I’m considering changing my CH system from a single zone to a dual zone , one for upstairs and one for downstairs. There is a big temp difference between the upstairs and downstairs so hard to get a nice balance. Also I’m considering installing an active CH system and I can only see it being of benefit if it can optimise the upstairs and downstairs zones independently. It’s a mid-90’s house with conventional gas unvented CH system with the boiler downstairs and the water cylinder and motorised valve in an upstairs airing cupboard. So as far as I’m aware its a pretty standard setup, nothing particularly odd about it or unusual.
I’m assuming that the CH circuit from the boiler will branch off after the motorised valve in the airing cupboard somewhere and there will be an upstairs rad loop and downstairs rad loop so it would be a case if finding where that branch is and installing a second motorised valve and hooking it all up with an additional upstairs thermostat?
There are TRV’s fitted to all the rooms rads, but the single thermostat down stairs might click the whole system off rendering the TRV’s in the cooler rooms useless as they can demand more hot water but if the system has switched off they’re not going to get any.
Not planning on doing the work myself, but would just like to understand what is needed so I can be confident any plumbers I talk to are not trying to rip me off.
Cheers.