Boiler Plus Regulations and Installing Smart Thermostat? Help and information on all topics relating to your central heating, air conditioning and ventilation issues.

[aca96pmr]

Hi,
Oct-2019
Had a new boiler fitted yesterday and had a call from the fitter about the room thermostat. He said he'd refitted the old one back but it didn't comply with the new boiler plus regulations.
He basically said that changing to a smart thermostat would comply and non compliance could incur a fine of 5K that myself, not him would be liable.
The existing room stat is a wireless Danfoss 4000 about 6 years old.
I have read the new rules, they say:

•Combi boiler installations must also include one of the following: Weather compensation, Load compensation, Flue Gas Heat Recovery, Smart controls.

I am presuming that he means a smart stat would give smart controls and no other of the above options are chosen. The regs mention that boilers may have their own outdoor temp sensors.

The boiler is an Alpha E-TEC 33 about 90% efficient

Ok; my questions:

Don't condensing boilers have Flue Gas Heat Recovery anyway?
Does him telling me it is my responsibility make sense as the regs say the home owner must not knowingly be uncompliant and once he told me I know?
Do I need a smart thermostat?

I'm not complaining about the job, it was very last minute.
I have checked out the installer on the gas safe register.
I have no problem with smart stats but this is my fathers house with no internet and they are indeed more complicated/less reliable than his old wired dial thermostat.

Thanks in advance

[ericmark]

Most of the approved documents to explain building regulations do not actually reflect what they say. I am an electrician and the Part P regulation is rather basic, but the approved document expands on what is in the actual regulation.

Also in the main the building regulations do not apply to old buildings, but just new builds.

The thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) will normally control the temperature of each room, and electronic heads allow the temperatures set to change according to the time of day. The heads start at around £10 each when set on the valve, £15 when set with bluetooth and £40 plus when wifi set. The wifi models can link to the room thermostat, but they in the main don't have to.

Clearly a wifi wall thermostat that checks weather could be fitted and not having a router or broad band is clearly not a crime as to date there are still areas without broad band, and there is no definition of "Smart" I know we think of it being connected with a mobile phone, but I am sure the actually regulations say nothing about being "Smart" only the approved document would do that.