The message 47551e97@qaanaaq
from Andy Hall contains these words:

On 2007-12-04 09:03:02 +0000, 405 TD Estate said:

When I replace my old boiler and heating controls I am wondering
whether to fit motorised valves and controls so for example you could
have the heating on in my bedroom only or just down stairs etc -
obviously this is just done with a view to save cash on gas not
heating areas of the house not in use.

The problem is say I did each room with a valve they are about £50 or
£100 each I think so that's £3-600 before the more expensive control
box (do they even do control boxes that can control 6 valves?) then
the pain of the wiring and the chance of valves failing....

Is this worh it or should I just keep it simple and heat the whole
house in 1 go?

Or perhaps a compromise and not heat the combined lounge/dining room
on a morning?

It rather depends on the house layout and whether you are happy to have
all the doors closed for most of the time. If you are going to leave
them open - especially the downstairs ones, then it becomes academic.

That is what I used to think as I have only one door downstairs (between
living room and kitchen and rarely closed) and stairs leading directly
from the living room to the upstairs landing without the benefit of a
door, but I eventually gave upstairs its own zone and during the day the
upstairs is distinctly chilly compared with downstairs. The bathroom
radiator is not zoned so there is a separate bypass so that radiator can
function normally.

Being retired I am usually indoors when the weather is bad so some
background heating is on (17C) all day. In late spring and early autumn
the upstairs zone rarely comes on. I am not at all sure that those who
spend the working day outside their home would get much benefit from
separate zones.

FWIW I am now toying with the idea of converting all of the downstairs
bar the kitchen to solid floor underfloor heating but am dithering as
usual over the details. Principally whether to have the insulation over
or under the concrete and what to have as the final covering. I had
better make my mind up soon as I doubt whether I will have the strength
to break up and remove some some 350 square feet of rather grotty 4 inch
thick concrete and twice the volume of very stubborn stone filled clay
for more than a few more years.

--
Roger Chapman