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Thread: ZelioPLC based Heating System

  1. #1
    Automated Home Lurker
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    Feb 2005
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    Default ZelioPLC based Heating System

    My central heating system at home is typical for a large house we have 9 separate zones: 8 for the heating and 1 for hot water. I searched the Web for any commercial system to fully control the house and could not find anything for the home that supported more than two sets of radiators.

    Thus I decided to embark on the project myself as I have an MSc in Computer Control and so this was an opportunity to put some of my training into good use.




    I have posted details of the system on the following Web Site

    www.hchcs.co.uk

    Our requirements were fairly straightforward: -
    • Full flexibility in programming on/off times.
      Simple manual temperature control.
      Ability to fall back to existing system should the system fail.
      Simple On/Off via a mechanical switch panel for override control.


    The end result is the Home Central Heating Control System (HCHCS), which I am now hoping to make available for other energy aware homeowners to benefit from in kit form (i.e. full installation instructions, parts list and PLC Software).

    How does the HCHCS system save energy ?.

    • Rooms are only heated when needed (e.g. bedrooms are normally only heated in the evenings and coming on at different times to suite the occupants age and for those houses that are only ocupied during the daytime and at weekends this can be automatically programed in).
      By running the boiler and hence the water at a higher temperature for a shorter time than in a conventional system unwanted heat loss in the delivery pipes is reduced.

    And does it save energy? Well yes! The system has been running in full operation for over 6 months. Over this period we have experienced a heating bill saving of approx 50% (NB. see the savings page on the Web Site for details). We haven’t had to revert to fail over operation at all during this period. We have tested the fallback operation on all zones and there were no problems - but then its operation is fairly simple.

  2. #2
    Automated Home Jr Member CableTie's Avatar
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    Jan 2005
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    Default Re: ZelioPLC based Heating System

    Just the ticket

    Presently extending and renovating so may well be interested in your system. What zone valves are you using? and could this be interfaced with such as comfort control panel

    Paul

  3. #3
    Automated Home Lurker
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
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    Default Re: ZelioPLC based Heating System

    The radiator control valves I use are Wax operated 24V AC Taco valves.

    These are not as fast responding as I would like but they are very reliable unlike the alternative motor powered valves.

    The hot water system valve is a standard motor operated Satchwell valve (NB. I guess the pipe diameter requires the additional power to operate it).

    The zelio RS232 interface and associated software provides me with the local and/or remote interfaces I need at the moment.

    Do you mean the HomeSeer comfort control panel ?.

    The manual override digital inputs which at present come from the manual switch box could be sourced from HomeSeer outputs. Other interfaces are not available at the moment but I am looking at methods to provide it in the future.

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