Energy Management upgrade to Surrey property
June 24th, 2009
For this update, we are near Dorking in Surrey, UK.
House near Dorking, Surrey
Our customer had a large house with around 26 radiators, we had been contacted because they had an Archie Kidd Thermal gas boiler that needed a service, and we are the regional experts for this unit.
Amusingly, they had been informed from the previous owner that the boiler was an expensive unit that represented the very best boiler that money could buy. When they examined it, it looked like an industrial antique and they were a bit sceptical.
Kidd Model 2 boiler being serviced
Truth is, the previous owner was right! Still available today, these boilers are incredibly economical and were designed to last.
We were asked how we might improve the distribution of heat in the house, which was used for home working during the day and was occupied by a family at other times. The owners were concerned that significant areas of the property were being heated when for much of the time only a handful of areas needed to be at occupational temperature.
We recommended the Honeywell Hometronic system as the best solution. Every radiator and towel rail is fitted with a special radio linked control valve, which are managed by a small control panel.
Small Hometronic panel in kitchen controls entire house
The panel is configured to recognise and control up to 16 areas of accomodation, and alter the heating distribution according to the preferences of the user.
Hometronic radiator control in the conservatory
In this way, a home office can be heated to a pleasant level in the height of winter, together with perhaps the kitchen and the downstairs WC; the rest of the house can be allowed to drop to a much lower temperature, saving lots of gas. Just before the children return home from school, Hometronic can boost their rooms to a comfortable temperature.
In the same way, the precise locational control delivered by hometronic allows towel rails to be heated in the summer for certain times of the day, using the main central heating boiler.
The Hometronic control extends to the hot water provision too, and can be expanded to lighting and other powered devices. A popular option is the ‘lighting replay’ facility. This learns which lights are used and can replay typical occupational lighting changes when you are on holiday to simulate the house in occupation.
If you own a larger home and want to get to grips with energy wastage, the Hometronic system is one of those rare ecologically viable products that offers real savings without sacrificing comfort.
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