GB2184867A

GB2184867A - Heating system

Info

Publication number: GB2184867A
Application number: GB08625476A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sean Hilary Joseph Gomez; Roger Hewett; William Griffin
Original assignee: ALMONDSTONE Ltd
Current assignee: ALMONDSTONE Ltd
Priority date: 1985-10-25
Filing date: 1986-10-24
Publication date: 1987-07-01
Also published as: GB8625476D0; GB8526341D0

Abstract

A space heating system 20 allows for different zones of a building to be heated at different times of the day and of the week for maximum convenience and economy. The system 20 has a heat control device (boiler) 22 and several heat sources (radiators) 4', 6', 8', 10', 14', 16', 18' and a multichannel timer 26, which activates individual heat sources or individual groups 4' with 6', 10' with 8', 16' with 18', and 14'. The device 22 is activated so long as one source operational. Thermostats 28, 30, 32 and 34 regulate the operation of each group of heat sources. The timer may control motorised valves or heaters acting on thermostatic valves to activate/deactivate the heat sources. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Heating system The present invention relates to heating systems for domestic or commercial premises.

A standard heating system has a number of heat sources which are caused to operate by a heat control device which is in turn activated by a timer.

The timer is set to define the periods during which the heat control device is "active". During such active periods the heat control device regulates the amount of heat delivered by the heat sources to their surroundings in conjunction with a thermostat. Typical heat sources are radiators, electric heaters, or hot air ducts and their corresponding control devices are respectively the heater producing the hot water supply, the power supply to the electric heaters, and the means for adjusting the flow of air from the duct. One problem with a standard central heating system, however is that the control device causes all of the heat sources to respond to it in a similar manner, so that rooms containing heat sources which are not intended to be used during a particular period are needlessly and wastefully heated.The only way to prevent this in standard systems is by manually shutting off those sources when they are not required. As the cost of fuel increases, this problem becomes increasingly acute.

Therefore the present invention proposes a heating system having means for selectively operating individual heat sources or groups of heat sources at different times in the day and for different periods, so that rooms are only heated when required.

The selection is preferably achieved using a multi-channel timer, each channel of the timer altering the activation state of its corresponding heat source or group of heat sources by operating cut off devices which are used to prevent the heat generation supply reaching the heat source or group of heat sources. The heat generation supply for such a system originates from the heat control device which is maintained in an active state whenever any one of the channels of the timer is operating its respective heat source or group of heat sources.

Preferably each independent heat source or group of heat sources has a thermostat to regulate the amount of heat delivered to the surroundings.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the sole figure of the accompanying drawing, which shows a diagrammatic view of a typical three bedroomed house having a heating system according to the present invention.

The house has a ground floor having a hall 4, a sitting room 6, a dining room 8, and a kitchen 10, and an upper floor having two small bedrooms 14, a main bedroom 16 and a bathroom 18.

A central heating system 20 is installed in the house consisting of radiators 4', 6', 8', 10', 14', 16', and 18', set against a wall of the corresponding room 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, respectively, a heater 22 having a pump to circulate hot water and connecting pipes 24, a multichannel timer 26 having four channels and thermostats 28, 30, 32 and 34. Valves 36 are provided at the inlets 38 of the radiators to enable the hot water supply from the connecting pipes to be shut off, the valves being solenoid valves or motorised valves which are activated by signals from one of the channels of the timer, via an interface device (not shown). Each channel of the timer operates a separate set of valves at preselected times so that a selected combination of radiators is caused to operate, independent from the remaining radiators.The house may thus be divided into the four zones tabulated below operated by the four channels of the timer.

Zone 1 Hall and Sitting Room Mon-Fri 17.00-22.30 Sat-Sun 9.00-10.30 14.30-22.30 Zone 2 Kitchen and Dining Room Mon-Fri 3.00- 8.30 17.00-18.00 Sat-Sun 9.00- 9.30 13.00-14.00 18.00-19.00 Zone 3 Main Bedroom and Bathroom Mon-Fri 7.30- 8.00 All Week 22.00-23.00 Zone 4 2 Childrens' Bedrooms Mon-Fri 7.30- 8.00 All Week 19.30-22.00 Obviously the number of zones may be altered to suit the particular needs of different households by having a multichannel timer with the appropriate number of channels. The timer 26 will also be connected to the heater and pump, and will activate them when any one or more of the radiators 4', 6', 8', 10', 14', 16', 18' is to be operated.

In the case of less conventional central heating systems where individual mechanical radiator thermostats exist, it is preferable to avoid the use of valves by fitting ceramic heaters over the thermostats, the heaters being operated by signals from the multichannel timer thereby raising the temperature of the corresponding thermostat and causing it to shut off the radiator.

Although described above with reference to a radiator heating system, the present invention is applicable to any heating system having a plurality of heat sources.

Claims

1. A heating system comprising a heat control device, a timer, and a plurality of heat sources, wherein individual heat sources or groups of heat sources are activatable independently by the timer and for different time periods.

2. A heating system according to claim 1, wherein the timer is a multichannel timer, the activation state of each heat source or group of heat sources being alterable by a corresponding channel of the timer and wherein the heat control device is maintainable in an active state when any channel of the timer is operating its respective heat source or group of heat sources.

3. A heating system according to claim 2, wherein heat supply from the heat control device to each independent heat source or group of heat sources is alterable by a cut-off device whose operation is under the control of a channel of the timer corresponding to that heat source or group of heat sources.

4. A heating system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each independent heat source or group of heat sources has a thermostat to regulate heat delivery to the surroundings.

5. A heating system according to any one of the preceeding claims, wherein the heat control device is a heater for producing a hot water supply, and each heat source is a radiator.

6. A heating system according to claim 5, when dependent on claim 2, wherein valves are provided at the inlets to the radiators, the valves being solenoid or motorised valves activatable by signals from a channel of the timer.

7. A heating system according to claim 5, wherein each radiator has a mechanical radiator thermostat fitted with a ceramic heater, the heaters being operable by signals from the timer whereby the temperature of the corresponding thermostat may be raised until it shuts off the radiator.

8. A heating system substantially as herein described and illustrated, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. A method of controlling a heating system, said heating system comprising a heat control device, a timer and a plurality of heat sources, wherein individual heat sources or groups of heat sources are activated independently by the timer and for different time periods.

10. A method of controlling a heating system substantially as any one herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.