I've got a linked heating system based around a thermal store as the neutral point with WBS, Oil Boiler and solar thermal as heat sources.
There are currently two space heating circuits, one for rads in the older part of the house and one for UFH in an extension.
The existing system uses a combination of cylinder stats and pipe stats to switch pumps in and out based on heating demand and store temp.
Space heating is controlled by programmable stats and the oil boiler is controlled by a timeclock.
The WBS has a pipe stat on the flow line to Interrupt the oil boiler if it's firing when the stove starts producing hot water.
Everything is wired into a very convoluted and probably overloaded JB/wiring centre.
It's not ideal, the wiring is a mess and anyone who has looked at it has recoiled in horror muttering "never seen anything like that before!"

I also have to manually mess around with heating circuit flow temps as at the moment outside conditions have an impact on the system as I'm trying to run the circuits at as low a temp as possible so external temperature compensation would be a nice to have.

Ideally I want a bit of kit that will:
Interact between heat sources and monitor store temp, switching sources in and out as required.
Optimise space heating control
Provide external temperature compensation

I have looked at a dataterm but they just seem to control the space heating circuits so won't interact with heat sources/thermal store, I've also looked at an ESBE 90C but I couldn't get any info on exactly what it would do and it appears to be a fancy blending valve controller rather than a system controller.

I've Just found this : RESOL MX
http://www.resol.de/index/produktdetail/kategorie/1/id/69/sprache/en
I've contacted the UK importers but their response was "not had anything to do with the system controllers, you'll have to read the manual to see if it is what you want". Not Ideal!

Has anyone got or used one or do you know of an alternative that would provide similar functionality.
There must be a bit of kit available by now that will link everything together without the need for loads of pipe stats and masses of wiring!
Any info gratefully appreciated.

Thanks for the reply efficiencyman. Your set-up sounds as though it does the same as mine in it's current configuration ie oil boiler comes on when required (depending on store temp) via time clock and is shut down automatically when stove is lit. Space heating is shut down automatically to preserve hot water if store temp drops too low.

I'm trying to incorporate a level of optimisation such as is provided by a dataterm IHC but with external temp compensation and a greater level of interaction between heat sources.

The problem with my existing set-up is that it took a lot of messing about with to get it set-up correctly due to the seemingly inherent inaccuracy of the pipe stats.

A couple of friends have asked me to help them install a similar system to mine so I'd like to find something that would allow both quicker install time and faster set-up as opposed to weeks of fiddling to optimise and then further re-adjustment depending on outside temperature. If the RESOL or similar would do the job then it could potentially more than pay for itself in labour savings.

Just found (googled) that both emmeti and kanmar do this sort of device...
www.radiantcontrol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/d355x.pdf

but the controllers are expensive, and the items linked to them (mixers etc) make it really questionable on payback. If you could just get something that sensed the ext temp, and could then adjust the PID settings in a standard digital room stat (ie. reduce/increase the rate of heat input)

Hi Paddy, thanks for the response. I did draw it all out for emergency purposes a while ago but can't seem to find the drawing now!



Solar thermal is really jus to provide heat for hot water during summer months when there is no space heating requirement so we don't have to use oil. I'll investigate the functionality of the solar controlle rfurther to see if it has the delay function you mention. I don't expect it to be able to contribute to space heating demand due to the likelihood that when space heating is required one of the other heat sources will have taken the store to too high a temperature for the solar to "get in".

Yes you are correct in the sense that I want external compensation to interact with space heating so it will have to be part of a control loop that drives a mixing valve as the oil boiler is simply an on/off heat source.
This is exactly what the ESBE 90C appears to be able to do but it's £500 for what seems to just be a blending valve (albeit a clever one) and I would need one for rads and one for UFH.
http://infoweb.esbe.se/files/53342/ESBE_Proffsbroschyr_90C_GB_A_LowRes.pdf

I can't help thinking that it must be possible to produce a controller for a linked system that will do what the ESBE 90C will do for space heating as well as allowing logic control of heat sources and stores. It's the sort of cascade control that is the norm in industry for controlling heavy plant alas I'm not clever enough to write my own logic so need an off the shelf product.

Hi. Try www.ta.co.at . fully programmable controllers and many accesories. . cheaper than resol. Good website and all software is downloadble. Shipping from Germany .www. ebay.de. try tecnische alternative.
Here i will try a link http://www.ta.co.at/en/products/multi-circuit-controller/hzr65.html. regards