Can I use any thermostat I want? I don't like the Warmup 'stat so have got another but then the fitter wonders whether they are compatible? Logic says they should be but don't want to waste a ton. I've bought the thermotouch 4.3iC and the Warmup ProWire heater. Neither company will commit to saying it will or won't work.
If the thermotouch comes with it's own floor probe, I would say it's fine. I wouldn't think it a good idea to swap probes and stats around.
It does come with it's own probe. I only have the one thermostat so I'm not in a position to try different stats unfortunately!
Check the probe resistances between the units, to be honest they're probably going to be the same but you do need to be sure, providing the mat loads are within the controllers rating and the probe is ok then its unlikely to be a problem. (You can check this on the data sheets usually available online)
No. I don't think testing the probe is going to matter two hoots. Its the mat resistance that is measured. All the probe is for is temperature sensor, it will work if its supplied with the stat so its calibrated to it. All this fuss over compatibility is wasted.
Yeah, Scrap that, I didn't read the original question properly. OP, the controller just turns the mat on and off, use the probe that came with it and it'll be fine.
Vincenoir, What have you got against the Warmup stat? They do various models of stat, a touch screen and a standard analogue one. I generally fit the touch screen type as it is very popular, especially now that they are available in different colours. Snezza.
The reviews aren't glowing. I've read a few times it comes on way before its supposed to being the main one.
I have fitted WarmUp stats and had no negative feedback from them. I think that they activate intentionally before the set time to allow for a warm up period and give the floor time to reach temperature. Its in the instructions, you know, the ones that nobody reads. Remember that floors aren't instant heat! So the early start is built in. The problem with reviews is you can get flawed complaints from people who think that the mat heats instantly and turns off instantly like a wall heater. So IMHO the 'reviews' are flawed because they don't understand the principle of this type of heating. If you need the floor to be at, say 30 degrees it would take a good hour to reach that temperature so there is no point setting it to come on at 7.30am and expecting it to be hot! It will come on at 6.30am and be at the required temperature at 7.30am.
Try explaining that to a women!, my wife thinks that because the UFH is set for 0600 on, it should be warm at that time........ I actually set it for a 0430 on!-the stats do the rest.
Manufacturers Instructions all the way..............................Deviate..............................Your Gamble ( or stupidity )
and then there's the wife who (while I was away) turned the mixer valve stat u that's exactly right - as long as the area covered by the loosewire doesn't exceed the switching capacity of the controller 3600w for the controller - 150w/m² output from the loosewire
Some standard heating controllers also do this, bringing the boiler on early. Many people HATE this, feeling they're not in control. Fare enough really! This feature can be turned off on many controllers, but it does not appear so with the warmup one. Incidentally, warm up controllers do have settings for three different ratins of typical probes, 10Kohm, 12Kohm, 15Kohm. This allows their stats to be retrofitted to other systems if you are unable to replace probe. You should always install probe in such a way that you can remove it to replace. It's the first thing to fail.
With the Warm-Up system, they send a length of black corrugated conduit in the kit that has to be recessed into the floor and it protects the probe wire and also allows for the probe to be replaced, as it is a loose fit in the conduit. There are no excuses not to fit everything correctly as Warm-Up give you all that is needed. I've fitted loads of the Warm-Up UFH and so far (Touch wood !) I have never had any problems with their probes. Snezza.
I like to bring that flexi conduit up into a flushed box at low level, and have conduit from there upto the stat vertically above. The lower flush box can have the FCU, and I often then simply run some 1.5mm 3C and E upto the stat. The mat tails connected at the FCU, the sw live in a terminal block.