Helpful video reference. We use Charlie DIYte's video "How to DIY Install a Smart Heating System: Drayton Wiser" as the visual reference here. Charlie DIYte is a UK DIY channel with over 200,000 subscribers and this video was made in partnership with Drayton, covering a real multi-zone installation including the Heat Hub wiring, room thermostat fitting, and iTRV installation. Worth watching end-to-end before you start - the wiring diagrams in the Wiser instruction leaflet are quite small and the video shows what the terminals actually look like in practice.
1. Choose the right Wiser kit
Drayton sells the Wiser in three kit configurations. Getting this right before you buy saves a second trip to the supplier.
- Kit 1. Heat Hub plus one room thermostat. Designed for combi boilers where you want basic on/off boiler control from your phone and a schedule. Replaces a simple room thermostat and programmer in one device.
- Kit 2. Heat Hub plus room thermostat, with a separate hot water relay output. Designed for system or regular boilers with a cylinder - allows independent hot water scheduling.
- Kit 3. Heat Hub plus room thermostat plus two iTRVs. Provides individual radiator control in up to 16 rooms. You can add further iTRVs separately. Works with both combi and system/regular boilers.
If your home has a combi boiler and a single heating zone, Kit 1 is the right starting point. If you want room-by-room temperature control without a full system boiler setup, Kit 3 on a combi works well - the Heat Hub controls when the boiler fires and the iTRVs open or close each radiator independently.
2. Photograph your existing controls
Before disconnecting anything, photograph the back of the existing programmer, the room thermostat terminals, and the wiring centre if one is present. Do this even if the labels look clear. Terminal photographs are your reference if you get confused halfway through, and are also useful if you need to call Drayton's technical helpline.
Label every wire with masking tape and a pen as you remove it. On system and regular boilers with a wiring centre, there can be eight or more individual conductors and the colours are not always reliable guides to function.
3. Isolate the heating circuit at the consumer unit
Switch off the heating circuit MCB - usually labelled CH (central heating), Heating, or Boiler. It is typically a 6A or 10A breaker. Confirm dead with a voltage tester at the programmer position before you remove anything.
For Kit 2 installations on system/regular boilers, also switch off the hot water circuit if it runs from a separate MCB. Some wiring centres receive power from two separate circuits. Check each set of terminals individually.
4. Install and position the Heat Hub
The Wiser Heat Hub is a slim white box that needs a power supply (from the included mains adapter or from the boiler's fused spur) and a connection to your home network. Ethernet is more reliable than Wi-Fi for something you rely on to keep the house warm.
Mount it close to your router - ideally within Ethernet cable reach. It also needs to be within radio range of the room thermostat and iTRVs. In most houses this is not an issue, but thick concrete or stone walls can reduce the range. Drayton's guidance is to keep the Hub within 30 metres line-of-sight of all devices.
5. Wire the Heat Hub to your boiler or wiring centre
This step varies by boiler type. Read Drayton's wiring guide for your specific setup before connecting anything.
- Combi boiler. The Heat Hub has a boiler relay output (terminals marked B/B or similar). Connect these to the same two terminals on the boiler where the existing room thermostat or programmer connected. The polarity does not matter for a simple switching circuit, but follow the Wiser wiring diagram for your boiler brand.
- System or regular boiler with wiring centre (Kit 2). The Heat Hub replaces the function of the programmer. Its heating output connects at the wiring centre to control the heating zone valve. Its hot water output connects to control the hot water zone valve or cylinder thermostat relay. Follow the S-plan or Y-plan wiring diagram in the Wiser installation guide exactly.
Once wired, temporarily restore power and check the Heat Hub display shows it is powered. Then switch off again before fitting the room thermostat and iTRVs.
6. Fit the room thermostat and iTRVs
The Wiser room thermostat is battery powered - no wiring needed at the thermostat position. Remove the old thermostat, patch or cover the wall if needed, and fit the Wiser backplate at roughly the same height (approximately 1.5 metres from the floor, away from draughts and direct sunlight).
For iTRVs (Kit 3): remove each existing TRV head by unscrewing it from the valve body. The Wiser iTRV fits directly onto a standard Drayton or RA2000 valve body. If the existing TRV heads are from a different manufacturer, check compatibility with Drayton's adaptor list. If the existing valves are older non-TRV types (lock-shields only), a plumber will need to replace the valve bodies before iTRVs can be fitted - this is separate work outside an electrical job.
7. Set up the Wiser app and build your schedule
Download the Drayton Wiser app (available for iOS and Android). Restore power at the consumer unit. The Heat Hub will power up and enter setup mode. Follow the in-app steps: add the Hub, then add the room thermostat and each iTRV in turn.
Create rooms in the app and assign each device to its room. Then build a heating schedule for each room - the Wiser allows different times and temperatures per room, so the bedroom can warm up an hour before you get up whilst the living room comes on in the evening.
Check the boiler fires when the app calls for heat and that each iTRV opens and closes correctly. The Wiser app shows live status for each device so you can confirm everything is communicating.
When to call us
A Kit 1 installation on a combi boiler is a manageable DIY job for someone confident around mains wiring. A Kit 2 or Kit 3 installation on a system or regular boiler with multiple zone valves is a different matter - the wiring centre has mains-voltage connections and getting it wrong means no heating and potentially a valve fault that is expensive to diagnose. Richard can assess your system, install the Wiser correctly, and test that all zones respond as expected.
Want a Wiser system installed in Sandwich?
Richard installs heating controls and can advise on whether your current system is compatible.
Contact Richard