HouseHeat system

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  • Jack_Kelly
    Automated Home Lurker
    • Aug 2010
    • 3

    I've been doing some more research to try to figure out how to use the FS20 system with Under Floor Heating. There are several options (some of which may not work)

    Option 1
    Buy the HomeMatic 4-zone Under Floor Heating system For 630 euros. This is way over my budget and I only have two UFH zones. So this option is far from optimal but it does demonstrate that it is possible to control UFH with FS20

    Option 2
    Buy the FLV wireless thermostat plus wireless mains switch for 55.95 euros. Use the mains switch in series with a wired floor probe thermostat to control a wired actuator (i.e. heat will only be sent to the floor IF the FS20 thermostat calls for heat AND IF the floor temperature is below 28 degrees C). Big question: will this system work with the FHT8W Boiler Control? (I'd guess it does) (update 21/9/10 - no, the STR thermostat wont work with either the FHT 8W or the FHZ1xxx PC controllers)

    Option 3
    Buy a Conrad FHT 80B Room Thermostat, a FS20 AS1 switch and the FHT8W Boiler Control and hope that the 80B can be configured to talk to the AS1 switch. This wont work if the 80B cannot communicate with the AS1 switch. (update 21/9/10 - the 80B cannot work with the AS1 switch)

    Option 4
    Buy an FS20 room thermostat plus wireless actuator plus window sensor. Hack the window sensor so that it is connected to a wired floor temperature probe. This will almost certainly work. The components could be bought from Conrad-UK or from HouseTechSolutions. (update 21/9/10 - won't work: the FS20 wireless actuators are too bulky to fit onto UFH manifolds!)

    --------

    Options 3 and 4 are the most likely, I think. Option 3 (assuming the 80B can communicate with the AS1 switch) is my preferred option.

    ----------

    Ultimately, I plan to connect all this kit to a Linux server so I can control it from my Android phone. I will also have a bunch of 1-wire temperature sensors in the livingroom so I could use the 1-wire temp sensors to detect the floor temp and then send a command to the 80B to switch off. But I'd prefer the system to continue functioning even if the server falls over.

    -------------

    Any thoughts?
    Last edited by Jack_Kelly; 21 September 2010, 02:44 PM.

    Comment

    • inqie
      Automated Home Lurker
      • Jan 2010
      • 7

      Connecting FHT 8W Boiler Controller

      Hi all,

      I have decided to go whole house with FHT (after a successful trial in a few rooms) and bought the FHT 8W boiler controller. I have connected it to the mains just to try it out before connecting to the boiler.

      But I can't get any of the FHT 80B thermostats to talk to it. The manuals are rather skimpy on details, but it seems I should use the same procedure as when I connect a valve motor to the thermostat, i.e. through the "Code" function on the thermostat. I set the boiler controller into "Anlernen" (learning) mode, but nothing happens. I have tried various sequences and combinations, but no luck.

      Could someone who have actually installed an FHT 8W be kind enough to tell me step by step how you did it?

      Comment

      • autolog
        Automated Home Jr Member
        • Dec 2009
        • 24

        Originally posted by inqie View Post
        Could someone who have actually installed an FHT 8W be kind enough to tell me step by step how you did it?
        It is a while since I did mine but I have to include some new FHT 80B's into my system within a couple of days - so that will help refresh my memory

        Presumably you have put the FHT 8W into learning mode and then set the code on one of your FHT 80B's, If you haven't tried this, it might be worth taking the FHT 80B off the wall and doing the code send close to the FHT 8W just in case their is a transmission problem of some sort.

        If you still have problems - post back and I will expedite my update to the FHT 8W so that I can document what I did in detail

        Comment

        • inqie
          Automated Home Lurker
          • Jan 2010
          • 7

          Originally posted by autolog View Post
          Presumably you have put the FHT 8W into learning mode and then set the code on one of your FHT 80B's, If you haven't tried this, it might be worth taking the FHT 80B off the wall and doing the code send close to the FHT 8W just in case their is a transmission problem of some sort.
          This is exactly what I have done so far. I have tried with a couple of thermostats, standing right next to the 8W. I'm starting to think that it shouldn't be that hard and that the unit might be faulty.

          Comment

          • autolog
            Automated Home Jr Member
            • Dec 2009
            • 24

            Originally posted by Jack_Kelly View Post
            .... Any thoughts?
            Is the FS20 UTS Universal transmitter of any use. Conrad have spelt the name incorrectly, so just search for 'FS20 UTS' on their site

            Comment

            • autolog
              Automated Home Jr Member
              • Dec 2009
              • 24

              Originally posted by inqie View Post
              This is exactly what I have done so far. ...
              OK, I will post back here (within a couple of days) exactly how I did it when I update my system

              Just a couple of other thoughts, when in learning mode are any of the segments shown as filled - that indicates that it has acquired the thermostat.
              Also, (1) the FHT 8W has to be in Auto (I think) for it to work with the FHT 80Bs and (2) it can take a few minutes for the FHT 8W to pick up that there is a demand for heating.

