Enhancing Boiler Efficiency with Tado and Flow Control

General
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Hi everyone, I’m really excited to share my recent journey in enhancing my home’s heating system. After some research, I’ve decided to integrate Tado into my setup to gain more control over my hot water and improve efficiency using flow control. Here’s what I’ve discovered and the steps I plan to take:

Current Setup

I have a Glow Worm Ultracom 18hxi boiler, which is about 10 years old, paired with a wired v1 Thermostat (RUxxx firmware 54.20) and a Potterton EP2 controller. The boiler is eBus equipped, but it’s not currently wired up for flow control. The hot water is set to run for 1 hour a day via the EP2 controller, while the heating is on 24/7, controlled by the Tado thermostat.

Goals

  1. Control Hot Water via Tado: I want to manage my hot water schedule directly through the Tado app for convenience.
  2. Implement Flow Control: Enable weather compensation to make the system more efficient.

Research and Next Steps

From what I’ve gathered, I need an EK01 extension kit to achieve both goals. I found two models on eBay:

  1. V3P-EK01-TC-ML-01
  2. UKEK01-TX-02 Thermostat Receiver Extension Kit (DBU01-TA-02)

Questions I Have:

  1. Flow Temperature Regulation: Will either of these models regulate the flow temperature?
  2. Replacement of EP2: Do I need to remove the EP2 controller and wire the Tado EK in a similar fashion to swapping out the room stat?
  3. eBus Wiring: Will I need to run an additional cable from the EK to the boiler and connect the eBus +/- terminals on both the EK and the boiler board?
  4. Thermostat Settings: Do I need to change the hot water control setting on my wired thermostat to “on” in the installer menu?

Observations and Benefits

I’ve read that flow control can make the boiler more efficient by adjusting the water temperature based on the outdoor temperature. While it might not change how quickly the house heats up, it should use less gas overall. I’m curious if others who’ve implemented flow control have noticed a difference in heating speed or gas usage.

Conclusion

I’m eager to get started, but I want to make sure I’ve got all the steps right before diving in. Any advice or experiences shared would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help. :blush:

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