Re: Control central heating via PC, ideas please?

["Gary" <questuk1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Think I've answered my own question here!

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=3D13

Regards


Gary


--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Gary" <questuk1@...> wrote:
>
> Thanks Jon,
>=20
> "Have a look on the AH forums ... there's a dedicated CH
section...."
>=20
> Where do i find this forum, a link please?
>=20
> Thanks
>=20
> Gary
>=20
> --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, "Jon Wilkins" <jonpdwilkins@>
wrote:
> >
> > Gary,
> >=20
> > I am sure you will get lots of replies on this subject as there
are
> a number
> > of ways discussed occasionally and on the AH forums.  There are a
> number of
> > vendors & routes to getting better control... many will give
> impriovements
> > without a PC, but that will depend on how far you want to go, and
> what level
> > of control you currently have.
> >=20
> > The simplest solution to get lots of time zones is probably to
> *replacing
> > your RF Stat *with a timer/temp ("programmable stat")
to vary
> temperature
> > demand by the time of day... e.g during nighttime (in the winter)
> you want
> > to keep the chill of the place, so 15C is adequate.  Early
mornings
> you are
> > getting up going out ... 18C... evenings at home you might want
19C
> etc...
> > you get the idea.
> > **
> > Of course this wont justify the new mini-itx PC though :-)
> >=20
> > You could go further and zone the property into different
room/floor
> zones.
> > Then you could vary temperature by location & time  (e.g. why
heat the
> > bedrooms during the early evening if you're always in the
lounge?;
> why heat
> > the lounge in the morning when all you do is get up, wash &
go to
> work?).
> > This would require some wet changes to put valves in to split the
CH
> pipes
> > so you can independantly control either different rooms or
different
> floors
> > of the house (Floors means less zones than rooms, but is often OK
> because
> > our homes tend to be organised so different floors have different
> functions
> > ... bedroms on one, living on another etc).
> >=20
> > At this point there are multi-zone controllers, which could be
> hooked up to
> > time variable stats.  Some will interface with a PC.  Or more
> complicated HA
> > type solutions that require/rely heavily on a PC being available.
> >=20
> > I'm part-way through a similar small project; we needed to
replace
> our 15
> > years old boiler (it was burning incredible amounts of gas and
still not
> > heating our house).  So I took the opportunity to get the
plumbing
> modified
> > so I've now got a different temp zone per floor.  I decided to
use the
> > Idratek products and am putting in a mix of per-floor and
per-room
> control,
> > with each zone/room having it's own temperature/time
profile.=20=20=20
> There are
> > though, many other options at this level depending on your
preferences &
> > budget.
> >=20
> >=20
> > Have a look on the AH forums ... there's a dedicated CH
section....
> >=20
> >=20
> >=20
> >=20
> > On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 7:15 PM, Gary <questuk1@> wrote:
> >=20
> > >   Hi,
> > >
> > > With the just announced price rise in gas prices, I think
it's
time to
> > > see if i can save money by controlling my boiler using a
lower Power
> > > PC such as a mini ITX. Then I can have lots of different
time zones
> > > and more accurate control of the temperature at giving
points in
> the day.
> > >
> > > For example, I have a RF wall mounted thermostat, but you
can only
> > > adjust this in 1=B0 intervals, and sometimes that can make
it too
hot in
> > > a room, wasting gas.
> > >
> > > I'm not sure how to interface and control the boiler yet may
be
> > > Ethernet if there is such a way? or perhaps using RF
control?
> > >
> > > As I work electronics that side isn't too hard its more the
software I
> > > will have trouble with?
> > >
> > > Has anyone attempted this on the group?
> > >
> > > I'm sure many of us now have a requirement for such control,
so any
> > > comments welcome and also any ideas.
> > >
> > > Regards Gary
> > >
> > >=20=20
> > >
> >=20
> >=20
> >=20
> > --=20
> > www.jpdw.org / Information : The currency of the Future
> >=20
> >=20
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>



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