The thermostat is the part of a hydronic system you touch every day, and it's where we see the most avoidable comfort complaints. Choosing the right MAXA model is only half the job — the zoning plan and where each controller goes matter just as much.
We group rooms by how they're used, not just by floor. Living areas, bedrooms and bathrooms want different temperatures at different times, so each gets its own control. But we don't zone every cupboard: lots of tiny zones calling for heat separately can make a heat pump start and stop more often than it should. In radiator rooms, thermostatic valves often handle the fine-tuning while a wall thermostat sets the schedule.
Where each thermostat goes
- On an internal wall at about shoulder height, out of direct sun.
- Away from kitchens, fireplaces, external doors and draughts that give false readings.
- Not behind curtains or furniture, and never directly above the emitter it controls.
- The on-board Airmust BMCP A1 only where the VSL fan coil itself sits in a representative spot in the room.
Signal choice matters too. For inverter fan coils we lean towards the Airmust 010 A1, because a 0–10 V modulating signal lets the fan ease up and down rather than jumping between three speeds — noticeably quieter in bedrooms. Three-speed control on the Airmust 3V A1 remains a sound, simpler choice for standard terminals, and the CRA suits rooms where a basic wall thermostat is all that's needed.
Schedules are where running costs are won. A modest overnight setback and a pre-heat before you wake keeps a slab or radiators comfortable without forcing the heat source to work flat out each morning. We set these up with you in My House Pro at handover and revisit them at the first service.
See our hydronic thermostats overview for other control options, the hydronic fan coils these controllers drive, and the IMAS radiators we often pair with room-by-room control.
