Home Automation - PC editable heating control?
Posted by: Willy on 25 March 2012
I suspect that a lot of folks have like me a controller for their central heating on the wall in the kitchen (or somewhere similar). This enables me to set times for the heating and hot water to come on and off over a 7 day cycle. Works fine except, it's a bloody pain in the arse to edit the times by poking the limited range of buttons in the proscribed sequence which I can never remember from the last time I changed anything 4 months or more ago.
So what I'm looking for is essentially the same controller function, but with an ethernet port so I can hook it up and access it from my PC editing the times in a user-friendly GUI and then downloading the program to the controller. So far my googling hasn't identified anything that does this. Does such a thing exist? Has anyone done anything similar through some other route?
Regards,
Willy.
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by deadlifter
Try contacting Honeywell,Danfoss,Siemens and so forth but i would doubt such a thing exists and if it does it will cost an arm and a leg
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by tonaimbutafew
British gas have already made one to work on an iPhone app an can be controlled anywhere in the world. Coming out soon ish.
Clare
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Fred Mulder
There are heaps home automation systems. Mrs M and I will use Homematic in our new home, very nice and complete system which also includes some heating modules, but I don't know if this available in your country.
Also interesting: http://www.engadget.com/photos...learning-thermostat/
Good luck, Fred
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by deadlifter
It would seem that I stand corrected.......
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Willy
DL, had a look at the Siemens kit (used to work for them) and I reckon I could build what I want from components, albeit rather expensively (£200+ just for an ethernet module).
Likewise it looks like the Homematic system could do the same, and possibly a bit cheaper.
There are also a few products that can be added to an existing system that will "toggle" your heating from a mobile device.
Still what I'm looking for is a single unit, effectively the same as an off the shelf "button" programable controller, but with an ethernet input. Like to spend less than £200 and fit it myself.
Doesn't seem to exist. Yet.
Willy.
Posted on: 25 March 2012 by Bananahead
Why would you want to adjust your heating system anyway?
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by Willy
Originally Posted by Bananahead:
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Why would you want to adjust your heating system anyway?
As summer approaches and the outside temperature increases I can reduce the duration the heating comes on for, eventually turning it off completely. Saves money.
Regards,
Willy.
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by Bananahead
Oh I see.
A primative system.
The controller should know that it is summer and it should know the outside temperature.
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by Willy
Originally Posted by Bananahead:
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Oh I see.
A primative system.
Which is why I'm looking for something slightly less primitive:-)
Regards,
Willy.
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by Richard Sellicks
Try LightwaveRF they have a system for controlling heating, also switching power sockets, dimming lights etc. I'm using their £20.00 500w relays to control items around the house from my iPhone. This system also works from anywere in the world!
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by fatcat
Willy
I'd recommend you go for a Honeywell radio controlled thermostat with an optimisation feature.
The importance of the optimiser is it controls the boiler to ensure the specified temperature is reached at the specified time, unlike a conventional controller which switches the boiler on at the specified time.
It also has 6 time zones, enabling temperature to be varied through the day.
You don;t even need to an outside temperature sensor.
Posted on: 26 March 2012 by Willy
Some interesting suggestions but I'm not looking for a wireless solution. Took an Ethernet backbone and 3access points just to get wifi coverage over (most of) the house. 2ft basalt walls kill the signal dead (though they do wonders for SL2s:-)
Splitting the system into (meaningful) zones beyond the trvs installed on all radiators would be a major upheaval. Really just want a controller which makes it easier to reprogram the times. Now if I could lay my hands on a Raspberry Pi, some relays and brush up on my Fortran ;-)
After all I reckon I can code better than the folks at hoopla.
Regards,
Willy.
Posted on: 27 March 2012 by fixedwheel
Originally Posted by Willy:
After all I reckon I can code better than the folks at hoopla.
Not setting yourself much of a challenge there, are you?
I reckon I'd be able to give it a bloody good shot, as a second project after "Hello world!"
John
