Summer EvoHome set-up: how do you do when you don't need heating for a few months?
Hello all,
It's getting warm here in Italy, so I begun thinking what to do with my EvoHome, since I set it up this winter and didn't really think of the best way to pass summer.
At first I thought to leave it alone, just kicking the "Off" quick action in, and switch my combi boiler to DHW only (summer mode). Simple and quick.
That would do the trick but my HR92s would then be fully shut, and I read that it should be better to leave TRVs fully open when the heating's off for a long time (more than a few days) to relax opening coils as a main reason, but also because that would allow me bleeding/rinsing the full pipework and radiators.
Another possibility I was thinking about was switching HR92s and DT92s off by removing batteries but leave the controller and mains-powered components in place. Then I could just leave all my HR92s mounted, without batteries, opening radiators by manually turning the black dial. That would achieve some battery saving as well. This way I could keep using my smartphone to check out temperature remotely (that one measured by the controller intrnal sensor, at least), but would trigger a lot of errors in the controller log and email alert, I think, since all other sensors and actuators would be offline. Would this make the system "forget" what was learned or bindings as well?
So I began wondering whether to turn everything off, take batteries out of HR92s and DT92s, and unplug/remove batteries from the controller until the next autumn. Being the controller itself off, there would be no error flooding in the controller nor emails, if I disconnect the RFG100 as well (just one fiirst mail to tell me that my system is offline).
But the question about temperature curve and binding comes back... and, what would happen to the boiler controlling relay (BDR91 or R8810)? I read somewhere in the documents about an emergency setting that would turn heating on at 20% (time or power, that it's the same in TPI environment). No big deal if I switch my boiler into "summer mode" (DHW only), I think, ...or I am missing something?
Are there any recommendations from Honeywell? What are you doing when you don't need your heating system in summer?
Thanks for sharing...
For what it's worth, I've got mine set to "OFF" via the Custom Action. No different to me than changing schedule to say 10 degrees for the summer months to stop it coming on. Valves are closed anyway. I can't see they would of been designed in a way that would damage them because they are closed, and they do cycle one a week (or once every two weeks, I can't remember).
I'm sure in the HR92 manual it says they 'exercise' themselves every couple of weeks if the valve hasn't moved, to prevent them seizing up.
P.
As to switching everything off, why would you? If your house isn't cold enough then nothing will switch on. But if there's a cold morning (or a sea mist, here on the coast) then it might just kick in a little bit to make the house comfortable.
I've never understood, even with 'dumb' thermostats, why people switch their heating on and off. It's that what the box on the wall is designed to do?
P.
I'm at a stage with the current weather where my house hovers around 21 anyway, so the heating was coming on and off and on again but not really doing anything so I just turned it off at the controller.Originally Posted by paulockenden
We had our Evohome installed last August and I just used the Quick action 'Off' and will be using this again once it gets a bit warmer (it is still cold oopp north). As someone has already said the HR92s cycle every two weeks anyway.
BTW, which part of Italy are you emmeesse68, hubby is Italian.
^this
no need to remove batteries or worry
I work for Resideo, posts are personal and my own views.
from the user guide
evo off.jpg
I work for Resideo, posts are personal and my own views.
Northern Italy, close to Milan... rather cold in the winter, really hot in summer, always damp...But I often spend days in Tuscany...
back to the topic... Mavis, Top Brake, paulockenden, f1arp72, you're right about the ease of leaving everything "on" or just select the "Off" quick action, and I was actually thinking about leaving my EvoHome alone.
But I always think it's better not to leave on any unused appliance, for several reasons. First, everything that's "off", should not break. Second, why leave an unused electrical device plugged in? It would just consume electricity (not to mention batteries).
One more thing, I read in my TRV manual that it's better to leave them open when unused because the TRV coils would benefit being left open (that means: relaxed) rather than staying close (compressed), even if the HR92s would cycle every two weeks... my valves are oldish and I think it's better not to stress them too much.
As an (almost) unrelated issue, I was planning to call my plumber and have my heating system cleansed this summer. This process involves pumping water through pipes and radiators to chemically remove dirt and then rinse everything to remove the chemicals and debris. I think you need to have all valves open to do this (not to talk of lockshields, and the need of rebalancing next winter
Anyway, if whatever the reason, I wanted to switch evetything off, am I going to lose the learned info and bindings information? And what about my R8810, would it try to fire my boiler if it wasn't able to detect the controller?
Northern Italy, close to Milan... rather cold in the winter, really hot in summer, always damp...
back to the topic... Mavis, Top Brake, paulockenden, f1arp72, you're right about the ease of leaving everything "on" or just select the "Off" quick action, and I was actually thinking about leaving my EvoHome alone.
But I always think it's better not to leave on any unused appliance, for several reasons. First, everything that's "off", should not break. Second, why leave an unused electrical device plugged in? It would just consume electricity (not to mention batteries).
One more thing, I read in my TRV manual that it's better to leave them open when unused because the TRV coils would benefit being left open (that means: relaxed) rather than staying close (compressed), even if the HR92s would cycle every two weeks... my valves are oldish and I think it's better not to stress them too much.
As an (almost) unrelated issue, I was planning to call my plumber and have my heating system cleansed this summer. This process involves pumping water through pipes and radiators to chemically remove dirt and then rinse everything to remove the chemicals and debris. I think you need to have all valves open to do this (not to talk of lockshields, and the need of rebalancing next winter
Anyway, if whatever the reason, I wanted to switch evetything off, am I going to lose the learned info and bindings information? And what about my R8810, would it try to fire my boiler if it wasn't able to detect the controller?
you can unpower the evohome controller and it won't lose the binding. when you power it up it will re-sync with its paired devices. all you will need to do is set date/time
The HR92 wont use any 'power on the motor' when not driving open or closed; the motor is not powered to keep the valve in closed position - it is a worm drive
cycling the valves every 2 weeks stops the TRV seizing
if there is no call for heat from the controller the boiler relay (BDR or R8810) will not fire the boiler.
advice is to leave everything active and powered
I work for Resideo, posts are personal and my own views.
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