is it possible to install the controller into an existing home or can they only be installed at the building stage of a new house?
The Multi-Zone controllers can easily be retrofitted to any installation providing the necessary piping is already in place. This should be the case in most houses as the Building Regulations (2002) state that any house over 1000 sq. feet should have at least 3 zones, i.e. Upstairs heating, downstairs heating and Hot water.
8. How do I know if I need a 3 zone or 6 zone controller?
In a new installation it is up to the homeowner to decide how many zones are required. Put simply, the more zones you have the more control you have, the more control you have the more efficient your system will be. In a retrofit situation: A heating zone is fed via a pump or a motorised valve, a person could count how many pumps or motorised valves they have and it will give them an indication as to how many zones they have. If unsure, consult your plumber or electrician.
9. What is the payback period if I purchase a Multi-Zone controller?
The payback period will depend on the heating usage of the house, but on average it is between 12 and 18 months. In any body’s eyes, this is a very worthwhile investment.
10. I need the hot water and the heating turned on in a hurry before it’s timed to come on. Can I do this easily or must I wait until it’s timed to come on?
All the Multi-Zone controllers have a Boost facility, which allows the user to bring on one or several zones together from 1 to 99 minutes. This does not affect your other preset times and shuts off after the chosen time has elapsed.
11. In the event of a power cut must I programme all my settings for each zone again?
The Multi-Zone controllers are backed up by a high power Lithium battery, so in the event of power failure the programme and settings are protected and retained.
12. Is there a product guarantee with the controllers?
All Multi-Zone controllers come with a 1-year parts warranty.
13. Where can I purchase the controllers?
The controllers can be purchased from Multi-Zone Heating Control Systems Ltd. directly or your local Electrical or Heating Retailer.
14. Where do I place the controller within the house?
It is up to the homeowner as to the positioning of the controller, but it is normally placed in the utility room or kitchen where access is easy for everyone.
15. How do I use the controller?
Each controller comes with a step-by-step guide so the user has no trouble in setting the programme.