              Comment

              • inqie
                Automated Home Lurker
                • Jan 2010
                • 7

                Never mind, as you were, I'm an idiot. It's all working now.

                (I selected the "Anlernen" menu, but didn't press the menu button to confirm that I wanted to go into learning mode. Ahem.)

                Comment

                • autolog
                  Automated Home Jr Member
                  • Dec 2009
                  • 24

                  Originally posted by inqie View Post
                  Never mind, as you were, I'm an idiot. It's all working now. ...
                  That's good to hear - good luck with your new system. I have found the individual room / radiator control to be excellent.

                  I am now trying to get my FHZ 1300PC to work on my NSLU2 following excellent guidance posted earlier in this forum thread. I have FHEM working on the NSLU2 but communication with the FHZ 1300PC is proving problematic I am still aiming to be able to control my central heating from my iPhone

                  Comment

                  • inqie
                    Automated Home Lurker
                    • Jan 2010
                    • 7

                    Originally posted by autolog View Post
                    I have FHEM working on the NSLU2 but communication with the FHZ 1300PC is proving problematic
                    I've got FHEM running on a SheevaPlug, so my setup is probably not all that different from yours. What sort of symptoms are you having?

                    Comment

                    • autolog
                      Automated Home Jr Member
                      • Dec 2009
                      • 24

                      Originally posted by inqie View Post
                      ... What sort of symptoms are you having?
                      The NSLU2 appears to connect to the FHZ 1300PC OK according to FHEM's log. However, the log (verbose 4 is set) also shows a lot of CRC / Bogus message errors received from the FHZ 1300PC. I only got FHEM working yesterday on the NSLU2. I am running VMWare on my Windows X64 PC and have Ubuntu running in a VM. I am using SSH from Ubuntu to talk to the NSLU2 - I found it easier to use Linux to talk to the NSLU2 rather than windows (even though I am just a beginner as far as Linux goes) :-)

                      I have tried adding 'strangetty' to the device definition but that makes no difference.

                      Comment

                      • inqie
                        Automated Home Lurker
                        • Jan 2010
                        • 7

                        Are those messages relating to the communication between the 1300 and the NSLU or between the 1300 and the FHT80s (i.e., which log do they show up in)?

                        Have you tried connecting the 1300 to the PC and running FHEM in your Ubuntu VM? Presumably you can assign individual USB devices to a VM in VMWare like I can on my Mac.

                        Comment

                        • autolog
                          Automated Home Jr Member
                          • Dec 2009
                          • 24

                          Originally posted by inqie View Post
                          Are those messages relating to the communication between the 1300 and the NSLU or between the 1300 and the FHT80s (i.e., which log do they show up in)?
                          Between the 1300 and the NSLU2.

                          Originally posted by inqie View Post
                          Have you tried connecting the 1300 to the PC and running FHEM in your Ubuntu VM? Presumably you can assign individual USB devices to a VM in VMWare like I can on my Mac.
                          No I haven't yet but that is a good approach. I was thinking to try the s/w that came with the 1300 (running in a WinXP VM). If that works, to try FHEM in Ubuntu and then back to to the NSLU2. I am hoping it is something silly that I have done but I haven't had time to go back and recheck - a mini-project for the next few days

                          Comment

                          • inqie
                            Automated Home Lurker
                            • Jan 2010
                            • 7

                            Forgive me is this is obvious, but have you tried a different USB cable?

                            Comment

                            • autolog
                              Automated Home Jr Member
                              • Dec 2009
                              • 24

                              Originally posted by inqie View Post
                              Forgive me is this is obvious, but have you tried a different USB cable?
                              I have but following your prompt, I tried another one with the same result i.e. still getting the CRC errors.

                              However, I have now got it working in the XP VM using theFHZ1XXXPC software that came with the device. It sees all 10 FHT 80B's and I can control them which is very encouraging

                              So the next step is to try and get FHEM working in the Ubuntu VM. I have a suspicion that it might have something to do with how the TTYUSB0 device is configured. The CRC errors and bogus messages are consistent in format which implies that it isn't a random error and also the fact that it works in windows suggests the actual hardware is OK. I shall have to do some reading / investigation on how the TTYUSB0 device is set up.

                              Comment

                              • autolog
                                Automated Home Jr Member
                                • Dec 2009
                                • 24

                                A somewhat belated reply to this thread but I have finally got FHEM working on my NSLU2 using Linux Ubuntu and am using my iPhone to view the room temperatures

                                The problem I was having with CRCs is I think due to a bug in Linux (see this thread - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ux/+bug/655868)

                                My solution was to install an older Linux build (version 2.6.28-19-ixp4xx #66-Ubuntu) pending this issue being fixed.

                                Comment

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